A few interesting features from round and about:
- From The Walrus magazine in Canada comes “Frontier Families: The Complexities of Queer Parenting,” by Matthew Hays, who wrote the article after two lesbian friends of his first considered and then rejected him as a sperm donor. He turns this rejection into a broad, balanced article about the changing landscape of LGBT rights and parenting and the tradeoffs involved in known versus unknown sperm donors. Among other things, he notes that despite Canada’s leading status in terms of marriage for same-sex couples, “Canada’s laws surrounding assisted procreation have become far more restrictive than in America.” Worth a read.
- You should also read Paige Schilt’s four-part series “Of Buddhas, Brains, and Babies; or, Meditations on Parenting and Anger,” at Bilerico if you’ve ever had a child throw a tantrum or felt yourself get angry at your child’s behavior—and I think that’s pretty much all of us. (Here are Parts II, III, and IV.)
- More gay men are starting families with the help of a surrogate mother. Not shocking news to those of us in the LGBT community, perhaps, but this Associated Press coverage is a good mainstream treatment that explores many of the legal hurdles. At the same time, I have to question its premise that the possibility of marriage is incenting more same-sex couples to consider parenthood. My sense is that same-sex couples who want kids will have them, whether legal marriage is open to them or not. Those who already have kids, or are considering them, may be more inclined to marry, but the reverse isn’t necessarily true.
- Despite the title, “Dad, Dad and me: Seattle is a haven for children of gays and lesbians,” talks about children of lesbians as well. It features a number of quotes from teens and adult children of lesbian and gay parents.