News

These LGBT Family Photos = All The Feels

by Kaitlin Stanford

It being Pride month and all, I've been seeing lots of awesome and inspirational pro-LGBT campaigns floating around the Interwebs — and they've all been giving me some serious feels. The latest? The LGBT online community Proud Parenting has teamed up with Fisher-Price to launch the Proud Parenting LGBT Family Photo Gallery, a place where LGBT families can share their photos and stories with others. And trust me, the images — of moms and moms, dads and dads, big kids and little — will make your heart happy.

The photos are primarily being hosted on Proud Parenting, where families can upload group snapshots, selfies, and more. But they're also being shared on Facebook and Instagram, where they're getting plenty of love. Take this photo, capturing the moment new dads Mark and Jeff met their new daughter:

That photo has gained over 2,500 likes in just five hours and racked up a ton of supportive comments as well. It's also sparked some positive conversation about surrogacy. As Facebook user Autumn Bland commented, "It's a pleasure to help create a family and give others the gift of parenthood. Can't wait to bring the little lady I'm growing into the world for her parents!" Stephanie Miller chimed in, too, saying, "Thank you to all the donors and surrogates who help create families!"

New parents Marlena and Casey also got plenty of love on Instagram for this sweet photo with their 7-week-old daughter Liv.

"What a beautiful baby! What a beautiful family!" wrote Instagrammer alexandrabagpack of the couple and their daughter.

And the adorableness just continues...

In a press release for the campaign, Proud Parenting Editor-in-Chief Jeff Bennett said he hopes the photos will help "lead the way for a new generation of families." And it's about time. After all, according to a 2013 report by the Williams Institute, an estimated three million LGBT Americans have had a child, while nearly six million children or adults have a parent who identifies as LGBT.

For their part, Fisher-Price also has high hopes for the campaign. Hailey Sullivan, Fisher-Price's Director of Marketing said in the press release that the kids' toy giant is "proud to help all parents give their children the best possible start in life." And that includes increasing visibility of the people and stories that make up so many LGBT families across America.

But perhaps their support should come as no surprise. After all, Fisher-Price, a Mattel-owned brand, has been been a part of some pretty moving LGBT-friendly campaigns before — including 2013's It Gets Better video series. They also have a score of 95 percent on the 2015 Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, which grades workplaces in the U.S. on how LGBT-friendly they are.

The campaign itself also couldn't come at a better time. Aside from Pride month, SCOTUS is also due to drop their long-awaited ruling on same-sex marriage in just a matter of days. And if early predictions prove true (and the experts really think that's likely), it will be a pretty historic moment for all of the faces you see above.

Want more of these sweet photos? Browse the full photo gallery over on Proud Parenting or upload your own.

Images: Courtesy of Proud Parenting