Mombian is 14 today! A great big thank you to everyone who’s read, shared, commented, e-mailed, and otherwise engaged with the site, other readers, and me!
I’m surprised at how fast the time has gone—but my son is turning 16 this year and that seems an even bigger shock. The days are long and the years are short, the saying goes, and I couldn’t agree more.
When both he and this blog were young, LGBTQ equality was at a far different point. We then made progress—but things started slipping backwards in the past few years, with a federal administration that seems bent on taking away our rights and many states taking steps backwards as well. Still, the explosion of rainbows across the Internet and other media this month feels greater than ever before. Even if some of it is from companies that seem only to want our money, the fact that they see us as an economic force is significant in itself; that can be a power to create change. Progress continues in other areas as well; now, 18 states and D.C. have banned conversion therapy, for example, and several states are simplifying procedures for granting legal parentage to both members of couples using assisted reproduction. We’ve also seen increasing numbers of LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books, television, and other media.
My son has changed and grown during this time, too. He’s taller than I am now (not that that’s so difficult a feat), halfway through high school, and growing into a fine young man. I’m so proud to see him developing his interests and talents, some of which I could have guessed, but others that surprise me.
Thank you again for being with me on this intertwined journey of parenting and blogging, for sharing your stories, commenting on mine, and reminding me every day why community is such a vital and sustaining force.
