The New York Times ran a must-read article yesterday on gender variance in children, “Boys Will Be Boys? Not in These Families.” Parents, says author Jan Hoffman, are increasingly accepting of gender nonconforming behavior in their children. “Rather than looking away,” she writes, “they are trying to understand their toddler’s unconventional gender behavior, in order
Over at Viva la Feminista, Veronica has a great post about why she dislikes the term “Mr. Mom” and when someone asks her husband if he is “babysitting” the kids. She writes, “When he is caring for his daughter, he is her father, not a babysitter and certainly not a male version of me.” Amen
A reader wrote to me asking about “pregnant butch clothing”—maternity options for those who either identify as butch or at least dress a little less on the feminine side of things. My spouse Helen (who doesn’t identify as butch, but has that aesthetic) spent very little on “official” maternity wear. She bought one pair of
Here’s another must-read for your coffee break as you’re getting back to work after the holiday: Sarah Hoffman’s excellent piece for Salon, “My son, the pink boy,” in which she argues that her son is not “confused,” but Dr. Phil is. She concludes: As social acceptance of gay people grows, it’s time to look critically
Here’s a topic ripe for discussion: A recent study by Ohio State University researchers found that couples who share childcare duties equally are more likely to experience conflict than those in which the mother does more. The study only looked at opposite-sex couples, however.
A few days ago, I mentioned the post over at Nerdy Apple Bottom about a mom’s support of her son when he wanted to dress up as Daphne from Scooby Doo for Halloween—and a few weeks ago, I posted about the mom who wrote My Princess Boy: A mom’s story about a young boy who
If you have any interest in gender variance, self-expression, taking no nonsense from bigots, or a mother’s love, go read “My son is gay,” by Cop’s Wife over at Nerdy Apple Bottom. It’s an amazing piece, and well worth your time.
This year’s National Coming Out Day brings with it a certain poignancy. On the one hand, it has been amazing this past year to watch students like Constance McMillen, who not only came out, but took on her school district when it said she couldn’t attend prom with her girlfriend and wear a tux. On
A father and son are in a car accident, and the father is killed instantly. The injured son is rushed to the emergency room, but the head surgeon says, “I can’t operate on this boy, because he’s my son.”
Who is the surgeon?
A family includes same-sex couples with children, as well as married gay and lesbian couples. That’s the belief of “a majority of Americans” who now include the above in their definition of family, according to a study by Brian Powell, a sociology professor at Indiana University, Bloomington. The New York Times has a piece this
