Kids’ Toys from the Hardware Store: Watering Can and Squeegee

From Ru at Hedda Dabbler comes the idea of a watering can for kids. She notes, “It is so versatile – a purse, a planter, a container of any sort really – and best of all, it is intended to do that most exciting of all things – pour water!”

Ah, yes, the perpetual fascination with water. That coincides nicely with my own hardware-store idea for the week, a plastic squeegee. It’s a great bathtub toy, especially with a little extra shampoo or bubble bath in the mix. Besides, “squeegee” has to be on the “top ten most fun words to hear a toddler say” list.

WNBA Rule Changes for 2007

Fresh from their mention in this week’s L Word, the WNBA has announced four new rule changes for 2007. I won’t bore the non-sporties among you by listing them all, but I will note that the new backcourt rule, requiring offensive teams to bring the ball across the midcourt line in eight rather than 10 seconds, means the WNBA now matches the NBA in this. Critics of women’s basketball have always said the distaff game is too slow. Nice to see the rules changing to help prove them wrong.

On The L Word last Sunday, Bette answered the question “When did basketball become the big lesbian sport?” with “The WNBA, they run from it, which is part of the reason they don’t make any money. They don’t want to be associated with their core audience.”

Superstar player and lesbian mom Sheryl Swoopes said much the same in her ESPN coming-out interview: “The WNBA is well aware of the support they get from the gay and lesbian community. I think they should market to the gay community more. I understand why they don’t. They don’t know if everybody is going to accept it. But my thing is, money is money.”

The new season starts May 19.

Fertility and Pregnancy News

Two recent news items on fertility and pregnancy, for those of us creating our families that way:

• A new technique for screening eggs could boost IVF pregnancy rates. Using a method normally used in cancer research, researchers mapped the number of chromosomes in an unfertilised egg to predict which eggs will produce embryos least likely to cause miscarriages. Some doctors caution, however, that the number of women used in the initial study is too small to mean this is a viable clinical option.
• A Canadian study has shown that the use of transdermal nitroglycerin can prolong pregnancy in women who go into premature labor, and may reduce illness in the newborn.

Interview with Cathy Sakimura of the National Center for Lesbian Rights

A little over a week ago, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) launched its Family Protection Project (FPP), to improve access to family law services for low-income LGBT families and to offer training on LGBT issues to the attorneys who provide those services.

Attorney Cathy Sakimura, Equal Justice Works Fellow at NCLR and manager of the FPP, was kind enough to answer some questions for Mombian readers about the Project. Prior to joining NCLR, Sakimura worked with Legal Services for Children, the ACCESS Self-Help Center of the San Francisco Superior Court, Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE), and as a Program Director for the Gay-Straight Alliance Network. She therefore brings both legal knowledge and real-world experience with LGBT families to her new role. She talks below about the FPP and offers some general advice for LGBT parents on legal protection for our families. Read the rest of this post »

The L Word Season Four, Episode Four: The Parenting Perspective

Viewers of this week’s episode are likely still chuckling over the first scene with Alice (which I won’t spoil for you if you haven’t seen it), or the part where Alice is trying to teach Helena to play basketball. The best line of the episode for me, however? Kristanna Loken’s character Paige, telling Shane “Sometimes being a parent causes dementia.”

(Spoilers below.) Read the rest of this post »

Reminder: Freedom to Marry Blog Carnival

As January winds to an end, I want to remind readers that I will be hosting a “Freedom to Marry Blog Carnival” on February 14, in conjunction with Freedom to Marry Week. Any blogger who writes in support of marriage equality between now and then is invited to submit a post by leaving a comment here or at my original post, or by sending e-mail to freedomtomarry@mombian.com. I’m particularly interested in posts with original arguments or perspectives, though it’s fine, too, if you simply want to give vent to all the old reasons. Entries will be compiled and showcased at Mombian on February 14.

Adventurous Young Eaters

The New York Times today has a fun article (registration required) on parents who are trying to share a sense of culinary adventure with their kids, leading to a growing number of resources for them. More and more restaurants, including higher-end gourmet and ethnic ones, have children’s menus. Culinary centers are offering kids’ classes. Home furnishing stores sell pricey toy kitchens and cooking implements. (Cardboard boxes and empty deli containers work equally well, in my opinion.) Although much of this youthful gastronomy is clearly an upper-middle-class phenomenon, it’s a nice counterpoint to all the negative stories one hears about kids’ eating habits.

