When queer people choose to start a family, major life decisions like where to live and attend school require extra consideration. Mercedes Santos and Theresa Volpe, one of the first legally wed gay couples in Illinois, are raising their three children in Evanston and enrolled them at Baker Demonstration School in Wilmette because of its progressive and inclusive community. “We had to consider how our children would be accepted in their school, as well as the neighborhood they grew up in, based on our family structure,” Volpe said. “Our children have thrived in their school because they had teachers who saw them for exactly who they are, embraced them, and created an environment where all differences are celebrated.”
