I’m celebrating my freedom today by not posting much. I will, however, offer this historical tidbit in honor of the many patriotic songs played today: Katharine Lee Bates, author of “America the Beautiful,” lived for 25 years with fellow Wellesley College professor Katherine Coman, in what is commonly called a “Boston marriage.” It may be
My son’s new favorite TV show is PBS Kids’ Between the Lions, which teaches early-reading skills through the tales of a pair of lions and their cubs who run a library. It’s pedagogically one of the best educational shows around—though I’ll continue to save the top spot for the venerable Sesame Street. Between the Lions
A Canadian baby is the first to be born using the process of “in vitro maturation (IVM),” in which an egg was matured in a lab, frozen, thawed, and then fertilized. Traditional in vitro fertilization (IVF) requires a series of hormone treatments that cause the ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs. IVM, which takes immature
Children are viewed as less central to marriage today, although they are still one of the highest sources of personal fulfillment, according to a new national survey by the Pew Research Center. (Thanks, WaPo.) Today, by almost three-to-one, Americans say the main purpose of marriage is the “mutual happiness and fulfillment” of adults rather than
Given the discovery of five-foot-tall penguins that lived in prehistoric Peru, coupled with the knowledge that some penguins exhibit a certain “biological exuberance” towards members of the same sex, one can only conclude that 36 million years ago, free of today’s social mores, the giant birds once frolicked free and proud. That seems an appropriate
Looking for an engaging, non-branded online game for your young ones? Try the Tiny Drum Machine. Not a “kids’ game” per se, it nevertheless entertained my four-year-old for better parts of this afternoon. It’s a simple music-making program where you can specify notes and tempo or let it randomly entertain you. There are five variations,
(Originally published in Bay Windows, June 28, 2007.) Is your child’s school inclusive of LGBT families? If not, how can you improve it? Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of the Family Pride Coalition, recently spoke with me about their new interactive tool that helps parents answer these critical questions. What is the Rainbow Report Card (RRC)?
Taking a break from all the political posts of late to pass on this news of potential interest to parents and pregnant women, among others: MizPee lets you use your mobile phone to find the nearest, cleanest, public toilet. Text your city and state to their phone number, or point your mobile browser at www.mizpee.com.
Garden State Equality reports an ultimately positive outcome to the tragic saga of Newark high-school student Andre Jackson and the photo of him and his boyfriend that was excised from the school yearbook. They explain in an e-mail: Newark Schools Superintendent Marion Bolden today attended the final graduation rehearsal at East Side High School in
This week’s Family Voices interview is with gay dads Rod and Lindel, who live in Massachusetts with their toddler Hugh. Below, they share their thoughts about adoption, extended family, routine, visibility, and more. As with the previous families highlighted in this feature, they are members of the Family Pride Coalition’s OUTSpoken Families program, and committed
