Welcome to everyone who found out about The Pop Luck Club at the LA Pride Festival this past weekend. This page and the rest of our website will tell you many of the details of The Pop Luck Club, and you can join the club by clicking on the Apply link on the left side. If you have any questions about the group, please email us at plcinfo@popluckclub.org!
The Pop Luck Club is a Los Angeles-based organization of gay dads that is the largest known gay fathers organization in the world, with hundreds of families and continued strong growth. Its mission is to advance the well-being of gay prospective parents, gay parents, and their children. We do this through mutual support, community collaboration, and public understanding.
For questions about the Pop Luck Club or this website, or for more details about any of the ongoing or special events listed below, please contact plcinfo@popluckclub.org.
Ongoing Events - held the same day each month:
◊ Monthly Pop Luck Club meetings in West Hollywood - First Sunday, 11:00AM for new and prospective members, 12:00PM for everyone.
◊ Monthly Pop Luck Club picnics in Orange County - Third Sunday, 1:00PM.
◊ Maybe Baby - Second Sunday, 10:30AM. Provides information for prospective gay and lesbian parents. Note that we list event information for Maybe Baby, but it is not affiliated with The Pop Luck Club. Email MaybeBaby@LAGayCenter.org for more info.
◊ Family Day in the Park - Third Saturday, 10AM - 12PM. Combines PLC members with other gay and lesbian parents. Note that we list event information for Family Day in the Park, but it is run by The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Family Services Program. Email FamilyServices@LAGayCenter.org for more info.
Upcoming Dates:
JANUARY EVENTS:
> PLC West Hollywood Meeting - Sunday, January 4, 2009, 11:00AM for new and prospective members, 12:00PM pot luck for everyone. Email plcinfo@popluckclub.org for location and additional info.
> Maybe Baby - Sunday, January 11, 2009, 10:30AM. Subject: Come and share your place on the journey to parenthood and get some community support. Email MaybeBaby@LAGayCenter.org for more info.
> Family Day in the Park - Saturday, January 17, 2008, 10:00AM - 12:00PM. Email FamilyServices@LAGayCenter.org for more info.
> PLC Orange County Picnic - Sunday, January 18, 2008, 11:00AM. Email gcollins92651@yahoo.com for location and additional info.
FEBRUARY EVENTS:
> PLC West Hollywood Meeting, featuring the Mad Scientist kids' entertainment - Sunday, February 1, 2009, 11:00AM for new and prospective members, 12:00PM pot luck for everyone. 12:30PM sharp show time! Email plcinfo@popluckclub.org for location and additional info.
> Maybe Baby - Sunday, February 8, 2009, 10:30AM. Subject: TBD. Email MaybeBaby@LAGayCenter.org for more info.
> PLC Orange County Picnic - Sunday, February 15, 2009, 11:00AM. Email gcollins92651@yahoo.com for location and additional info.
> Family Day in the Park - Saturday, February 21, 2009, 11:00AM - 1:00PM. Email FamilyServices@LAGayCenter.org for more info.
MARCH EVENTS:
> PLC West Hollywood Meeting - Sunday, March 1, 2009, 11:00AM for new and prospective members, 12:00PM pot luck for everyone. Email plcinfo@popluckclub.org for location and additional info.
> Maybe Baby - Sunday, March 8, 2009, 10:30AM. Subject: TBD. Email MaybeBaby@LAGayCenter.org for more info.
> PLC Orange County Picnic - Sunday, March 15, 2009, 11:00AM. Email gcollins92651@yahoo.com for location and additional info.
> Family Day in the Park - Saturday, March 21, 2009, 11:00AM - 1:00PM. Email FamilyServices@LAGayCenter.org for more info.
