Sep 18th, 2006
Queerspawn in headlines for something else.
Here’s an nice article to follow Friday’s post about queerspawn in the news. Jeff DeGroot, 21, is profiled in an Oregon paper for his efforts in mobilizing voter registration. And he happens to have gay parents.
Zapping apathy: One vote at a time
By Rebecca Barrett
Corvallis Gazette-Times
Excerpt:
“We always talk about politics,” said [his mother] Elisabeth DeGroot.
When he was in high school, he sponsored a bill in the youth legislature extending marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples. Being raised by gay parents has fueled his pursuit of equality for all people. Outside his home, he saw discrimination and wanted to effect change.
When youthful idealism is challenged, some people become jaded, Elisabeth DeGroot said, but not her son.
“His sense of social responsibility is so wonderful,” she said.
It’s not that people with gay parents are never profiled in the news for a reason other than having gay parents. It’s just that the gay parent thing gets omitted or ignored so as not to “complicate” the article. Kudos to Rebecca Barrett for including Jeff’s family background to enhance the story without derailing it.