Lesbian Mom Named U.S. Attorney

The Senate today confirmed lesbian mom Jenny Durkan to become U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington. She lives in Seattle with her partner and two sons.

“I am honored and humbled by this challenge and responsibility, and will spend each day working to honor the rule of law, protect our citizens from crime, and to defend the U.S. in civil cases,” she said in a press release.

Congratulations to Durkan. I find it ironic, though, that she can be approved for such a job while the citizens of her state will be voting on whether she and her partner can have the expanded set of domestic partner rights that make them equal to any other couple (excepting, of course, the name “marriage,” which isn’t even a possibility there at the moment). Don’t forget that the Approve Referendum 71 folks still need our help. (Also note that we want to approve Ref 71, but reject Question 1 in Maine.)

The Slippery Slope of Censorship

My favorite Banned Book Week quote so far:

When we ban a book about a kid on the outside, we’re taking a step toward banning the kid.

—Chris Crutcher, whose books have several times landed him on the American Library Association’s list of Top Ten Most Challenged Books (sometimes for homosexual content). He was speaking at the ALA’s Banned Books Week Read-Out on Saturday in Chicago. (As reported by Sarah Brannen, herself on the list.)

Melissa Etheridge: Ring the Bells

Between the horrible Florida court decision and Banned Books Week, I’ve been feeling a lot of angst this week. What better way to dispel it than a new video about peace by high-profile lesbian mom Melissa Etheridge, which she made with Pakistani musician Salman Ahmad?

They created it for Search for Common Ground, a non-profit organization that works to transform the way the world deals with conflict. The video was produced by TakePart.com, a cause-related social networking site. Find out more at http://www.takepart.com/sfcg.

No, a song by itself can’t create change. But it can inspire us to do so.

Injustice for Florida Family

I’m spitting nails over this one:

A U.S. District Court in Florida rejected a lawsuit by a lesbian mom who had been kept apart from her partner who lay dying in a Florida hospital. The couple’s three children were kept from her as well.

In February 2007, Janice Langbehn and Lisa Pond boarded an R Family cruise, looking forward to vacation with their children. Just before the boat left, however, Pond collapsed unexpectedly. She was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Janice and the children arrived close behind.

Lambda Legal explains: Read the rest of this post »

Author’s Thoughts on Attempts to Ban Gay Guinea Pigs

I first had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Brannen when her children’s book Uncle Bobby’s Wedding launched early last year. I wrote about the right wing’s first attack on the book, which involved shameless plagiarism of my earlier piece by ultra-conservative writer Brent Bozell III at Town Hall. I then followed the story as the book was challenged for the first and second times.

I asked Brannen this week what she thought about her book being challenged, not once or twice now, but enough to make the American Library Association’s list of the Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2008. After the jump, her response:

It’s never a great feeling to know that someone is so unhappy with my book that they actually want it taken off the shelves. That’s certainly not what I was thinking about when I wrote and illustrated Uncle Bobby’s Wedding! However, it’s an honor to be on the “Top Ten” list with ten other terrific authors (Tango has two daddies). I was fortunate enough to participate in the ALA “Read-Out” on Saturday in Chicago with five of them, and many people shared letters they had gotten from people who were angry about their books. Lauren Myracle said she always answers and tries to get into a dialogue with parents, to try and get to a place where they can understand each others’ thoughts, and I think that’s a wonderful idea.

The more I hear from people who hate gay people so much they don’t even want children – any children – to know they exist, the more I hope my book will help open young minds. After all, there are over a million children in this country in households with same-sex parents, and they go to school with a whole lot of other kids. I just hope they can learn that people are all human beings. Even when they’re guinea pigs.

I can’t add anything to that. Thanks, Sarah.

Visit Sarah at her Web site.

Penguins, Rabbits, and Guinea Pigs: In Celebration of Banned Books

Continuing my posts in honor of Banned Books Week. This is a slightly updated version of a piece I wrote for Bay Windows during last year’s Banned Books Week. Since If you haven’t yet read it, try to guess which children’s book featuring rabbits was challenged in 1959 for promoting (gasp!) interracial marriage.

And come back later: Author Sarah Brannen was kind enough to send me her thoughts on making the list this year, and I’ll be posting them this afternoon.

This week marks the 28th annual Banned Books Week, the American Library Association’s celebration of the freedom to read. LGBT-inclusive children’s books have long been on the ALA’s list of works that most often receive challenges (formal requests for removal) at schools and public libraries (though the ALA estimates 70 to 80 percent of challenges are never reported). And Tango Makes Three, about two male penguins who raise a chick together, has topped the list for the past three years.

In a comprehensive list of all challenges between 2000 and 2007, LGBT-inclusive works in the top 100 include not only Tango, but also Heather Has Two Mommies, King & King, and, for older readers, The Color Purple and Rainbow Boys. The Harry Potter series, however, holds the number one spot on this list, mostly because of its supposed promotion of witchcraft—but author J.K. Rowling’s revelation that her character Albus Dumbledore is gay probably isn’t likely to help matters. Read the rest of this post »

President Obama Includes Same-Sex Parents in Family Day Proclamation

President Barack Obama has proclaimed today Family Day. A minor holiday? Perhaps—but he breaks new ground by his inclusive definition of family:

Our family provides one of the strongest influences on our lives. American families from every walk of life have taught us time and again that children raised in loving, caring homes have the ability to reject negative behaviors and reach their highest potential. Whether children are raised by two parents, a single parent, grandparents, a same-sex couple, or a guardian, families encourage us to do our best and enable us to accomplish great things. Today, our children are confronting issues of drug and alcohol use with astonishing regularity. On Family Day, we honor the dedication of parents, commend the achievements of their children, and celebrate the contributions our Nation’s families have made to combat substance abuse among young people. . . .

On this Family Day, we rededicate ourselves to ensuring that every American family has the chance to build a better, healthier future for themselves and their children.

It is wonderful and significant that he included same-sex families. Let’s just hope he realizes that giving every American family that chance means rededicating himself to federal recognition of same-sex relationships, employment non-discrimination, and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, among other things.

(Thanks, Pam.)

Protect Maine Equality Responds to Fear Ad

Protect Maine Equality has responded to Stand for Marriage Maine’s Prop 8 copycat ad I posted about last week. They now have two new ads out, one that directly addresses the allegations raised by the right-wing ad.

In my previous post, I cautioned the Maine equality group against responding in the same way the No On 8 group responded in California. The California response, I wrote, “focused on the lack of harm that marriage equality would cause the children of straight parents rather than stressing the harm to children of LGBT parents and LGBT youth themselves. The former will lead to many straight parents not caring whether the measure passes; the latter has a chance of appealing to their protective parenting instincts.”

Did Protect Maine Equality succeed? Here’s the first video. Read my opinion and see the second video after the jump. Add your own thoughts in the comments.

I think this is better than the No On 8 response, but still has its faults. Read the rest of this post »