Lawrence King, a 15-year-old eighth grader, was declared brain dead after being shot by a fellow student in what police are calling a hate crime. King was gay and often came to school in feminine clothing and makeup. This churns my stomach. I don’t need to tell readers here of the pervasiveness of anti-LGBT bullying
In our vlog this week, Helen and I wonder if ABC’s Cashmere Mafia has not one, but two, lesbian pregnancies up its oh-so-fashionable (but thankfully turkey-baster-free) sleeve. We also discuss The L Word’s portrayal of an older daughter dealing with a mom’s coming out, the newly domestic Bette Porter, and scary foods from childhood. Finally,
For my third contribution to Robin Reagler’s blog carnival, here’s Some/thing Borrowed: a recipe for Valentine’s Day. What better for Valentine’s Day than something chocolate? What better for parents on Valentine’s Day than an easy chocolate project to whip up with the kids? When I saw these Chocolate Pretzel Buttons, I knew they were winners.
The good thing about Valentine’s Day, which can at times seem like nothing more than a chocolate-fueled celebration of heterosexuality, is that the ubiquitous Sweethearts Conversation Hearts are at least pretty inclusive. Oh, you have to throw out some gender-specific ones that don’t apply, but you can always give the “Lover Boy” ones to your
(Originally published as the Mombian newspaper column, week of February 4, 2008.) How can LGBT parents create change? I’ve been pondering the question in light of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s annual Creating Change conference in Detroit this week. Becoming a parent is itself a life-altering change. We must then master the fine
Robin Reagler of The Other Mother has come up with a clever blog carnival idea. For the rest of the week, post a photo, memory, poem, music, or a combination on the following theme: Tuesday, 2/12: Something old Wednesday, 2/13: Something new Thursday, 2/14: Something borrowed Friday, 2/15: Something blue Further details at her site.
I just did a guest post for Teens Today with Vanessa Van Petten, a site for parents of teenagers. Van Petten, 22, wrote You’re Grounded!: How to Stop Fighting and Make the Teenage Years Easier while she was still in high school, basing it on dozens of interviews with teens, parents, and teachers. She continues
It’s Freedom to Marry Week, and I thought I’d mark the occasion by talking about why marriage matters to me. Legal protections are part of the story, but only part. Civil unions and domestic partnerships can cover some (but not all) of the same rights and responsibilities. The greater reason for marriage, in my mind,
February is getting busy. In addition to being Black History Month and primary season, it is also National Diversity Book Month, as declared by the Family Equality Council. They have a page full of resources on LGBT-inclusive children’s books, including an extensive book list. The list isn’t perfect; it only lists three books from Todd
In this week’s video blog, Helen and I take a retrospective look at three films in which Jodie Foster plays a single mom. We discuss Foster’s own commentary on Little Man Tate, her directorial debut, and speculate on how Foster’s own experience as the daughter of a single mom may have shaped the film. We
