Archives › 2008 › March
Lipstick and Dipstick Take on Lesbian Relationships (with a Little Bit of Parenting)
Authors Gina Daggett and Kathy Belge are the duo behind the long-running “Lipstick and Dipstick” advice column in Curve magazine, in which they offer their butch-femme take on lesbian relationships. Their first book, Lipstick’s and Dipstick’s Essential Guide to Lesbian Relationships, is a compilation of practical and witty advice on everything from dealing with a [...]
Weekly Political Update
Two gay legislators in Connecticut took a bill meant to “clean up” gaps in Connecticut’s civil union law off the agenda of the Connecticut Judiciary Committee. They say they are waiting on the state Supreme Court ruling on the legality of denying full marriage equality to same-sex couples, but that the bill could still go [...]
We’re Here, We’re Queer, We File Every Year
H&R Block’s TaxCut Online software doesn’t support tax filings for civil union couples, as two Connecticut men have found out. The ACLU has sent a demand letter to the company asking it to change its system. The ACLU also states “Although the tax requirements for couples with civil unions in Connecticut are very similar to [...]
In Defense of the Single Mom
Slate columnist Emily Yoffe says single moms are a “national catastrophe.” Oklahoma representative Sally Kern says “homosexuality” is “the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism.” Taken together, they make it seem like lesbian single moms such as Louise Sloan must be leading the way to utter destruction of our country. Sloan [...]
“She Got Me Pregnant”: Episode 21
Helen and I urge viewers to submit names of LGBT moms for the “America’s Favorite Mom” contest, and share an easy kids’ activity that could keep you from spending $25 in a toy store. Helen then gets on her soapbox telling politicians a few “things your mama should have taught you.” Plus pirates, matzo meal, [...]
Uncle Bobby’s Wedding Signed Copy Giveaway
I’m thrilled to be able to give away a copy of the fabulous new LGBT-inclusive children’s book Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, signed by author Sarah Brannen. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding is more than just a good LGBT-inclusive children’s book; it is a good children’s book, period. It tells the sweet story of Chloe, an anthropomorphic young guinea [...]
Wells Fargo Shareholders: Vote Against LGBT Discrimination
If you happen to own shares of Wells Fargo, make sure to open the proxy statement you should have received recently, and take the time to vote your proxy. Item 9, “Stockholder Proposal Regarding Neutral Sexual Orientation Employment Policy” (pages 105-107) is a vicious, anti-LGBT proposal asking the company to create an equal opportunity policy [...]
LGBT Family Vacations
I’m still sitting here in my sweater near Boston, but I’m sure summer will be here before I know it. Here are a couple of events that look ahead to warmer times: The MEGA Family Project in Georgia is holding its annual MEGA Family Vacation July 25 to 27, at Tybee Island. You can register [...]
The Pregnant Husband
The sad part about this story is that people will think it’s a joke. It’s not. Thomas Beatie, profiled in the current issue of Advocate, is transgender, legally male, and legally married to his wife Nancy. Nancy is unable to conceive because of severe endometriosis and a hysterectomy 20 years ago. Thomas has had chest [...]
Scholarships for Students with LGBTQ Parents
I rarely pass along a press release wholesale, but this one from COLAGE, about scholarships for children of LGBTQ families, seemed worthy: Sponsored by COLAGE with generous support from the Horizons Foundation Joseph Towner Fund COLAGE is pleased to announce a continued partnership with Horizons Foundation to award four $1,000 scholarships to support the undergraduate [...]
Marriage Is Not the Answer
Slate’s Emily Yoffe this week opined that “out-of-wedlock births are a national catastrophe” and marriage is the solution to childhood poverty and economic growth. Lauren Bruce at Offsprung has already taken her to task for her assertions, and notes that gay families are out of luck in Yoffe’s scenario. I’d like to add a bit [...]
La Leche Leaves Out Lesbians
I’m all for breastfeeding. My partner breastfed our son. While its health benefits may still be argued by some, I take the general approach that natural is usually best. At the same time, I fiercely defend a woman’s right to make the decision about whether to breastfeed and for how long. The question has too [...]
