Mary Cheney, daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, and her partner, Heather Poe, are expecting a baby. “A source close to the couple” says that Cheney is pregnant and expecting in the spring.
Pam has already hit the heart of the matter at Pam’s House Blend, noting that Virginia, where the couple lives, will not allow either second-parent or joint adoptions by same-sex couples:
So Mary and Heather will be twisting in the legal wind, thanks to her party’s repeated hostility toward gays and lesbians. . . . The question is—will Mary and Heather speak out in any way in support of gay and lesbian families and the injustice that exists for those in less fortunate social positions?
We can only hope. In the meantime, I wish them luck, and welcome them as another lesbian family. I’d point them to my list of Baby Gear Recommendations, but suspect they won’t have any trouble stocking their nursery. I also hope that whatever flak they may take from either left or right, their child is able to grow up shielded from it until he/she has developed a strong enough sense of self not to be hurt by the vitriol.
“will Mary and Heather speak out in any way in support of gay and lesbian families and the injustice that exists for those in less fortunate social positions?”
Obviously not. Mary and Heather seem content that they have enough money to shield *their* child against the effects of state-sanctioned discrimination. And Heather doesn’t seem to mind making a public show of knowing her place.
I probably shouldn’t judge, though; I’ve never had an opportunity to sell out.