Also published in the Huffington Post, here. This year we’ve broken a record, and it’s not a good one. More transgender women have been killed in the U.S. than in any other year on record. I’m heartbroken and angered that women keep dying, most of them women of color, most of them Black. Most were between the ages of 17-25, just coming into adulthood, when their lives, dreams and futures were stolen. They were sisters,...

My early parenting experiences were sometimes hard. I had a child who I thought was a boy. They liked to play with dolls and dress up as a princess and I didn’t know if that was okay. I’ve learned a lot since then, and today I’m sharing some of what I’ve learned about the impact of gender boxes on children. As early as two years of age, children learn that there are different rules for boys and girls that they are...

Today’s blog is about engaging in dialogue about controversial issues. I share my own experiences speaking out as the mom of a gay son and discuss ideas, principles and skills to go beyond “preaching to the choir” and make room for all voices—especially those we disagree with. “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can...