mother's day Archives - Page 2 of 5

Have a Happy Day, However Punctuated

May 10, 2020

Most of us have seen the New Yorker cartoon from 2011 that always seems to recirculate this time of year: A teacher leans over the desk of a child making a card that reads, “Happy Mothers’ Day.” The child looks up at the teacher and says, “I have two mommies. I know where the apostrophe goes.” It’s funny, of course, as it reminds the audience that yes, there are families with two moms (and kids who are really good at grammar). At the same time, though, I sometimes worry that the cartoon may reinforce the incorrect assumption which conflates all LGBTQ moms into two-mom units.

Mother’s Day as an Act of Resistance

May 12, 2019

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be fraught times for LGBTQ parents and our children, seemingly designed to underscore that our families are different. I try to see them, however, as opportunities to remind the world that queer families exist. By raising our voices on these days—or sometimes, simply being visible—we resist the attempts of those trying to ignore or eliminate us, and we welcome all who take on the mantle of parenthood.

To All the Mothers and All Who Mother

May 13, 2018

If you feel it’s your day, then celebrate! Whether you call yourself Mom, Mama, Mommy,Â Maman, MamÃ¡, Mami, Momo, Momily, MaPa, Baba, Maddy, or any other parenting name, if you want to rejoice in your parental identity today (more so than any other day), go for it! Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can seem to underscore that LGBTQ families are different—but I say that’s all the more reason to reclaim the holidays as our own.