August 2012

Free Science iPad Apps for Kids

My son goes back to school next week, and so I have education on the brain. While part of me is thinking about LGBT-specific back-to-school issues, most of me is simply thinking about the more general issues of school time. Among other things, I want my science-loving nine-year-old son to continue enjoying the subject—which, for my engineer spouse and myself, means supplementing his formal education with fun experiments and activities at home. Ever since I bought an iPad a few months ago, I’ve been on the hunt for ways to put it towards that goal (even if my son also aims for the goal of seeing how many enemies he can defeat in the Lego Ninjago app).

A Platform for All Families

Tired of the the Republicans’ anti-LGBT and anti-women platform? The Family Equality Council (FEC) has an alternative. The organization yesterday released its Family Platform, calling for “the full inclusion of all families, including families headed by LGBT people and same-sex couples, in the life of our nation.”

Parents of Transgender Children Share Their Stories

Parents of transgender children “are the best parents ever. They unconditionally love their children, even when they don’t completely understand what their child is going through,” writes mom Tracie Stratton (herself such a parent) in Transitions of the Heart: Stories of Love, Struggle, and Acceptance by Mothers of Transgender and Gender Variant Children, edited by Rachel Pepper. That lesson of acceptance and love, conveyed through the 32 essays in the collection, make Transitions of the Heart a valuable read for any parent, regardless of the gender identity of their children.

From Pillows to Penguins: My Night at the Residence Inn Boston Harbor

I had the pleasure last weekend of spending a night at the Residence Inn Boston Harbor on Tudor Wharf, courtesy of Residence Inn by Marriott, which is reaching out to blogging parents for feedback and ideas.

I’m very picky when it comes to doing commercial promotions on this blog–probably more so because I’ve been in corporate marketing myself. I don’t want to blindly shill products and services. Having said that, I DO think it’s important for LGBT parents to be in the mix when companies are reaching out to attract families, and I’m delighted to help when companies truly seem like they want to be inclusive.

Utah NBC Affiliate Won’t Air Sitcom About Gay Dads

NBC affiliate KSL in Salt Lake City, Utah, won’t air The New Normal, a new sitcom about two gay dads and their surrogate, reports the Salt Lake Tribune. Bonneville CEO Jeff Simpson, CEO of the station’s parent company, Bonneville International, told the Tribune that “For our brand, this program feels inappropriate on several dimensions, especially during family viewing time.”

Back-to-School Resources for LGBT Parents

Back-to-school time is here, which means it’s time for my annual back-to-school resource post, a tradition I first started way back in 2006. My own son wasn’t even in school then. He’s grown and changed, and so has this list. I originally wrote a version of the below as part of one of my newspaper columns last year. I’ve revised it somewhat and hope it remains useful, whether your children are just entering school, starting a new school, or encountering new issues along their educational journey.

American Flag

Military Same-Sex Parents Write About Ongoing Inequalities

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” may be gone, but the inequalities linger for married and partnered servicemembers, including those with children. Several of these families are telling their stories through letters they have written to Congress, as part of a new campaign from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) and OutServe.

Hospital Denies Rights to Lesbian Couple with Pregnancy Complications

Spring Valley Hospital in Clark County, Nevada, has denied a lesbian the right to make medical decisions for her pregnant domestic partner. When Brittney Leon and Terri-Ann Simonelli went to the hospital in July after Leon began experiencing complications with her pregnancy, an admissions officer told them that Simonelli could not make medical decisions for Leon without a power of attorney—despite the fact that they are legal domestic partners in the state, which should give them the same rights as married couples to make medical decisions for each other. Leon ended up losing the pregnancy.

Summer Pause

I’m going to be taking a couple of days off from blogging so I can have some extra quality time with my family before the new school year hits. Besides, my brain needs to unplug every once in a while.

Scroll to Top