Visit us at our booth at the LA Pride Festival
Pull out those Pop Luck Club T-shirts and join The Pop Luck Club and our "Daddy of the Year" to march in the annual LA Pride Parade on Sunday, June 8th, 2008. Meet up by 10:30AM for an 11AM parade kickoff. We’re usually on Crescent Heights Blvd. near the corner of Santa Monica Blvd., but ask parade workers for our lineup number to find us. We didn't order new Pop Luck Club T-shirts this year, so bring your shirts from previous years. If you don’t have one, we’ll be bringing some along to lend to people!
The Pop Luck Club will also have a booth at the LA Pride Festival to tell people about our group, provide resources for current and potential dads, and to publicize our annual Resource Fair that will be held on September 13th this year. As in years past, the Resource Fair will be held in conjunction with the Family Services Program's "Parenting with Pride" conference - Save the Date!
The kids always have a great time when Coach Samir and his staff lead activities at our monthly meetings. Join us at our June 1st meeting in West Hollywood when Coach Samir will be with us once again!
The Pop Luck Club is once again a co-sponsor of Family Day at the Beach, led by The Family Services Program at The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. Our annual beach day will be held on Saturday, June 21, running from 1-4PM. It's held at Dockweiler State Beach, near LAX. Bring a picnic lunch, beach toys, and don't forget your sunblock! For more details, email FamilyServices@LAGayCenter.org.
We're pleased and honored to announce that we have three incredible nominees for DADDY OF THE YEAR! A Face of Fatherhood. Each candidate has provided a "Candidate's Statement." They can be read at the following links:
John Crabtree-Ireland's Candidate's Statement
Antonio Le Mons' Candidate's Statement
Andrew Rakos' Candidate's Statement
VOTING: Voting for The "Daddy of the Year: A Face of Fatherhood" winner has been completed. Our winner will be announced at the LA Pride Festival on June 7th, 2008!
OUR MISSION -
“DADDY OF THE YEAR! A Face of Fatherhood” is an outreach program created by The Pop Luck Club’s (PLC) Board of Directors in support of one facet of the PLC Mission Statement – to advance the well-being of gay prospective parents, gay parents and their children by building public understanding of our group and our cause.
While the PLC Board recognizes that all PLC members are highly dedicated in their roles as parents, OUR GOAL in selecting a DADDY OF THE YEAR! is to help expand the public face of The Pop Luck Club and of gay fatherhood by honoring one PLC member who represents the good qualities, abilities and characteristics in all of us!
PRIZES - In recognition of his selection as the “Daddy of the Year! A Face of Fatherhood”, the honoree will receive a variety of prizes contributed to PLC by the following donors: The Luxe Hotel Sunset Boulevard, On Sunset Restaurant, Arnold Brant, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, and Geoffrey Beene.
Suggested Annual Contribution Remains $50
In an effort to simplify Pop Luck Club dues collection, the Board unanimously voted to switch The Pop Luck Club’s dues structure to a January invoicing date for all members, rather than the previous rolling membership date based on a member's original signup date. Simultaneously, an online payment option using PayPal will be implemented to simplify membership payments for both ongoing and new members. The new timing and online system are being implemented in order to make it easier for all members to know when their annual dues are requested, to make it easier for everyone to pay for their membership, and to allow the Club to better budget for its ongoing activities.
During the transition year of 2008, all members who have not already paid their 2008 dues will be sent a notice at the beginning of April requesting that they pay for their 2008 membership by the end of April. The suggested annual contribution will remain at $50, and as in the past this is a suggested contribution - larger amounts are of course welcome, and no one will be turned away or have their membership canceled if they are not able to contribute the $50 suggested amount. Since Pop Luck is a 501c3 organization, all dues are tax deductible.
New members who join during the months of December - May now have a suggested dues amount of $50 (with December new memberships running through the following year), and those joining in June - November have a suggested dues amount of $25 that will cover their membership for the remainder of that year.
