I’m still recovering from the holidays, so let’s be different and start with some celebrity news before diving into politics: Celebrity News Elton John and his partner David Furnish are now proud parents. “Elton John and David Furnish became first-time fathers on Christmas after welcoming a baby boy via a surrogate,” says the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. […]
Politics The Pentagon report on the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell says that same-sex partners of servicemembers would still not be entitled to the same benefits as opposite-sex spouses. Apparently, the military is worried that unmarried opposite-sex partners would want benefits, too. Until such time as it realizes there are workable solutions, Nancy Polikoff
Politics and Law Equality Florida gave this year’s Voice For Equality Award to Martin Gill, the gay father whose case brought down the state’s anti-gay adoption law. Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith also announced that she and her spouse are expecting a child next May. Congratulations to all! The U.S. Supreme Court refused to
Entertainment The Chicago Tribune profiles Laura Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and a lesbian mom—in fact, “the only openly lesbian owner of a major U.S. men’s professional sports team.” STLToday.com discusses The Talk, Sara Gilbert’s new mom-focused show on CBS. (Anyone catch it yet? What do you think?) Ilene Chaiken talks with After Ellen
I’ll cover most bullying-related matters in other posts; there’s enough going on in that arena lately that I won’t try to squish it all in here. I will simply encourage you here to participate in the grassroots movement (championed by GLAAD) to wear purple tomorrow, October 20, to commemorate the teens who took their lives
Lots of news this week in addition to the overturning of the Florida adoption ban. Scholarly Stuff I’m not the only one thinking about known donors and three-parent families. Lawyer Ari Ezra Waldman takes a look at some of the same cases I mentioned plus a few others. Sociologist Philip N. Cohen writes at HuffPo
A few items from round and about—but check out the bonus deal after the jump. Schools and Youth Amanda, an incoming freshman at “a tiny high school in a tiny town in Massachusetts,” writes a letter about being the daughter of two moms and committing to creating change at her school and in her community.
Personal Stories The Children’s Hospital Boston blog shares the story of Sylvia (not her real name), who was born Ryan, diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder at age six and transitioned to live as a girl at the start of fifth grade. The blog has also posted an essay by Sylvia’s father—both must-read pieces, as is
Family Profiles The Advocate profiled lesbian moms Cathy and Leah, who talk about creating their family and offer some wise words about what they have learned as parents. The Arizona Daily Star profiled a nine-year-old transgender girl, and her parents, who have allowed her to transition and live as a girl. The article is generally
Let’s start the week with a roundup. Politics and Law Iceland’s Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir and her partner, Jonina Leosdottir, transformed their civil union into a marriage Sunday as the country’s marriage equality law went into effect. Sigurdardottir has two grown sons from a previous marriage. A Wisconsin appeals court ruled that a woman seeking
