Archives › 2007 › March
A few miscellaneous health items of interest this weekend: In vitro fertilization, or IVF, has a high risk of leading to multiple births, as many of us who have gone through the procedure know. Researchers at Yale School of Medicine and McGill University have developed a new procedure to estimate the “reproductive potential” of individual [...]
Weekly Political Roundup
A group of seven high-ranking lesbian and gay military veterans called on Congress to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and demanded that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace apologize for calling LGBT service members “immoral.” The New York Times follows the LGBT blogosphere in highlighting Hillary Clinton and [...]
The L Word Season Four, Episode Ten: The Parenting Perspective
Children are minimal this episode, but it nonetheless touches on one of the great arts of parenting: hiding parts of a conversation from your kids. “I’ve missed you,” Paige tells Shane as they sit at a table with Paige’s ten-year-old son Jared. “And I’ve missed our, um . . . our, um story time. That [...]
Broccoli, Ketchup, and Same-Sex Marriage
Fewer than a third of American adults eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The government’s goal is for 75 percent of Americans to have two servings of fruits and 50 percent to have three servings of vegetables each day by 2010. [...]
Mombian Widget
Here’s a handy little item for those of you who want to put Mombian headlines on your own sites: a Mombian widget, courtesy of Widgetbox. Cut and paste a simple bit of code, and voilà! The latest Mombian headlines will display in a small box. It’s suitable for most blog sidebars or wherever else you [...]
92nd Street Y LGBT Family Camp Day
If you’re in the New York area and looking for a weekend activity with your kids later this month, you might consider the free 92nd Street Y LGBT Family Camp Day on Sunday, March 25 from 12 to 3 p.m. You can try a variety of activities or just picnic and mingle. The Y is [...]
American Academy of Pediatrics Art Contest
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is sponsoring a national children’s art contest on the theme of “Things I Can Do To Keep Safe and Be Healthy.” They explain: The contest is open to children in two groups, grades 3-5 and 6-8. The winner in each group and their parents/guardians will be invited to attend [...]
Male Bonding
I don’t often write about my family’s daily happenings, but this incident was too funny not to relate: I encourage my dad to let my three-year-old son go into the bathroom with him. Between my partner and I, we can teach our son to throw a ball, throw a punch, build a bookcase, follow a [...]
New Jersey School District to Review Same-Sex Family Video
The Evesham School District of Marlton, New Jersey, eliminated a diversity film from its curriculum in early February after some parents protested its inclusion of same-sex families. (Here’s my original post on the matter, and a follow up, plus an excursus on same-sex families in the classroom.) The district has now formed a committee of [...]
A Quote for Women’s History Month
Today’s quote about women and history, in honor of Women’s History Month, is from Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. The protagonist, Catherine, is answering an inquiry from her friend Eleanor about the type of reading she enjoys: I can read poetry and plays, and things of that sort, and do not dislike travels. But history, real [...]
National LGBT Health Awareness Week
It’s National LGBT Health Awareness Week here in the U. S., and the theme this year is “Know More.” The Mombian Resource Directory contains a number of links to LGBT-specific and general health resources for both adults and children. Please browse and help yourself to know more. If there are other sites you think belong [...]
Weekend Sports Update
A few sports-related items to get your blood pumping this weekend: Season Two of Workout, starting lesbian fitness trainer and entrepreneur Jackie Warner, starts Tuesday, March 20. Aside from watching Jackie work out her body, we get to see her working things out with girlfriend Mimi. The two broke up at the end of last [...]
Weekly Political Roundup
Senator and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gave the keynote address at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) annual winter board meeting. Candidates John Edwards, Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani declined invitations because of scheduling conflicts. Clinton said “I am proud to stand by your side. I want you to know that just as you have always [...]
