Pride Month at First Shift
Each June, LGBTQ+ people and allies across the world gather together to recognize Pride Month, a celebration of diverse sexualities, gender identities, and the growing visibility of LGBTQ+ families. In recent years, this month has also brought greater attention to a need to fight for greater legislative protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community. At First Shift Justice, we are proud to be part of the movement to ensure that all families have access to the full protection of the law.
Caregiving protections are essential in pursuing equality for all families. The Williams Institute at UCLA Law finds that LGBTQ+ couples with children are twice as likely as comparable non-LGBTQ+ households to report a household income near the poverty threshold. The lack of access to paid parental leave contributes to this disparity. Additionally, an article published in the Cambridge Journal of Social Policy in 2019 reports thats globally, two-parent households consisting of one mother and one father or two mothers typically receive equal durations of paid parental leave, while a household with two fathers is more likely to receive less leave.
Under the DC Family Medical Leave Act (DCFMLA), every parent, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or blood relationship has an equal right to time off from work to bond with a new child or care for a child with a serious health condition. DC’s paid leave laws also ensure that all parents have the right to be paid for time they take off to bond with or care for a child. These laws also extend the definition of family to ensure that cohabitating partners have the right to protected, paid time off to care for one another, regardless of the legal status of their relationship. Family is about love and a devotion to care for one another, and we are proud that DC’s laws reflect and protect that.
This June, First Shift renews our dedication to assisting any and all families that need help exercising their right to care for their loved ones without fear of job loss. Happy Pride!
