I played the original Dungeons & Dragons game in high school, back in the early 80s. I’ve been delighted to see it is experiencing a resurgence — and capturing my son's interest as well. A recent encounter made me love the game, and the company behind it, even more.

This was going to be a very different column. Then 19 children and two adults were shot and killed by a gunman at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

I was among the first generation of kids to see the original “Star Wars” movie in 1977. I was 10 then, and when the third installment rolled around six years later, I was waiting in line for hours with friends at the local theater on opening day. I’ll be seeing “The Force Awakens” with my own son this week, and have been reflecting on some of the lessons I’ve learned from the series and what it has meant to me.

I love LGBTQ History Month almost more than I love Pride Month. Going to grad school in history will do that. Keeping in mind the truism “History is written by the victors” and philosopher George Santayana’s observation, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” I find there’s something about looking at our queer past that feels empowering and vital.

May was National Museum Month, and LGBTQ families have a growing source of support in museums—including ones aimed at children—that have been reaching out to welcome all kinds of families. Margaret Middleton, a Boston-based designer, speaker, and consultant, has been a leader in helping to make this happen.

February, despite being the shortest month, is often a hard one. Where I live, any day might be a snow day, with my son home from school and the sidewalks needing to be shoveled. The usual routine of laundry and groceries and dinner doesn’t stop. In recent weeks, too, I have been distracted by the news stories of a government chipping away at the rights of LGBTQ people, immigrants, and others. How not to be overwhelmed by it all? Here are some of stories about LGBTQ families making February just a bit warmer.

A mother cries today. She looks out over the shores to which she beckoned huddled masses, and wonders if they will ever regain their welcome aura. She knows, too, that though she stands as a beacon to the homeless and tempest-tost, she also represents something more: liberty for all those who dwell on the lands she surveys, sea to shining sea. But today, she cannot hold her head up as once she did.

Everyone’s first week on the job should be like Stan Sloan’s. The new executive director of Family Equality Council, the national organization for LGBTQ families, began the role on the first day of Family Week in Provincetown, the organization’s signature event and the world’s largest gathering of LGBTQ families.

When I learned of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, my own son was in elementary school, and I was shaken to the core. He is in middle school now, and the Orlando massacre has shaken me again. The victims this time were not young children—but they were all someone’s children.

My Facebook feed has been stuffed with photos of parents and children decked out in rainbow gear, smiling and waving as they head out for their local Pride celebrations. My own family celebration was more muted—my spouse was away on business, and our son was immersed in end-of-year school projects. Still, I can’t help reflecting on what we LGBTQ parents have to be proud of over the past year.

I had a good time poking fun at the plagiarism and grandstanding of the Republican Convention, as did many of my left-leaning friends. My amusement quickly turned sober, however. The fact remains that the 2016 GOP platform directly targets LGBTQ families and LGBTQ youth.

Starbucks and Seattle police are teaming up to make sure LGBT hate crime victims have a safe place to go.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — United Methodist clergy and churchgoers have held a press conference outside the bishop’s office in Lansing in support of an openly gay pastor who says he was forced to resign.