Today is a day to celebrate love. How appropriate, then, that late yesterday, Federal District Court Judge Arenda Wright Allen struck down Virginia’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples, and in her ruling, quoted Mildred Loving of Loving v. Virginia, the case that struck down that state’s and the country’s anti-miscegenation laws.
For Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, it seemed appropriate to mention two recent Internet postings that highlight issues of race and parenting.
New Year’s Day always reminds me of my son’s first year, when we dressed him up in a “Happy New Year” sash and a diaper to be Baby New Year at my in-laws’ party. I won’t post pictures, since his now-10-year-old self would never forgive me — but I do smile at the memory. Time flies, which means we must be having fun, right?
A very merry Christmas to everyone celebrating it today! My interfaith family has been partying since Thanksgivukkah, which means the amount of chocolate and wrapping paper around our house is at an all-time high. I’ll be taking a couple of days away from the blog to enjoy said chocolate and clean up the wrapping paper.
This holiday season, GLAAD is organizing a campaign to help both LGBT families and allies send a copy of their family’s holiday card to the governors of anti-equality states, with a note saying that all families should be treated equally. It’s a great idea that could have a big impact.
Today is Giving Tuesday, a new-ish, more altruistic counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when we’re asked to give back to our communities and our world. Will you be giving (monetarily or otherwise) today or at other times during this holiday season?
Yes, there is more to Hanukkah music than “I Had a Little Dreidel,” elementary school music teachers notwithstanding. But while this week’s once-in-a-lifetime concurrence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah has led to any number of new “Thanksgivukkah” songs, sometimes I just want the classics. And Julie Silver’s bluesy rendition of “Dreidel” makes what can sometimes be a tired old number seem cool again.
For Veteran’s Day, here’s a guest post from my favorite veteran — my spouse Helen Maynard, a former Air Force captain. When I asked her for a guest post, I didn’t know what she would write. I think I owe her cookies for this one.
My son is going trick or treating as Steve, the protagonist of Minecraft, his favorite video game. How are you and your kids celebrating Halloween?
A treat for your weekend viewing: In honor of yesterday’s National Coming Out Day, Betty Crocker posted a wonderful video of LGBT families at the New York City and Twin Cities Pride events this year.
