News & Impact

The United States is facing a significant demographic shift as its population gets older, including members of our LGBTQ+ communities. According to the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, Movement Advancement Project (MAP, it is estimated that, by 2030, there will be nearly 7 million LGBTQ+ people in the United States over the age of 50. This growing demographic highlights the urgent need to address the unique challenges faced by members of this community in their later years. While aging can create challenges for all older adults, LGBTQ+ people often encounter distinct obstacles as they get older. A 2022 study from AARP… Read More

As he does each year, state Senator Scott Wiener joined public officials and hundreds of volunteers on Saturday, June 8 for the 2024 Pink Triangle Ceremony, celebrating the annual installation of San Francisco’s singular Pink Triangle. The Pink Triangle was founded 29 years ago by Patrick Carney as a guerilla arts project. Covering an acre on Twin Peaks, viewable for miles around, it has become synonymous with Pride Month in San Francisco. The symbol, once used by the Nazis to identify and shame homosexuals in concentration camps, is now embraced by the LGBTQ community as a symbol of pride.… Read More

by Michelle Nobriga, JD, MBA, Director of JFCS’ Adoption Connection For many aspiring same-sex parents, the path to building a family through open adoption was once littered with discriminatory, out-of-state legal barriers. Couples were often forced to make the heartbreaking decision of which partner would adopt as a single parent first, with the other initially labeled as their “roommate” on paperwork. The emotional turmoil was agonizing but accepted as the only option at the time. However, for some lucky couples in San Francisco, hope emerged when the city briefly issued same-sex marriage licenses in 2004. This move would eventually be… Read More

While the road to equality for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) has been a long one, for over 30 years JFCS has been breaking ground by supporting families of all kinds to grow their families by adoption. JFCS continues to work and advocate for LGBTQ+ adoptive families’ legal rights—both in the United States and in Israel. JFCS’ Adoption Connection Receives Prestigious Award from Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Back in the 80s, while the public and elected officials were busy debating the merits of adoptions by queer families, JFCS’ Executive Director Dr. Anita Friedman began… Read More

Healthy older adults are living longer in their own homes, but a sudden fall in the shower or an unforeseen diagnosis can thwart a senior’s best-laid plans to age independently. LGBTQ+ seniors, who often don’t have children or who may be single and living alone, are among those taking advantage of JFCS’ popular Futures Program, which helps seniors plan for their future care needs while they are healthy. Alan and Peter were thrilled to sign up for the Futures Program. As self-described “planners” in all aspects of their lives, the couple approached their care at home no differently. Partners… Read More

When Drew and Flavio met on JDate.com more than eight years ago, they discovered—to their delight—that one of the interests they shared was in raising a family. “I wanted to find a partner with a child who wanted to have another child,” says Flavio, a Brazilian-born psychologist. Drew, a high-tech executive who had been in an earlier LGBT relationship in which he was raising a son, was a perfect match. A few years into their marriage, after considering various options, the couple came to realize that open adoption was the best way for them to grow their family. Their thoughts… Read More