I’ve already written about the great news from Montana this week. Here’s what else is happening. (There’s not a whole lot, but since my last roundup was rather massive, I thought I’d keep this one light).
Parenting Advice
- New England LGBT newspaper Bay Windows (for which I am a contributing writer) just published its Fall Family Guide. Lots of good stuff, including two useful pieces by the Family Equality Council on how to talk to children of different ages about different family structures and ways to be active and visible each week of the year. Lawyer Joyce Kaufmann also advises couples to do a second-parent adoption, even in states like Massachusetts, because other states might not otherwise recognize the non-bio parent’s rights. My own contribution to the guide is a list of fun fall family activities to get you out and about—it’s very Massachusetts-specific, though, so I won’t crosspost it here. Go read if you’re in the area.
Personal Stories
- Dorothy Snarker notes the very tomboyish aesthetic of Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, versus the more feminine appearance of her sister Zahara. While we of course can’t look into the mind of Angelina and know whether this is her idea or Shiloh’s, I tend to agree with Dorothy’s assessment: “It’s not some different-to-be-different look her parents have chosen for her. If so, then they’d dress 4-year-old Zahara the same way.” And not that I in any way condone violence, but as a former fencer, I have to say it’s cool to see little girls carrying toy swords.
Youth and Schools
- Jonathan Escobar, a 16-year-old in Cobb County, Georgia, dropped out of school after being told by an assistant principal “that he needed to dress more ‘manly’ for school, or consider being home-schooled.” The coolest part of this otherwise uncool story? Escobar’s friends quickly formed a Facebook group to support him.
- The Vancouver Board of Education says it will enforce a new ministry policy that prevents parents from pulling students out of classes that deal with “alternative sexuality.” Parents can cite religious or family beliefs to pull their children out of lessons in health classes, but can’t opt them out of gay-friendly lessons in any other classes. Students opting out must learn the material outside the classroom setting, and prove that they have learned it. Finally, a place that recognizes there’s more to discussing LGBT issues than just teaching about sex.
Politics and Law
- The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal heard arguments in a Louisiana case involving two gay dads who are trying to have both their names put on their adopted son’s birth certificate. The boy was born in Shreveport but adopted in New York State. Louisiana law calls for adopted children to get new birth certificates with their new parents’ names. New York allows adoption by unmarried couples, but Louisiana does not. A U.S. District Judge ruled last December that Louisiana’s Office of Vital Records must give full faith and credit to the New York State court that first granted the adoption.
Entertainment
- Will the next Disney film be a lesbian Cinderella story? Probably not, but Rich Ross, the out president of Disney Channels Worldwide, has been appointed to run Walt Disney Studios. I’m not really expecting LGBT-inclusive kids’ films to come out of this, though. Ross has been the force behind young stars and programming such as Zac Efron of High School Musical, Miley Cyrus of Hannah Montana, and the Jonas Brothers, the last of whom are evangelical Christians. (Maybe we could hope for a baby dyke grrl band, just to balance things out?)
