Less than 25% of all U. S. families consist of a married mom, dad, and their children, according to the 2000 Census. (Thanks to Rosanna Hertz for pointing this out to me.) Why then, is it so hard to find depictions of other types of families? I wrote a few weeks ago about finding a […]
I will be hosting an online chat with Rosanna Hertz, author of Single by Chance, Mothers by Choice: How Women are Choosing Parenthood without Marriage and Creating the New American Family, on Tuesday, September 26, 2006, from 9-10 p.m. EDT. You can read my review of the book here. Even if you’re not a single
I read the other day about Friends for Families, a new “online matching service designed to help your family connect with other families in your area.” It’s similar to a site like Match.com, but instead of matching people for dates, it matches families wanting to meet other families for socializing. It matches them based on
Appliance maker Whirlpool is launching a promotion with dating site Perfectmatch.com, in which they invite singles to join them at special “Spin Cycle” singles parties in cities around the country. “Besides potentially meeting your perfect match,” they say, “you’ll get to check out some new, premier laundry products perfect for your lifestyle.” Not my lifestyle,
Today is Grandparents’ Day here in the U. S. One might have guessed that such a commemoration would be subsumed, by definition, under Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, or that the holiday was a pure contrivance by Hallmark. Not so. According to the National Grandparents’ Day Council: The impetus for a National Grandparents Day originated
The American family is changing. That should come as no surprise to readers of this blog. The changes go beyond just the increasing numbers of same-sex families, however. Rosanna Hertz’s new book, Single by Chance, Mothers by Choice: How Women are Choosing Parenthood Without Marriage and Creating the New American Family offers a view from
Kim Ficera writes on AfterEllen.com about the demise of fictional tomboyish role models on TV. Although it’s easy now to turn on the TV and find a lesbian, “she looks more like a centerfold than a centerfielder,” Ficera says. “I watched [1970’s characters] Buddy and Jo because they were strong, independent and boyish, just like
According to a new study by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), LGBT characters will form only 1.3% of all series regular characters on the six major broadcast networks’ 2006-07 schedules. Out of an announced total of 679 series regular lead or supporting characters, GLAAD found only nine scripted (i.e., not “reality” TV)
While on vacation last week, I saw a sign at the airport for a “Family Restroom.” It was a private room, not a stall, with sink and changing table included. Nice idea. The sign, however, was clearly meant to portray an opposite-sex couple and their children. (My later reconstruction to the right; at the time,
A new college reference book, The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, is the first to rate schools based solely on the opinions of LGBT students and faculty. The Guide looks at “schools’ policies, social organizations, support and healthcare resources, LGBT studies curricula, housing options, campus safety and general atmosphere for ‘out’ students and faculty.”
