Britney Spears has lost custody of her children to ex-husband Kevin Federline. Unlike a surprising number of people around the world, I really don’t care much about the beleaguered pop star. She holds the honor, however, of being the leading example of why it’s ridiculous to grant or withhold either marriage or parenting rights based […]
My son is reaching the age where everything is a negotiation. “Finish your supper,” I tell him. “How about one more piece of broccoli?” he asks. I study his plate, calculating what he’s already had. “Five more.” “How about three?” he counters. “No, five,” I insist, though I tell myself I’ll settle for four. It’s
The ongoing ENDA story dominates the LGBT headlines right now. To follow up on my earlier post: HRC has finally issued a statement. They say it is “devastating” that the bill no longer includes gender identity, but state “The decision has been made,” and claim that: House leadership and the bill’s sponsors very firmly believe
It’s official. House Democratic leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and openly gay Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) are taking gender-identity protections out of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) because they fear it will not pass otherwise. This is reprehensible. There is a reason we use the unwieldy acronym L, G,
The Matthew Shepard Act, LGBT-inclusive hate crimes legislation, today passed the U.S. Senate. Judy and Dennis Shepard, parents of the slain college student for whom the bill is named, said “Today’s Senate vote sends a bold and unmistakable message that violent crimes committed in the name of hate must end.” The House version of the
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, vital legislation that includes explicit protections against hate crimes based on real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. The Matthew Shepard Foundation is urging people to call their Senators now (202-224-3121) and ask for him/her to the vote for
The yearly “Nation’s Report Card,” aka the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), came out today with news that supports both proponents and critics of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. 700,000 students in grades 4 and 8 took NAEP reading and math exams last winter, and the results provide a look at
Two bills expected to come before Congress this week could have a direct impact on many families across the U.S. The first, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), adds protections on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability to existing anti-discrimination laws. The House will likely vote this week. Openly gay Representative Barney Frank
Jan Moore and Emily Sonnessa have been fighting the Methodist Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association in New Jersey for the right to have their civil union on an Association-owned pavilion in Ocean Grove. It’s not a clear-cut case of the Methodists having the right to do what they want with private property, because the church
Lots of news this week, some of which I covered in a roundup of parenting-related posts on Wednesday. Here’s more: The AFL-CIO and other unions are coming out in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which the U.S. House of Representatives should vote on within a week. Openly gay Representative Barney Frank predicts it
