A five-year study on children in a Romanian orphanage, and the changes they experience when transferred to foster care, concludes that lack of a loving family can lead to stunted growth, substantially lower IQs and more behavioural and psychological problems than children who experienced better care. (Thanks to Blogging Baby for the sighting.) Studies from […]
It’s International Women’s Day, and the theme is “Women in Decision-Making.” The UN Web site has more information on the holiday, including a short history (it was first observed in 1909), a message from the secretary-general, and links to other sites and resources on the status of women around the world. As this article points
Well, Brokeback Mountain didn’t win Best Picture last night, but at least March of the Penguins won Best Documentary. The tux-clad birds seem to be morphing from right-wing ideals to gay icons. Let’s also not forget that Ang Lee did win Best Director for Brokeback, and Philip Seymour Hoffman won Best Actor for his portrayal
Concerns about “homosexual undertones” in the children’s book And Tango Makes Three caused two public libraries to move it from the children’s to the non-fiction section. The book, about two male penguins who adopt an abandoned egg, is based on the true story of two penguins at the New York Central Park Zoo. Heaven forbid
A new study by the National Sexuality Research Center at San Francisco State University claims that not being able to marry causes “the mental distress of second-class citizenship” among same-sex couples. And I thought I was just feeling PMS-y.
In New York, the ACLU filed arguments with the state’s highest court for the second of four potential right-to-marry cases. (I’ll add that given the number of people who commute from New York to New Jersey and vice versa, it will be an administrative nightmare if one state legalizes same-sex marriage and the other doesn’t.
March Is Women’s History Month. and the National Women’s History Project has declared this year’s theme to be “Women: Builders of Communities and Dreams.” They offer a number of suggestions for how to involve your community in the celebration: schools, newspapers, places of worship, and others. If you simply want to learn more about women
France’s highest court ruled Friday that same-sex partners both have parental rights, even if only one is the biological parent of a child. Same-sex couples cannot currently adopt children, however, but they can register for civil unions. PlanetOut speculates that the new ruling could trigger changes in these laws. Vive la France!
I was really trying to avoid the serious politics for a few days. Then the South Dakota legislature passed a bill banning almost all abortions, even in the case of incest or rape. The only exceptions would be if the mother’s life was in danger. According to the Associated Press report, the governor is “inclined”
Keeping with the theme of political satire today: Ohio senator Robert Hagan is seeking sponsors for a bill that would forbid households with one or more Republicans from adopting children or becoming foster parents. He cites “Credible research” that suggests such children “. . . are more at risk for developing emotional problems, social stigmas,
