I’ll cover most bullying-related matters in other posts; there’s enough going on in that arena lately that I won’t try to squish it all in here. I will simply encourage you here to participate in the grassroots movement (championed by GLAAD) to wear purple tomorrow, October 20, to commemorate the teens who took their lives because of anti-LGBT bullying, and to show support for others who face the same.
Here are a few things going on in other areas:
Family Creation
- A lesbian couple in Florida have applied to adopt a child after the state ban on adoption by gay men or lesbians was declared unconstitutional by the Third District Court of Appeal. On a related note, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) has announced that neither they nor Governor Charlie Crist will appeal the ruling. State Attorney General Bill McCollum could appeal on his own, however. Whether he will remains a big open question for lesbians and gay men in the state.
- An Australian lesbian couple are expecting quintuplets—beating the apparent 60 million to one odds of this happening. Among other lesbian families who had lots of kids at once are two Orange County, California moms who had quadruplets in 2008, and already had a two-year-old son, and the two moms profiled on the Discovery Health channel the same year, each of whom had nearly simultaneous twins. Each couple in all three cases already had one previous child.
Youth and Schools
- A gay dad has been told he can’t serve as a leader of his son’s Cub Scout troop. No surprise, given the Boy Scout’s stance against gay scouts—but extra annoying because of the Cubmaster’s assertion that the dad will still “be allowed to continue as a popcorn fundraiser.”
Personal Stories
- The Chicago Tribune profiled several lesbian moms in “The Kids Are Just Fine, Thanks,” but also makes note of the children of gay and lesbian parents who are now reaching their teens and adulthood and speaking out about their families, including Tina Fakhrid-Deen author of the new Let’s Get This Straight: The Ultimate Handbook for Youth with LGBTQ Parents
(about which more here).
Entertainment
- A very happy welcome to parenthood for Neil Patrick Harris and his partner David Burtka, who are now the proud dads of Gideon Scott and Harper Grace. Harris tweeted of his experience so far: “Youngsters. They cry a lot. I thought it was just a long bit that they were doing. I keep saying, ‘Annnnd, scene!’… but nothing happens.” Heh. Somehow, though, I think they’re going to be very cool dads.
- Is it possible to de-gay Glee? According to one Queerty reader, the television station where it airs in Chile has managed to do so—by making Rachel have only one dad, not two, among other things.
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