ESPN Tackles Sexual Orientation Bias
ESPN’s Outside the Lines show this Sunday tackles the topic of negative recruiting and perceived sexual orientation. My son is far from college age, and I have no idea if he’ll turn out to be an athlete, but I have to wonder how the fact of his two moms would play in a recruiter’s mind. [...]
Weekly Political Update
A new advocacy group, tentatively named the LGBT Foreign Policy Project, is asking the U.S. State Department for greater action and involvement in addressing the LGBT-rights issues mentioned in the department’s annual report. AIDS counselor Jason Hair-Wynn recently applied for a new passport so he could go to Africa and use his expertise. The U.S. [...]
My Life In Six Words
I’ve been tagged by the talented Harlyn Aizley, who blogs at Are You My Mothers, to write a memoir of my life in six words or fewer, mention my tagger, and then tag five others. Let’s see: Not what I expected. A somewhat wordier recap: astronomy student, medieval historian, dotcom boomster, marketing executive at a [...]
Bi-Partisan Hypocrisy
From New York magazine’s March 24 article on Eliot Spitzer: One local $1,000 girl known for a thoroughgoing reading of the Times op-ed page said she knew right away it was a Democratic sex scandal, “because if it was a Republican the hookers would have been guys.”
“She Got Me Pregnant”: Episode 20
This week, Helen and I show you why parenting is as much fun as a barrel of monkeys, literally. We congratulate a pair of lesbian moms for their prodigious fallopian feats, commend Kenneth Cole for recognizing lesbian moms, and turn a parent’s eye to the last two episodes of The L Word. (Imagine Bette trying [...]
“America’s Favorite Mom” Wants LGBT Nominees
Last week, I urged readers to nominate their favorite LGBT moms for the title of “America’s Favorite Mom” in Teleflora’s Mother’s Day contest. I thought it would be a good opportunity for visibility. Two days after my post, I received an e-mail from a publicist at Edelman, Teleflora’s PR agency. She thanked me for helping [...]
Cold Spell
We’ve been beset with colds here at the House of Mombian, thanks to the petri dish that is our son’s preschool class. Whenever he comes home with a sniffle, I start popping the vitamin C in the vain hope it will slow the oncoming train bearing down on my sinuses. Enough strained metaphors; it’s time [...]
Survival of the Tolerant
“Gay” is the number-one insult among schoolchildren, reports the BBC, although most use it to mean “lame,” without any intended reference to sexual orientation. The article charts how the meaning of the word has changed over the years (remember when it used to mean “happy” or “festive”?), and notes “This mutation of the word is [...]
Rainbow List Showcases Books for LGBT Families and Youth
(Originally appeared with slight variation in Bay Windows, March 6, 2008) Where can children, teens, parents and librarians find new LGBT-themed children’s and young adult books of merit? Starting now, they can turn to the annual Rainbow List published by the American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library association in the world. It [...]
Oatmeal Hack
Here’s a little mealtime trick I thought I’d pass along. (If you use Irish oats, you can consider this a St. Patrick’s Day post.) My son loves oatmeal, but doesn’t like waiting for it to cool down after I make it. If I add cold milk when it’s done, it ends up too soupy. My [...]
Reminder: Special Offer on Dottie’s Magic Pockets
Don’t forget, the producers of Dottie’s Magic Pockets, the first video for young children of LGBT families and their friends, are offering Mombian readers 20% off Dottie videos and t-shirts between now and April 5, 2008. Just use the coupon code “MOMBIAN” when you place the order. (Limit one discounted order per shipping address.) I’m [...]
Lambda Literary Finalists Announced
The Lambda Literary Foundation has announced its list of finalists for the 20th annual Lambda Literary Awards, to be held May 29. In the Children’s/Young Adult category, the finalists are: Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You, Peter Cameron (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) Freak Show, James St. James (Dutton Children’s/Penguin) Hero, Perry Moore (Hyperion) [...]
Weekly Political Roundup
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to approve legislation that would repeal a travel and immigration ban on those who are HIV positive. A new study shows that the California Supreme Court wields an influence far beyond the Golden State’s borders, when one counts up the number of times the decisions of state high courts [...]
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