I felt old today as I realized that Ellen, Ms. DeGeneres’ first television show, premiered in 1994 — 20 years ago. Of course, most of us remember best the 1997 episode in which she came out as a lesbian. Writer Emma Tattenbaum-Fine recently recalled watching the show with her two moms. “The night Ellen came out, I felt my family got an invitation to the party,” she says in the video after the jump.
Not one, but two states have gained marriage equality this week, as Pennsylvania today joined Oregon. And lest anyone feel that U.S. District Court Judge Michael McShane’s ruling in the Oregon case was influenced by the fact that he is a gay dad, consider that straight U.S. District Court Judge John E. Jones III, who ruled in Pennsylvania, was appointed by President George W. Bush and backed by anti-LGBT Senator Rick Santorum (R).
U.S. District Court Judge Michael McShane yesterday struck down Oregon’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples, issuing a ruling that draws on his own experience as a dad, and ends with one of the most poetic passages I’ve ever seen in a legal document. McShane is also openly gay.
Live in the Boston area? Visiting Boston? Want to take a road trip to Boston? Come join other LGBTQ families on Sunday, June 1, from 2 to 4 p.m. for an LGBTQ Families Celebration at the Residence Inn – Back Bay/Fenway!
Many people, LGBTQ and not, have used donor eggs, sperm, or embryos to create their families. I did. A new study by a researcher I have admired for years seeks to understand the experiences of these families — and if you’re part of one, she needs your help.
I’m pleased to report that a day before the 10th anniversary of the ruling that brought marriage equality to Massachusetts, there are still no swarms of locusts, plagues, or other signs of heavenly disfavor. In fact, in 2004, the same year that marriage equality was enacted, the Red Sox won the World Series after an 86-year gap, breaking the infamous “Curse of the Bambino.” Just saying.
Let’s set aside the obvious political stories for a moment to take a look at some other LGBT parenting news, including a few family profiles, entertainment news, and penguins. Seriously, with all these stories, the penguin should be adopted as the mascot for LGB parents.
Today is the second national Give OUT Day, an event to encourage people to make charitable donations on a single day in support of the LGBTQ community. Any day is a good day to give, of course, but doing so en masse like this helps show the power of our community and allies.
If you read just one post this week, make it “The Lord Looks at the Heart: When My Son Became My Daughter,” by Debi Jackson, a self-described “conservative Southern Baptist Republican from Alabama.”
While we’re talking about celebrating more than one mom for Mother’s Day, here’s a great song by a man who has four of them.