The Times’ article also mentions the wonderful Gastrokid blog, which includes posts like The Pizza Palate Expansion Project and The Last-Minute Breakfast Club, as well as a Google Maps mashup of kid-friendly restaurants. Give it a read if you’re looking to expand your children’s palates—or your own. If your kids are picky eaters, though, take heart from this tidbit in the Times: celebrity chef Mario Batali’s son “will not eat anything with green flecks.”

Gay Dads on Oprah: Forums Ignite

I mentioned on Friday that gay dads Mark and Andy Sutherland-Travino, along with their children and great niece, are going to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show tomorrow, January 29, in an episode titled “Fascinating Families” (previously titled “Extraordinary Families”).

The message boards on Oprah’s Web site are ablaze with the usual prejudiced comments, along with those speaking in support of our families. My personal choice is not to jump into the fray here: flame wars on a message board are not likely to alter the views of those so strongly against us. I have great admiration for the Sutherland-Travino family, however, for sharing their life with America in an attempt to change minds. Mark Sutherland-Travino posted his own comment on Oprah’s forum, which shows a vast sense of diplomacy and a generous spirit:

In regards to all the comments good or bad, we just want to say thank you for taking the time to comment. We would like to thank Oprah and her staff for such a wonderful experience that our children are still excitedly talking about. the one question we have been getting asked daily is “Why”? The answer is simple. We agreed to appear on the show to try to put a face to an issue so many people seem to have an opinion about but also seem to have little or no facts about – the ability of gays to be effective parents. We also hope to start changing hearts and minds with regard to this issue and foster care. We will continue to work daily to help anyone interested to better understand that love knows no bounds or stereotypes. Our children are happy, health, well-adjusted kids with TWO parents that love them and each other with no regrets, excuses, or apologies.

Check your local listings for the show’s air time in your area. (Thanks to Nadine at Blogging Baby for pointing out the forum debate.)

Ohio Court Rules in Favor of Lesbian Custody Agreement

An Ohio court ruled yesterday that a custody arrangement between two lesbian parents is valid despite the state’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The couple had signed a court-approved joint custody agreement, and then split. One of the women refused to let the other have contact with their son, and claimed their agreement was invalid under the state’s same-sex marriage ban.

This is yet another case of one lesbian mom using anti-LGBT laws to try and gain custody. Janet and Lisa Miller-Jenkins have been in the news over their custody fight, which also involves a battle between the jurisdictions of Vermont and Virginia. The couple had entered into a Vermont civil union. When they split, Lisa moved to Virginia and refused Janet any visitation rights. She sought the aid of various “ex-gay” groups, and is represented by the conservative Liberty Council. (I covered the latest in the case in last week’s Political Roundup.) An attorney for Lambda Legal says the matter could end up before the U. S. Supreme Court.

I am incensed when I read stories of LGBT parents using anti-LGBT laws to try and gain custody. Yes, there’s a parental urge to protect one’s children at all costs when they are threatened. Unless one parent is abusive or negligent, however (in which case other laws apply), is the need for protection so great that a parents are willing to abandon their sense of self and moral core to get it? What kind of example will that be for their children when they are older?

If nothing else, cases like this are why we need recognition of same-sex relationships, preferably marriage. There are already numerous laws and precedents to cover child custody cases when the parents are in a marital relationship. Divorce and separation are never easy on children, but it’s ultimately to their benefit when the legal proceedings go quickly and smoothly.

(Thanks to Pam for the Ohio link.)

Reminder: Gay Dads on Oprah

A reminder that gay dads Mark and Andy Sutherland-Travino, along with their children and great niece, are going to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show this coming Monday, January 29, in an episode titled “Extraordinary Families.” Check local listings for the exact time of airing.

The Sutherland-Travinos are members of the Family Pride Coalition’s OUTspoken Families speakers-bureau program. Kudos to them for taking the stage on behalf of all our families.