Now that we’ve all had a little time to recover from the holidays, let me ask: Which of your children’s holiday presents are you most glad they got? Are there any you regret? And do they feel differently? Speaking for myself, I have no regrets. We seem to have progressed past the age when he […]
A few days ago, I asked if Showtime’s new House of Lies series, premiering tonight at 10p.m. ET, would give a positive and unoffensive portrayal of the gender variant child of the lead character. Early indications are that they have done so. Diane Anderson-Minshall at the Advocate says, “For all the reasons other shows fail
The National Association of Mothers’ Centers (NAMC), “a collective voice for mothers and parents in the United States,” is hosting a Webinar on “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Navigating the Challenges for Parents, Teachers and Others,” January 24, from 1-2 p.m. ET. Pete Carney, LMSW Director of the Pride for Youth program at the Long
There’s a new LGBTQ character coming to television that I haven’t seen much coverage of yet—and because the character is a gender-variant child, I’ll take up the cause of spreading some awareness here at this parenting blog. Showtime’s new comedy series, House of Lies, which starts this Sunday, stars Don Cheadle as a “charming, fast
A joyous 2012 to you and your families! May the year be full of love, happiness, peace, and equality for all.
The winter holidays always seem to highlight that the world tends to divide toys into “girls” and “boys” varieties. Most of us here, I think, would agree that  no one should be forced into particular types of play based on real or perceived gender. Over at Skepchick, Natalie Reed has a great article on “Guyliner, Murses,
My last name is the same as that of the famous reindeer. I also have red hair—which meant I was the target of quite a number of  “Rudolph the Red-Haired Person” jabs when I was a kid. It wasn’t bullying, but it was annoying, until I learned to embrace the difference and just lord it
Happy holidays to you and yours from me and mine. Posting will be light here through New Year’s, but I’ll be putting up a few things, so do stop by. In the meantime, please enjoy  “Love Makes a Family,” a video from Zach Wahls and MoveOn.org, and once again, celebrate the amazing diversity and love of families
Visiting relatives (or having them visit) for the holidays? Worried about what will happen when conversation over the roast goose (or latkes) turns political, and you find yourself trying to explain to Aunt Mabel why you and your beloved want an actual, legal, marriage? Or why military readiness hasn’t suffered from the repeal of Don’t
Here’s today’s must-read article: Melissa Bollow Tempel, a first-grade teacher in Jackson, Wisconsin, has written at Together For Jackson County Kids about how she approaches issues of gender stereotypes, gender variance, and gender-based bullying. It’s full of insight and actionable ideas. Good stuff, and worth sharing. (For more on the topic, you might also want to
