2:01pm | According to the results of Proposition 8, 47.55 percent of Long Beach residents do not believe homosexual couples deserve the right to marry. Such public sentiment is a clear indication of the unique challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents. For this reason, on Monday, June 13, The Center in Long Beach is hosting its first-ever LGBT Parents Mixer. Entitled Building a “Modern Family” Tree, the event will (according to The Center’s press release) offer a comfortable social setting for LGBT parents — and prospective parents — “to ask questions, find answers, and support one another as we stand proudly as the ‘new family dynamic’ taking shape in our society. Come connect, embrace, and explore the wonders, challenges, joys, and surprises of being a LGBT parent and family!” Facilitated by Life Incognito’s Rick Clemons, Monday’s mixer is the kickoff event to a series of get-togethers / workshops — monthly to begin with, perhaps bimonthly thereafter — that will be both casual and educational. “It’s about socializing, sharing our experiences, talking about our challenges as gay and lesbian parents,” says Clemons. “But each time there will also be a learning segment. “We’re dipping our toe in the water with this one, and we’ll see where we go with it. … I love being a gay parent myself, and I love connecting with other gay parents — hearing their challenges, sharing their ideas, just really seeing how we can support one another.” The Center is located at 2017 E. Fourth St. For more information, call 562-434-4455, ext. 245, or visit CenterLB.org. For more information on Life Incognito, go to LifeIncognito.com.