The annual dues structure was originally implemented in 2002 based on a vote by the membership. The annual dues are used to pay for a number of different aspects of The Pop Luck Club: the kids' entertainment that we have at many meetings, the monthly meeting paper goods and drinks, our annual holiday party, T-shirts for the parade, parade entry fees, the annual Resource Fair, and club administrative costs (website hosting, insurance policies, etc.), among others.
During this transition year, we will have an extended leeway period:
· Members who have paid dues since December, 2007 will be considered active for the entire year of 2008, and no additional dues payments are suggested.
· Members who paid dues between June and December, 2007 will also be considered active for the entire year of 2008, but we are suggesting a pro-rated contribution (as you see fit) for 2008.
· Those who paid any time prior to June, 2007 will be requested to pay the suggested $50 membership contribution in April. Everyone in this category will be considered active for a 3 month period after the initial payment requests go out, through the end of June, 2008. Reminders will be sent via the newsgroup, and those who have not paid their 2008 dues by the end of June will receive a final notice, after which they'll be considered "Inactive".
In future years, a general request for dues will be made in January via the monthly meetings, the usergroup, and the newsletter, and follow-ups will be sent in February. All dues will be requested by the end of February, after which non-paying members or members who have not requested to remain active, will be considered "Inactive".
To pay your annual membership contribution via PayPal, please click here. Please contact plcinfo@popluckclub.org with any questions.
December, 2007 statistics
Here's the latest update of membership statistics about PLC members' families, including some newly available stats about the number of children per household and the number who have kids vs. in process:
Among group member's families that have kids:
41% - Private/Agency/Independent/Foreign Adoption
24% - Surrogacy
29% - Foster Adoption
6% - Co-Parenting & previous heterosexual relationships
57% - One child
43% - 2+ children
Among all the group's member families:
70% - Partnered Parents/prospective parents
30% - Single Parents/prospective parents
62% - Have kids already
38% - In process
While we recently won the right to get married in the state of California, and our children won the right to have parents who are legally married, registered domestic partners in California have been provided with most of the rights and responsibilities of married couples under California's AB 205 since January, 2005. As a result of AB 205, “[r]egistered domestic partners have the same rights, protections, and benefits, and are subject to the same responsibilities, obligations, and duties under [California state] law, whether they derive from statutes, administrative regulations, court rules, government policies, common law, or any other provisions or sources of law, as are granted to and imposed upon spouses.” Cal. Fam. Code § 297.5(a).
AB 205 affects almost every California law, regulation, court rule, or court decision that confers rights or responsibilities on spouses. The primary exceptions are: (1) the means of entering and exiting registered domestic partnerships are different than those for entering and existing marriages; and (2) AB 205 does not effect statutes or constitutional provisions that were enacted through the initiative process.
For more information about the privileges and responsibilities resulting from the new law, Equality California provides an excellent reference document in conjunction with the The National Center for Lesbian Rights, which is the source of the information listed here. Click here to view it on the EQCA.org website.
To register your domestic partnership with the California Secretary of State's Office, download the form from their website.
Tips You Should Know When Applying For Your Child's Card
If you're a gay parent and are about to apply for a Social Security Number for your child, you may find a surprise waiting for you when you complete your application. After you compile the necessary paperwork and take it to your local Social Security office, a representative may type the information into a computer and print out an application for you to sign. While the application may properly show you or your partner's name as the father of your child, the other may be listed as the "mother" of your child. The computer fields for this particular agency seem to only allow entry for one father and one mother.
Fortunately, there is something that you can do to try to correct this biological impossibility. If you’ve had a similar experience and would like to help urge the Social Security Administration to update their computer fields and reports to reflect "Parent One/Relationship Type" and "Parent Two/Relationship Type", it's as simple as calling or completing a form. The telephone number is 410-965-3166. The form number is SSA-437-BK and it’s available to download at: http://www.ssa.gov/online/ssa-437.pdf
You may help effect a small but meaningful change in support of our community. Think of it as helping to advance the social assurity of Social Security.
