Parents, Play & Pride

Different types of family trees continue to grow and thrive throughout NYC and across the country. Kicking off Pride Week, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) celebrated lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) families at their ninth annual Pride Night on June 23. The special after-hours event included creative art activities, healthy treats, and exclusive access to all of CMOM’s interactive exhibits. In partnership with Center Families, the family division of the LGBT Community Center, the Family Equality Council, and Goldman Sachs’ Community TeamWorks, the event was open to LGBT parents, their children, and extended family and friends.

“We are open for all families and want people to know that they are welcome,” says CMOM executive director Andrew Ackerman. “CMOM is safe, nurturing, and educational. LGBT families come to CMOM for fun because we are open and accepting—and we want to spread the word to younger families that they are always welcome to experience and enjoy CMOM.”

Located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, CMOM has provided innovative and engaging programs that have reached a diverse audience of children and families since 1973. Hosting Pride Night serves to continue the celebration of family and diversity in our rich and culturally-diverse city.

Kids and families enjoyed activities that included a colorful mural wall painting, handprint family tree art, animated face painting—as well as exploring the museums’ five floors of hands-on exhibits.

Same-sex couple Paola Patino and Yanira Ildefonso brought their 5-year-old daughter, Liana, to Pride Night so she could her own family dynamic mirrored in others, and to enjoy all the venue has to offer. “We like to bring our daughter to meet other families with same-sex parents so she gets to see other families like our family,” Patino, a preschool teacher who lives on Long Island, explains. “We also thought the museum was a great place for Liana to explore and learn.”

With a rapidly-changing definition of family in our city and throughout the country, NYC and its institutions continue to reach out to an ever-changing population of residents. “The city has changed and is more open to the LGBT community, and even the mayor was at a recent pride parade,” Patino adds. “It’s a good feeling to know that everyone should be welcome, regardless of who they love or where they belong. I think NYC is getting a lot better.”