International Women’s Day

It’s International Women’s Day (IWD) once again, and while I’m not doing anything special to celebrate (does watching The L Word finale tonight count?), I feel obligated to note the event here.

Of interest is a list of “Gender Facts” on the official International Women’s Day site. Did you know that “Women use 20,000 words a day while men only use 7,000″? Cocktail conversation, perhaps. More sobering is that “Of 1.2 billion people living in poverty worldwide, 70% are women,” “Women are 2/3 of the 1 billion+ illiterate adults who have no access to basic education,” and “Women do two-thirds of the world’s work but receive only 10% of the world’s income.”

While IWD is a blip on the consciousness of most Americans, it is an official holiday in many countries. Men are supposed to give the women in their lives small gifts. Think I’ll keep that in mind for when our son is older.

Are you celebrating? Have your kids’ schools done anything to mark the occasion?

Television Alert: It’s STILL Elementary

The award-winning film about teaching LGBT inclusion in schools, It’s STILL Elementary, is having its national television premiere this Saturday, March 7, on LOGO at 8 p.m. EST.

I interviewed Academy Award-winning director Debra Chasnoff in 2007 about the film. She also spoke about her film That’s a Family, which caused a brouhaha in Evesham, New Jersey when the school district decided to exclude it from the curriculum because a few parents complained that it included gay and lesbian families. (Just to clarify: That’s a Family is aimed at elementary school kids. It’s STILL Elementary is about elementary education, but aimed at educators and parents.)

Definitely worth catching, if you can.

Weekly Political Roundup

Lots of stuff on the Prop 8 hearing this week, of course. Even U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has weighed in, saying, “This attempt to undo good that has been done is unacceptable.”

The New York Times called it “a bruising hearing.” Both the L.A. Times and the San Francisco Chronicle think the Court is leaning in favor of upholding Prop 8.

Dr. Maddow’s take on it, in which she breaks down the legal argument into snack-size pieces as only she can, is after the jump. Read the rest of this post »

What Ben and Jerry’s Flavor Means Equality?

Vermont may soon enact marriage equality, according to television station WCAX.

When I think of Vermont, I think of two things first: maple syrup and Ben and Jerry’s.

The question then arises: If you were to suggest a new flavor for Ben and Jerry’s to celebrate equality in their state, what would it be? I’m thinking “Rainbow Sorbet,” but I’m sure you all have other ideas for the company that has flavors like “Imagine Whirled Peace.” (Maybe a variation on an old one: “Chubby Hubby and Hubby”?)

Leave a comment. It’s Friday. Have fun.

“She Got Me Pregnant”: Episode 61

(I delayed posting this for a day because of all the Prop 8 stuff yesterday. Back to the usual Thursday next week.)

Helen and I reveal Mombian readers’ favorite L Word parenting storyline. (Surprise: It’s not Bette and Tina.) We also discuss what happens when our son’s kindergarten classmates start playing “boys capture the girls” during recess, and he doesn’t want to play along. Finally, we offer some advice on what to do if your insurance company refuses to pay for your fertility treatments, and we weigh in on Prop 8 for good measure.

Watch Mombian; She Got Me Pregnant, 03-05-09  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

(If the Veoh video above doesn’t work for you, try it at Dailymotion.)

Brought to you in partnership with After Ellen.

Prop 8 and Families: A Compilation

Oral arguments in the Prop 8 case will begin in just a few minutes. While you’re waiting, here are links to a few older pieces I wrote about how Prop 8 impacts families:

• How Prop 8 Hurts Families, about a report from Marriage Equality USA compiling hundreds of stories, especially from LGBT youth and the children of LGBT parents, describing over 1,200 specific instances of how Prop 8 frightened them, promoted bullying in schools, and caused tensions and resentment among family members and neighbors, among other harms.
• Prop 8: Our Children’s Perspective, on an article that profiles several teens of LGBT parents about Prop 8.
• Prop 8: This Is How Bad It Is, with more on the impact of Prop 8 on young children.
• LGBT Parents: the Forgotten Voices of Prop. 8, on how LGBT parents should have been highlighted more in No On 8 messaging.
• Prop 8 Protests and Parenting, on the difficulties of balancing activism and parenthood.
• Why Gay Rights Are Best for Children, which includes Prop 8, but also takes a broader perspective.
• Marriage Equality and the Protection of Children, again, broader than just Prop 8, but relevant.

You might also want to take a look at HRC’s new Web site, EndtheLies.org, which directly addresses right-wing lies and distortions used to defeat LGBT equality measures and allows for grassroots response. The site launches today with a petition against Ken Starr, who has argued that Prop 8 should stand because of the state’s role in protecting the welfare of children. Starr has referred to the struggle for marriage equality as “seizing and hijacking the marriage relationship in order to achieve apartheid-type values.”

My Heart In San Francisco

My thoughts, like many of ours, are in California today, where the state Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case that seeks to invalidate Prop 8. The plaintiffs claim the law was a significant enough change to the constitution that it should have passed the legislature before being put to voters.

You can watch live at CalChannel starting at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET. Equality California and NCLR have more, including where you can watch live broadcasts around Los Angeles or San Francisco, if you’re a crowd-loving type.

May justice prevail.

Volunteers Needed: Study on Lesbians and Postpartum Depression

Passing along this request for volunteers. Please use the contact information below if you have questions.

LESBIAN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

For a Research Study on Partner Support and Postpartum Depression

• You must be female
• You must have birthed a child
• You must have been in one lesbian relationship through conception, delivery and at least 1 year postpartum
• You must have experienced Postpartum Depression after the birth of your child.

Participation will involve an interview that will take up to 2 hours, may be audio-taped, and can take place at your home, a library, or over the phone.

The interview will inquire about your experience with Postpartum Depression and your relationship with your partner before, during and after pregnancy.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE E-MAIL:

Janele Auranicky, M.A.
lesbianPPD@comcast.net
Advanced Graduate Student,
California School of Professional Psychology
At Alliant International University