Same-Sex Marriage Ban Restricts Religious Liberty, Some Argue

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 this amendment seem to assume that every spiritual tradition considers one man and one woman to be the only form of marriage. . . . To consciously legislate against religious traditions, which is really how I see this amendment… is really an affront to my faith.

Others feel that this argument has no legal weight, as compelling as it may seem. Still, I think it may persuade some individuals that a same-sex marriage ban comes too close to stepping on some of our country’s most cherished freedoms.

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 to 43% among four- to six-year-olds. Those who have a TV in their rooms watch more frequently and for more time than those who don’t.
• More children read books (83%) each day than watched TV (75%). TV time was longer, however, averaging 59 minutes, vs. 40 minutes of reading.
• Most parents whose kids watched TV were watching with them.
• Over one third of children under two could turn on the TV by themselves. Eighty-three percent of two- to three-year olds could do so.
• A large majority (85%) of parents whose kids watch TV say they have rules about what shows their kids can watch.

The study also found Read the rest of this post »

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 than willing to show a toddler around, and they usually manage to come up with plastic fire hats and fire-safety coloring books.

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 Hospital in Trondheim, Norway, calculated that the risk rose from about three in 1000 pregnancies to 16 in 1000 for women who used IVF. The risk also rose for women who used IVF for a second pregnancy, but not the first. The scientists are not sure why IVF causes these results, but think it may have to do with embryos implanting lower than normal.

My partner and I conceived our son through IVF. Would we have chosen differently had we known this? Probably not, but we might have asked our doctor some more questions. You may wish to talk with yours if you’re considering IVF.

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 his coverage of general LGBT-family news. Scott’s previous shows, too, have lots of interesting interviews and news coverage. Good material to download to your iPod for your next run or stroller walk. Thanks to Scott for inviting me.

If you’re visiting from The Gay Parenting Show, welcome! I’m glad you’ve stopped by.

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:

Public Opposition to Gay Marriage Remains High

A new Gallup poll released just weeks before a scheduled senate debate over the federal marriage amendment revealed that public opposition to gay marriage remains at a constant majority.

I should also note that thankfully, there is an increasingly vocal group of clergy of all faiths speaking out against a same-sex marriage ban. Some have publicly called supporters of the ban “bigots,” and compared them to the witch-burners of colonial Salem.

I’m not particulary religious myself, but I think that those who are, and who support LGBT rights, play a vital role in our cause. They will keep the matter from being framed as the God-fearing vs. the godless. This may help us attract those in the middle who don’t want to abandon their religious beliefs, but who are more accepting and open-minded than the religious conservatives. Amen to that.

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 a woman wants. Some doctors think the new types of pills are safe; others are urging caution and further research. Something to discuss with your own medical provider, if necessary.

(Funnily, the only time in my life I’ve been on birth control was when my partner and I were trying to get her pregnant. I was donating an egg to her and the doctors needed to synch our cycles, so I went on the pill for a month. I saved the box as a memento.)

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, hours, minutes, and seconds old you are now. My favorite? The number of BTU’s that will be produced by the candles on your next birthday cake, and how many ounces of water they would boil. (Thanks to Lifehacker for the tip.)

Join Lesbian Soccer Mom in Bridge Walk for Marriage Equality

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 5 of 500 miles in a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, joined by other supporters of same-sex marriage. The bridge walk, hosted by Marriage Equality USA, will be at the same time as one across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

Organizers are encouraging any supporters of same-sex marriage to join these free events. More details are available on the Web sites of the San Francisco and the New York walks.

Best of luck to Schumaker as she completes her walk. She’s been building bridges every mile.

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?