Weekly Political Roundup

This week’s big story was that the Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court upheld the 1913 law forbidding non-residents to marry in Massachusetts if their home states do not permit them to marry. The law was originally intended to prohibit interracial marriages. Governor Mitt Romney applauded the ruling, saying “We don’t want Massachusetts to become the Las Vegas of same-sex marriage.” Hmm. According to one source, weddings are the #2 source of income for Las Vegas after gambling. Maybe Romney is afraid of being innundated with scores of Liza Minelli impersonators.

The Unbelievably Heinous Story of the Week award goes to the state of Virginia, which had forced a gay dad and his partner to live apart for four years so the bio dad could maintain visitation rights with his then nine-year-old son. Luckily, the story ends well, with the state of Maryland (where the dads now live) reversing the order. Abigail Garner has said pretty much everything I could think of saying about this, so I’ll just refer you to her site for more.

In California, a federal judge tossed out a suit brought by the Log Cabin Republicans against the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy,” asserting the organization had no standing to sue as an association unless one or more of its members had standing to sue as individuals. In federal court in Boston last summer, the Servicemembers’ Legal Defense Fund argued a separate suit against “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” with named plaintiffs. They are awaiting a ruling.

Herstory Resources

It’s almost the end of Women’s History Month, so I thought I’d post a couple of links to sites of lesbian history resources. (Herstory, history . . . I used the former in the title for this post, since that seems to be the commonly accepted way of refering to the lesbian past, though I tend to use the latter in general. The etymology of the word “history” doesn’t have anything to do with the male possessive pronoun; in fact, its Latin root, “historia,” is a feminine noun. No disrespect to those who use “herstory” to make a point, which I do understand; just not my usual choice. But I digress . . .)

• On About.com, Kathy Belge has a slew of links to articles and other resources on famous lesbians and key moments in the development of lesbian culture.
• The GLBTQ Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture is a treasury of information on GLBT-related topics in the social sciences, literature, and the arts.
• Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the Lesbian Herstory Archives. Unfortunately, the site is mostly a guide to their offline resources, and has little in the way of online exhibits.

If you’re looking for offline reading, a good starting point is Lillian Faderman’s Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America, or Neil Miller’s broader Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to the Present.

Breast Feeding: Two Opinions

Discussing breast feeding can be as risky an activity as wearing a Red Sox cap in Manhattan or using a Powerbook in Redmond. Pediatrician Sydney Spiesel puts on his flak jacket and gives it a try in this week’s Slate. He has, in fact, one of the more sensible opinions I’ve read. While I don’t have the expertise to confirm or deny his medical arguments, I can’t argue with his conclusion:

Biologically speaking, it seems as if breast-feeding ought to be better for babies. At the same time, I am strongly convinced that there are two kinds of nutrition, physical and psychological, and that both are equally important. This conviction persuades me that it’s better for a mother to formula-feed her baby pleasurably than to breast-feed and hate it. Fortunately, the majority of mothers enjoy nursing. But not all. Some women don’t like to nurse, and others, even with the best help, find it physically difficult or daunting or intolerably uncomfortable. Sometimes, also, babies just aren’t good nursers. In the end, I always encourage a mother to choose the feeding method that is most satisfying to her.

In a related article, Slate senior editor Emily Bazelon discusses breast pumps, and also emerges with a moderate view:

In the end, breast pumps aren’t proof of our maternal dedication or abdication, or evidence of our feminist cowardice. They’re a convenience that allows us to have it both ways, for a little while at least. That’s not the same thing as having it all, but it’s a compromise worth savoring.

Both articles are good reads if you’re interested in the biological and/or social ramifications of breast feeding. It would be nice, however, to see someone address the issue of lesbian parents and the role of breastfeeding, pumps, and formula when one mom is lactating and the other isn’t. Can pumped milk and/or formula help a non-lactating mom feel more a part of the early childcare process? Or doesn’t it matter, since non-lactating moms will find other ways to participate? What about gay dads, for that matter? Any worries that you’re not doing the “right” thing if you adopt from birth and don’t have breast milk for your child? Or is this the least of the many issues you’re concerned about when bringing home your new infant? I suspect, as with many such issues, these are all personal matters and depend on the specific people inolved. Milk may be white, but its use comes in shades of gray.

Homemade Play Dough

Technology site MAKE remembers the kiddies with links to a couple of homemade play dough recipes today. I haven’t tested these particular versions myself, but they sound similar to a recipe my mom used to make for me when I was younger. (Hasbro, makers of the “real” Play-Doh, even admit their secret formula contains mostly water, salt, and flour.) The “real” stuff is pretty cheap, of course, but there’s a lot to be said for the fun of making your own.

At our house, we play a kind of Play-Doh “Pictionary,” where our toddler will ask us to make things and we’ll see how fast we can create something resembling his request. He’s getting pretty good at shaping the clay himself now, though, and I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before he and his friends are beating our butts at Cranium.

Toddler Diet Linked to Breast Cancer Risk

Does frequent consumption of french fries as a toddler increase the risk of breast cancer, and whole milk reduce it? Those are the preliminary findings of a group of researchers led by a doctor at Harvard Medical School. While they warn that their results should be confirmed by other studies before being hailed as fact, they speculate that childhood diet may be as or more important than an adult woman’s diet in determining breast cancer risk.

Education in America: Subjects Left Behind

The New York Times today discusses how “thousands” of schools across the country are reducing class time in subjects other than reading and math, as a reaction to the reading and math testing requirements of the “No Child Left Behind” law. (Registration required for NY Times site.) In some cases, schools have completely eliminated other subjects, particularly for low-proficiency students.

