April 2011

Weekly Political Roundup

The law firm hired to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) has withdrawn from its contract to do so, but the lawyer who was to take the case has left the firm and plans to defend it from elsewhere. On the other hand, the Senate committee considering a bill to repeal DOMA may just […]

“She Got Me Pregnant”: Episode 124

Helen and I discuss three—count ’em, three—new children’s books by and/or inclusive of lesbian and gay parents, including Donovan’s Big Day, by Lesléa Newman, author of the classic Heather Has Two Mommies. (I’ll have more on Donovan soon, so stay tuned. In brief: Definitely one worth reading and recommending to your local library.) We also

Lesbian Swans and LGBT Parenting Films – LGBT Parenting News from Boston

Two pieces of LGBT parenting news from my town of Boston: On May 3, the Boston Public Garden’s famed swans return for the season. The birds, Romeo and Juliet, are in fact a pair of females who laid eggs and attempted to care for them together, as the Boston Globe reported, and I discussed, a few years back.

LGBT Parenting Roundup

Politics and Law Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill that will give married, opposite-sex couples “placement preference” in the adoption of children, when all other factors are equal. The Virginia State Board of Social Services voted not to approve a proposal from former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) that would have prohibited discrimination against potential

Nurse Jackie’s Lesbian Moms Divorce

The lesbian moms are back on Showtime’s Nurse Jackie tonight—and the sad news is, they’re getting a divorce. Below is a clip of them (played by Swoosie Kurtz and Judith Light) telling their son, Peter Facinelli’s Dr. Fitch “Coop” Cooper. Still, I love the portrayal of the moms on the show because it’s one of

Orange Jews Is Good for You

Here’s a seasonal tale that even those not of Jewish heritage will appreciate: Rabbi Andrew Sacks, director of the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly in Israel, has shared an e-mail from Jewish scholar Susannah Heschel, in which she explained the relatively recent tradition of placing an orange on the Seder plate. She began the tradition “as a

Poet, Mother (and Lesbian) to Write in Honor of Royal Wedding

I wasn’t going to write about the royal wedding at all. Despite having lived in the U.K. for a couple of years, I find the monarchy interesting only as an example of the persistence of older traditions of European leadership. (Yes, I was a historian.)

But as a chronicler of things related to lesbian moms, I now feel obligated to note that Carol Ann Duffy, Britain’s Poet Laureate, will be writing a poem for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding. Duffy is a lesbian and a mother.

Author Arthur Levine Talks About His LGBT-Inclusive Picture Book

Congratulations to Mandy, winner of the final Monday is One Day giveaway last week. Here’s a video of author Arthur Levine talking about the book, his own very personal inspiration for it, and Julian Hector’s fitting illustrations. Levine is openly gay, and includes a pair of gay dads in the book, but the book’s message

Most Powerful Lesbian Moms in America 2011

Yes, it’s that time of year again! Out magazine just published its fifth annual list of “The Power 50: The Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America,” which means it’s time for my fifth annual list of The Most Powerful Lesbian Moms in America. The definition of “power” is subjective, of course. For the purposes

Weekly Political Roundup

Because today is the Day of Silence, an annual observance to raise awareness of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment, I’ll point out my piece over at Keen News Service on court cases sparked by the event. The Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) and the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) (which would allow people to sponsor same-sex partners

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