The L Word Picked Up for Fifth Season: La La La with Me
Showtime has announced it has ordered a fifth season of The L Word, promising us lots more of the lovely ladies in Los Angeles. Because I’ve been writing a series that reviews The L Word from a parenting perspective, I thought it would be appropriate to acknowledge Season Five with a song about the letter [...]
More on International Women’s Day
I mentioned International Women’s Day (IWD) in my earlier post about mothers’ rights and LGBT rights. The U. S. workplace issues I describe there are important, but I also want to acknowledge that they fade in comparison to the hardships faced by women in many parts of the world: In Afghanistan, “Officials estimate at least [...]
More than the Sum of Her Identities
Abigail Garner brought my attention to a New York Times article today about a Chinese adoptee celebrating her bat mitzvah. Garner writes: Cecelia Nealon-Shapiro came to the U.S. in 1994 when she was adopted by a lesbian couple. What’s especially notable about this media coverage is that the questions of identity are centered around being [...]
Bringing Parents’ Rights and LGBT Rights Together
I didn’t write my Bay Windows column for this week with International Women’s Day in mind, but it seems appropriate nonetheless. It explores the need for “Mothers’ Rights” and “LGBT Rights” groups to come together in support of all families. “Mothers’ rights,” defined as better workplace policies, childcare options, and children’s health insurance, touch fathers [...]
“I’m his father. Any court will look favorably on that.” (Warning: spoilers below.) So says Shane’s ne’er-do-well father Gabe, who has reappeared from nowhere after running out on his family at the end of Season Three. Gabe wants to take back his son, Shane’s nine-year-old brother Shay, whom Shay has been parenting for some months [...]
Lifehacker on Kids and Home
The always-useful Lifehacker has had a number of posts about kids and home lately. Here’s a roundup: How to set a homework schedule. Also useful for us bloggers and writers. Kids Freeware Bonanza. From games to education. Copy TV shows to your iPod. Perhaps good for car trips, waiting at the doctor’s office, and other [...]
Homophobia and Protecting Our Children
Two articles elsewhere caught my eye today: Mnartists.org has an interview with Abigail Garner, author of Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is. Garner has been a strong voice for children of LGBT parents, reminding us, for example, that our children, of any sexual orientation, can be the victims of [...]
Confessions of the Other Mother: Non-Biological Lesbian Moms Tell All, a collection of essays exploring the many facets of non-biological parenthood, is a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards in the Anthology category. Lesbian-parent bloggers Robin Reagler and Polly Pagenhart are among the contributors. Congratulations to them, editor Harlyn Aizley, and the rest of the [...]
Ten Essentials for Kids’ Arts and Crafts
Even though it’s the beginning of March, the weather is still cold here in the northeast, and we spend a lot of time on indoor activities. Our arts-and-crafts supplies are getting a workout. Here’s my list of ten essential items: Construction paper Pad of newsprint or other cheap drawing paper Crayons Washable markers Watercolor paints [...]
The Conception of Mary Cheney
Is Mary Cheney the best thing to happen to the LGBT-rights movement since Stonewall? The LA Chronicle reported last week that at least two LGBT-rights measures are expected to win approval in Congress this year: a hate-crimes bill that covers anti-LGBT crimes, and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would outlaw workplace discrimination based on [...]
Impress Your Kids: New Dinosaur Discovered
Win “cool mom” points with your dino-loving kids by telling them about the discovery of a new horned dinosaur, Albertaceratops nesmoi. The half-ton, plant-eating beast lived nearly 78 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period in what is now southernmost Alberta, Canada. Dr. Michael J. Ryan of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History found [...]
Valuing Our Families Conference
Passing along some information about the upcoming Valuing Our Families 2007 Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Valuing Our Families 2007 Conference Award Celebration and Town Hall Meeting Saturday and Sunday, March 24-25, 2007 Saturday events at Sunshine Cathedral, Fort Lauderdale, FL Sunday events at Easterlin Park and First Congregational Church, Fort Lauderdale Conference for Families, [...]