Yes, reading and math are the core skills upon which most other education is built. Is the best way to develop these skills, however, to focus solely on these subjects? Anyone who knows anything about music, for example, knows it has fundamental links with math. An understanding of musical meter requires an understanding of fractions. Wouldn’t a well-taught music class be a good way to engage those students who struggle in math, yet plug in to their iPods as soon as they leave class? What about students who don’t read well, but find themselves motivated by a social studies class to read more about their heritage, or are spurred by a science class to read a biography of Marie Curie?

The solution is not to cut the “ancillary” subjects, but to harness them so they reinforce reading and math skills. An art class could be part studio art, part art history, with required readings about artists and styles. It could teach math skills through discussion of the Golden Ratio and its application to art and architecture. This might require a team approach to teaching, and a crossing of departmental boundaries, but surely it’s worth it if it inspires students to develop core skills that were lacking.

In the end, though, as I’ve written before, “teaching to the test” is a short-sighted method, and may even limit children’s cognitive skills. Yes, tests are an important part of educational assessment, but they cannot be the sole metric. Even the No Child Left Behind Web site asserts that “Surely a quality education reaches far beyond the confines of any specific test.” Unfortunately, the reality seems to be that the No Child Left Behind testing requirements are limiting many children’s educations.

Teen Brains Still Under Construction

Recent brain research has found that teenagers’ brains undergo an “extensive renovation” from a burst of growth in brain synapses, a process that may last until the mid-20s. Scientists involved in the research say this may help explain emotional swings and why teens are more likely than those of other ages to crash a car, engage in risky sex, drug abuse, or delinquency. A similar “synaptic spurt” occurs shortly after birth, but a teen’s otherwise-adult body makes the effects of this spurt more pronounced.

Ultimately, though, excess synapses are pruned, and the final result is that the spurt gives the brain “a new capacity for learning” and helps it make the transition to adulthood. Unfortunately for many parents of teens, though, the part of the brain that controls decision-making, judgment and impulse control is the last to mature. There is a bright side: studies by the National Institute of Mental Health indicate that the longer the brain takes to mature, the smarter it will become.

LGBT Credit Cards Everywhere

Bank of America announced this week that it is partnering with Olivia Travel to launch a credit card aimed at the lesbian community. The card, a WorldPoints Platinum Plus Visa, lets cardholders earn points towards travel and merchandise, including Olivia travel. While Olivia claims that this is the first card marketed specifically to lesbians, I’d have to say that the Rainbow Card, fronted by Martina Navratilova, comes close. Yes, the Rainbow Card markets to both gay men and lesbians, but let’s face it, Martina just appeals more to us gals. There are also several other cards aimed at the broad LGBT community, like the HRC Visa Platinum card, not to mention cards for causes we tend to support, such as the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Hey, we’re a community with a buying power of $641 billion (PDF link). Not surprising businesses are paying attention. It will be interesting to see how Olivia’s card fares, though, since it is the first one (as far as I know) marketed to any part of the LGBT community without the message of “support the community through your card.” Yes, Olivia as a company supports LGBT causes, but they’re not using this as part of their credit card message. Personally, we had a LGBT-related card for a while, but gave it up in favor of one with a cashback feature, figuring that instead of supporting LGBT causes through our card, we’d get the cash back and make separate donations to the organizations we support. I won’t go through the numbers, but it seemed to work out better that way both for us and for the organizations. This makes me think that Olivia will do fairly well with their card; even those who want to give back to the community know that it doesn’t have to be through a credit card. If I want a card purely for personal rewards, that’s OK, too.

Interestingly, Martina will be aboard the Olivia Grand Caribbean Cruise this April. Presumably she won’t flash the Rainbow Card in her wallet.

Do you have an LGBT-related credit card? Would you consider one?

Weekly Political Roundup

• In New Hampshire, the House voted 207-125 against amending the state constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage.
• In Ohio, the Cincinnati City Council voted to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in employment, housing and public accommodations.
• The governor of Utah, Jon Huntsman Jr., has vetoed an anti-gay bill that would prevent a court from awarding parental rights against the wishes of the biological or adoptive parent. This is good news for non-bio moms.
• On a general note, the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a national not-for-profit “devoted to improving adoption policy and practice,” released a report that finds “there is no child-centered reason to prevent gays and lesbians from becoming adoptive parents, and recommends that they be utilized more extensively to provide permanent, loving homes for children living in state care across the country.” (Thanks to the ever-informative Gay & Lesbian Leadership SmartBrief for the heads-up.)
• Finally, a new poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press concludes that while 51% of people in the U. S. still oppose gay marriage, this is down from 63% in 2004, and thus shows increasing acceptance of the idea. “Strong opposition” to gay marriage stands at 28%, a new low, down from 42% in early 2004. When it comes to children, 46% favor adoption by gay men and lesbians, wtih 48% opposed. The adoption issue shows a big partisan split, however, with 55% of Democrats and 52% of independents favoring it, but only 30% of Republicans doing so. Within party lines, though, there are also discrepancies, depending on whether one is conservative, moderate, or liberal. Finally, the Pew report finds that 60% of people support gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military, with 32% opposed. (One has to wonder, though, how much of this is because of a change in attitude towards gay people vs. a sense of needing more warm bodies for our overextended military.)

Overall, a net positive week.

Mauresmo Is Number One

Amélie Mauresmo took over the number one spot on the WTA tour Monday, the second time she’s held that position. This time, she says she feels more confident she’ll hold the ranking at least till the end of the year. (Note to U. S. media: The HTML code for an “e” with an acute accent is “é”. Is that so hard to remember?)