Our Mission:
We are dedicated to helping lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Upstate NY achieve their goals of building and sustaining healthy families.
The Project offers provider trainings, educational programs, information and referral services, a Directory of LGBTQ-Inclusive Services, and support for LGBTQ families and prospective parents. Our network of Pride and Joy Families provides social and educational opportunities, and a sense of community to LGBTQ parents and their children.
Brief History:
The Project was founded in April 2000 with a $43,000 competitive grant award for LGBT Health and Human Services from the NYS Dept. of Health to the Ferre Institute Inc. in Binghamton. Since then, we have reapplied for and received these funds in lesser and greater amounts and for shorter and longer periods of time.
Four years ago,the Project joined forces with the Binghamton University Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program and was awarded a 5-year, $625,000 grant through the Research Foundation at SUNY Binghamton. This move gave the Project a very happy and supportive home base, plus access to resources such as University facilities for conferences and trainings, graduate and undergraduate student assistance in carrying out our programs, and a multidisciplinary scholarly advisory committee (MSAC) composed of BU faculty in clinical psychology, social work, human development, nursing, and women, gender and sexuality studies.
Today, we have a much bigger database of LGBTQ-inclusive providers, which is growing every year. We maintain and nourish collaborations with other LGBTQ organizations all around New York State, as part of the New York State Health and Human Services Network. We have founded and maintain LGBTQ Child Welfare Coalitions in Central New York and the Hudson Valley, helping adoption providers and adoptive LGBTQ parents; organize large and small scale trainings for health and human service providers, offices, and trainers; hold regular gatherings for LGBTQ parents and prospective parents to increase social support for kids and adults; and encourage research via our university networks.
Our Staff and Administration
Claudia E. Stallman
Project Director cstallma at binghamton.edu
Elif Sendur
Program Coordinator pajf at binghamton.edu
Renae Barber
Program Assistant prideandjoyfamilies at gmail.com
Maura Bainbridge
Graduate Assistant /Health Educator prideandjoyfamilies at gmail.com
Social Work Intern elowe1 at binghamton.edu
Dr. Sean Massey, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, Principal Investigator
Dr. Dara Silberstein, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, Co-Principal Investigator
Our Advisory Boards
Community Advisory Board
Elayne Mosher-Campoli
Peg Johnston, Binghamton
Betsy Koffman, PhD, Binghamton
David Ruston, MSW, Binghamton
Susan Seibold-Simpson, PhD, Castle Creek
Vince Sgambati, Syracuse
Marian Stern, Binghamton
Gary Berk, MD, DeKalb Junction
Brian Frank, PhD, Albany
Anibal Garcia, Tivol
Rev. Dr. Kathleen Waters, Syracuse
Ian Weitz, Binghamton
Multidisciplinary Scholarly Advisory Board
A Serdar Atav, Decker School of Nursing
Matthew D. Johnson, Dept. of Psychology
Richard Mattson, Dept. of Psychology
Ann Merriwether, CCPA Human Development and Psychology
Sarah R. Young, CCPA Social Work
Please join us! Contact us to learn more about our programs and services.
Lesbian and Gay Family Building Project
Binghamton University, LN-2408
PO Box 6000
Binghamton, NY 13902-6000
phone: 607.777.3717
Contact us:
Phone: M- F 607-777-3717
E-mail: prideandjoyfamilies@gmail.com
