Thanksgiving, 2025. Now is the time, more than ever, to give thanks for all we have and to work to preserve all we value and love. It’s also the time to express gratitude for those we honor, including quiet heroes who show us the way.

Meet Bill W. Jones, a 97-year-old gay activist and the first single man to legally adopt a child in America. On February 13, 1969, after an 18-month struggle, Jones signed papers adopting Aaron Hunter Jones in San Francisco. In a judge’s chambers packed with friends, Jones signed the document that changed his life and LGBTQ history, opening the doors for single-parent adoption, then same-sex parent adoption in America. Approximately 28% of adoptions in the United States are single-parent adoptions, according to the National Council for Adoption. In the U.S.,

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