Events in the News Archives

Greenville County Hughes Main Library. Photo credit: Antony-22, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

A South Carolina Library Board Restricts All Children’s Books Depicting Trans or Gender Diverse Children to Adult Section

February 29, 2024

South Carolina’s Greenville County library board voted unanimously this week to move all children’s books with trans characters or others that show gender “in ways inconsistent with the minor’s biological sex” out of the children’s section—but they adopted an amendment so books with “tomboy” characters could stay. As a “tomboy” myself, I find this appalling rather than comforting.

Moving Forward After a Week of Tragedy and Loss

February 23, 2024

Anti-LGBTQ actions and rhetoric have been on the rise for several years now, but this week seems to have been particularly awful. How can we support ourselves, our children, and the LGBTQ community through these tough times?

Nex Benedict and the Need for Change

February 21, 2024

Like many of us, I have been saddened and angered by the death of 16-year-old nonbinary transgender student Nex Benedict after an assault at school. Nex’s death is a tragedy—and Nex is not the only trans young person to have died too soon.

Photo Credit: Lauren Harnett/NASA Johnson. ASCAN astronauts Josh Cassada and Anne McClain during their ASCAN EVA Skills 3 Training.

“Crime in Space” Case Raises Questions of Parenting and Homophobia

August 26, 2019

NASA astronaut and Army Lieutenant Colonel Anne McClain could be the first woman on the Moon, reported Stars and Stripes last Thursday—one day before an accusation from McClain’s estranged spouse made headlines about a “crime in space.” Behind the headlines, though, is the specter of the question: “Who’s a parent?”

Lesbian Mom of Color Helped Discover Gravitational Waves

February 18, 2016

The discovery of gravitational waves—predicted but not seen by Albert Einstein—made headlines last week. One of the key members of the team that found them is not only a brilliant scientist, but also a lesbian mom of color.

Post of the Week: “Or does it explode”

May 5, 2015

The people of Baltimore have been much on my mind lately—and on many of our minds, I suspect. Reader Mary has shared her thoughts on watching coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court marriage equality cases while watching the Baltimore protests.

Belgian Dads Bring Home Son

March 1, 2011

In yesterday’s LGBT Parenting Roundup, I mentioned the two gay dads who had run into difficulties bringing their son, born in Ukraine to a surrogate, into Belgium to live with them. The boy has lived in an orphanage for over a year because of Belgian surrogacy laws that kept him from his fathers. Good news.