Archives › 2006 › May
Tomorrow Is Blogging for LGBT Families Day
Tomorrow is Blogging for LGBT Families Day. I’m very excited by the response. Thanks to all of you who have already indicated that you’ll join us, and who have promoted the event on your blogs. If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late. To participate, just write a relevant post, then link, comment or e-mail [...]
Universal Preschool Gains Momentum
More states around the country are boosting funding for preschool programs, Stateline.org reports. California and Illinois are even considering universal preschool, following the footsteps of Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma. At first glance, this seems like a good thing. Others, including California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, say the money would be better targeted at “high-risk” preschoolers or [...]
The New York State Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, will hear the appeals of four plaintiffs tomorrow in the case that could make same-sex marriage legal in New York City. The Court will broadcast the proceedings live from their Web site starting at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Lawyers for New York City Mayor Michael [...]
Barbecue Safety
Whether you prefer tenderloin or tofu, Memorial Day represents the official start of grilling season here in the U. S. (I’ve been known to stomp out to the grill in six inches of snow when the mood strikes, but that’s an exception.) This seems as good a time as any to suggest that people review [...]
For Memorial Day
It’s Memorial Day here in the U. S., so I want to take a moment to recognize those who have given their lives in service to this country. This does not mean I always agree with the political policies that put them in harm’s way. Unlike some, I do not believe that is a contradictory [...]
Storks Embrace Same-Sex Parenting
“Mommy, how was I born?” “The lesbian stork brought you, dear.” What greater endorsement could same-sex parenting get than to be approved by storks? Two same-sex stork couples (one male, one female) at Parc Overloon in Holland are raising chicks “just as well as our heterosexual birds,” according to a park spokeswoman.
Women Ski Jumpers Move Closer to Olympic Inclusion
The International Ski Federation (FIS) voted Friday to add a women’s individual ski-jumping event to the 2009 World Championships in the Czech Republic. This is a necessary (but not sufficient) step for including the sport in the Olympics. If women ski jumpers are to compete in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, both the Canadian organizing committee [...]
The June 2006 issue of Parenting magazine has an article on how to answer kids’ “questions about sex.” One of the questions (clearly aimed at straight parents) is: “Your child tells you her classmate has two mommies. ‘How can that be?’ she asks.” The core of their answer is: “In Ginny’s family, her two mommies [...]
The Importance of Science Education
The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) has released new results on students in science. The news is mixed. The good part is that the gap between whites and non-whites has shrunk since 2000. (The fact that it still exists, is, of course, a problem.) Of concern to some, however, is that eighth-graders showed almost [...]
Weekly Political Roundup
The U. S. Supreme Court refused without comment to hear the custody case of a separated lesbian couple from California. The bio mom is trying to deny second-parent adoption of their younger child to the non-bio mom, although the non-bio mom has adopted the couple’s older child. This is the second lesbian-custody case the Court [...]
Here’s an insightful argument against a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage: not only would it restrict our civil rights, it would also “infringe on religious liberty.” This is the stance of Clergy for Fairness, an interfaith group of clergy opposing the amendment. Reform Rabbi Craig Axler, a member of the group, explains: The backers behind [...]
New Report on Children and Television
An extensive study titled “The Media Family: Electronic Media in the Lives of Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers and Their Parents,” by the Kaiser Family Foundation, looks at television use among families with children six months to six years old. Among the findings: One third of children under six have a TV in their bedrooms. This rises [...]
Free or Cheap Transportation Activities for Toddlers
New kids’-activity site Kiddley wins my affection with a list of free or cheap activities for vehicle-obsessed toddlers. My son definitely falls into this category, and we have in fact done all of the activities mentioned. I’ll add one more activity to their list: visit a local fire house. Most firefighters I’ve met seem more [...]
IVF Pregnancies May Pose Additional Risks
Women who get pregnant via in vitro fertilization (IVF) may have a higher risk of placenta previa, a condition in which the placenta blocks all or part of the cervix. Placenta previa can cause the woman to hemorrhage and increases the risk of a premature birth or other delivery problems. Researchers at St. Olavs University [...]
Mombian on The Gay Parenting Show
Scott Sherman recently interviewed me for his wonderful podcast, The Gay Parenting Show. If you’re not a regular listener, I urge you to hop over for a visit. My part is about 24 minutes into today’s show. You can also enjoy Scott’s discussion of his own family and their major upcoming event as well as [...]
Same-Sex Marriage Poll: It’s All In How You Spin It
From Advocate.com: Americans closely divided over constitutional marriage ban A new poll by the Gallup organization shows that as a proposed federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage heads to the full U.S. Senate for vote on June 6, Americans are closely divided on the proposal. From The Christian Post, reporting on the same poll: [...]
Period-Stopping Birth Control
You won’t find a lot of posts here about birth control, for obvious reasons. If you’re advising daughters on such things or considering the pill yourself in order to control your periods, however, you may want to read this recent news about birth control pills that suppress menstruation, in some cases for as long as [...]
Birthday Calculator
The Birthday Calculator is a fun little Web site you may enjoy trying with your kids. Enter a birth date and year, and it displays all kinds of information about that date, including the phase of the moon, dates of holidays that year, U. S. population statistics then, and the number of months, weeks, days, [...]
I wrote in April about “lesbian soccer mom” Jennifer Schumaker’s Walk for Togetherness” from San Diego to San Francisco to encourage dialogue among LGBT people and their families, friends and allies. She is currently on Day 46 of her journey, which she is chronicling in her blog. On June 3, Schumaker will complete the last [...]
Dinosaurs and Harry Potter
Here’s a way to earn “cool points” with your pre-teens: Mention that scientists have named a newly discovered dinosaur Dracorex Hogwartsia, in honor of the dragons in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books. Dinosaurs and Harry Potter. What’s not to love?
Lambda Literary Awards: Children’s/Young Adult Books
Swimming in the Monsoon Sea, a novel by Shyam Selvadurai, won the Lambda Literary Award last week in the Children’s/Young Adult Category. The book tells the story of fourteen-year-old Amrith, who lives with his godmother in Sri Lanka. A visit from a Canadian cousin causes him to explore both his sexuality and his feelings about [...]
Federal Judge Strikes Down Oklahoma Law that Could Have Denied Children Their Parents
This news is so good and so relevant to LGBT families that I’m not saving it for my usual Friday political update: A federal judge struck down Oklahoma’s Adoption Invalidation Law prohibiting Oklahoma from recognizing adoptions by same-sex couples from other states and countries. This was perhaps the most anti-LGBT-family law in the country, and [...]
Cordless Drill Review
Toolmonger has a detailed post on Selecting Your Next Cordless Drill. Whether you need a drill for an upcoming project, or just for your sweetie’s birthday, you’ll find lots of information here. Voltage, battery type, torque—it’s all covered. (Thanks to MAKE for the tip.)
Parent Hacks
A big thanks to Asha Dornfest of Parent Hacks for helping to spread the word about Blogging for LGBT Families Day. If you haven’t been to the Parent Hacks site yet, you should take a look. It’s a collaborative blog chock-full of practical tips and advice from real parents. Recent posts include Quick, Healthy Breakfast [...]
Weekly Political Roundup
The big news item this week is that the U. S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved a same-sex marriage ban. This means it now moves before the whole Senate, with a vote scheduled the week of June 5. Committee chair Arlen Specter(R) says he does not support the measure, but wants the full Senate to discuss [...]
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