R Family Cruise: Day Two

The dance music starts early here on the Norwegian Dawn, piped onto the outside decks by 7:00 a.m. I know this because some crazy notion got me up then to go for a run. The beat was motivating—but then I went down to the fitness center where all the gay men working out made even a sporty gal like me feel like a weakling. Nobody better call these guys “faggots.”

Working out gave me an appetite, which was good, because the main cafeteria puts out a spread of every breakfast item imaginable to the Western palate. After we fueled up, my partner took our son to the “T-Rex Kids’ Pool” (complete with water slides and 10-foot dino statues) while I wrote. We then converged for a craft session, where R Family staffers gave us paper, foam, feathers, ribbons, markers, and other materials to decorate our stateroom doors. I’ve noticed that one way to tell the returning cruisers from the newbies is to look for those who bring their own door decorations.

Our first stop after lunch was a panel hosted by Family Pride, featuring furniture maven Mitchell Gold, actor Sharon Gless, and out Massachusetts State Senator Jarrett Barrios. Gold, who is also the founder of Faith in America, spoke of religion-based bigotry as the biggest common factor among the LGBT, black, and women’s civil-rights movements. Gless adopted her persona from Queer as Folk, Debbie Novotny, and told us “It’s about love. . . . Genitalia is just God’s way of accessorizing.” We laughed, but I was a bit disappointed Gless never spoke in her own voice. I would have liked to hear her speak about how her role on Queer as Folk affected her own views and actions regarding LGBT rights.

Barrios, the father of two, discussed the struggle for marriage equality in Massachusetts, but also stressed that we cannot fight the battle for equal rights solely in the political arena. “We win not just by supporting openly gay and lesbian candidates,” he asserted. “We win by supporting openly gay and lesbian families in every aspect of our lives.” He also informed us that Massachusetts, the only state where same-sex couples can marry, has the lowest overall divorce rate in the country. Texas, home of George W. Bush, has the highest. So much for marriage equality weakening the institution.

My partner and I then spent a blissfully free afternoon, while our son frolicked in the free “Kids’ Crew” daycare center. The staff threw an “unbirthday” party for the kids, complete with make-your-own party hats and cupcakes. If leftover blue frosting around the mouth was any indication, a good time was had by all.

After some time in our room and dinner, we were off to the evening’s entertainment. The early show was children’s-music duo Erin Lee and Marci, performing songs from their second CD, Someone’s Gotta Wanna Play. If you don’t know them, and you have children of elementary-school age or younger, you should. They sing silly, catchy, inclusive songs about everyday life from a child’s perspective, and know how to get an auditorium of kids rockin.’ Buy one of their CDs for yourself, and an extra for your school or playgroup.

Sandra Bernhard headlined the grown-up late show. I lost the coin toss and did bedtime duty while my partner went off to see her. The good part is that I now get to write today’s blog post, which I shall publish from the Internet Café once she returns.

From the personal to the political and back again. That’s somehow appropriate for a day on a ship full of LGBT families. Tomorrow will be rather different, as we dock at Port Canaveral, Florida, and take a day trip to Kennedy Space Center. If I can restrain my son from sneaking into Mission Control and launching something (“Rosie, we have a problem . . .”), I’ll consider it a successful day. Stay tuned.