Survey of Donor-Conceived Youth and Adults with LGBTQ Parents

Passing along this information about a survey of donor-conceived youth and adults who have one or more LGBTQ parents. It is being conducted by the Donor Sibling Registry, which allows people conceived from sperm, egg, or embryo donation to contact others with whom they share genetic ties, at their mutual consent. They explain the survey pretty well below; please contact them if you have further questions, and pass along the link to others who may be interested.

Hello!

We have assembled the following survey intended for donor conceived youth and adults who have one or more LGBTQ identified parents. Over the years the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR) has gathered information from a myriad of families, but we believe predominantly more heterosexual. We think the issues for LGBTQ families are both similar and quite different. The results of this survey will be used to both better understand and to begin to construct resources that are designed to meet the needs of our families. Our goal is to provide an accurate reflection of experiences and to assist families in having meaningful dialogue related to the challenges specific to our community. Read the rest of this post »

“She Got Me Pregnant”: Episode 87

Helen and I bring you this week’s video in 3D! Well, sort of. But we do discuss how Disney’s Toy Story holds up with another dimension, and what we think of the Mouse House’s new foray into nature films. We also go underwater with Kate Winslet, in a manner of speaking. (Thankfully, it has nothing to do with the Titanic.) Plus, how to get fall yardwork done by bribing your kids.

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

Brought to you in partnership with After Ellen.

Curveball Pitches and Sexy Moms

Like many bloggers, I get a lot of PR pitches. Here are a few of the more amusing ones I’ve received lately. Some are bad pitches; others are decent pitches for dubious products. Product/company names removed to protect the clueless.

• “Keep these Holiday offerings in mind for that special guy in your life . . . For the rogue dandy and romantic heart . . . . these gifts stand alone and right next to the one you’re with.” I’m thinking they don’t mean my son or my dad. PR fail.
• “How many times have you grappled with sick children and family members during the holidays?” Only when they don’t sit still to take their medicine.
• “Divulge into a budget-friendly, cost-cutting, super-sexy lifestyle approach that allows you to accomplish your goals and be a great mom. . . . This book is specifically tailored for a super, sexy mom lifestyle.” First: Divulge: to disclose or reveal. Second: I wasn’t aware that a super-sexy lifestyle approach would allow me to be a great mom. A great spouse, perhaps. Besides, I’m not sure I need any more sexy in my lifestyle. The whole “homosexual” thing pretty much has me covered. Read the rest of this post »

Maine Reflections

(Originally published in Bay Windows, September 15, 2009. I think Protect Maine Equality has gained some traction since I wrote it, but I believe much of the below still holds true.)

My spouse and I took our six-year-old son camping in Maine right before the school year began. I have been camping there myself since I was two. Maine doesn’t exactly feel like home to me, but it does feel like vacation.

It was new for me, then, to be thinking about politics as we drove down Route 1A towards Acadia National Park. Seeing the many small evangelical churches lining the road made me wonder how many of them were helping to try and revoke marriage equality. I had visions of another Prop. 8-like defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. Read the rest of this post »

In Memoriam: Matthew Shepard

Lest we forget, in the communal excitement and debriefing over the National Equality March: Today marks eleven years since the death of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard after a brutal gay bashing. His mother Judy Shepard, one of the LGBT community’s staunchest advocates, spoke at the March yesterday:

I had the honor of meeting Judy Shepard once, before I was a mother myself. Even then, I was astounded by her strength in the face of tragedy. Now I am even more awed at how she and her husband Dennis have channeled their unfathomable personal grief into something so positive, working to “replace hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance.” Stop by the Matthew Shepard Foundation site to see what they are doing to make the world a better place for all our children, and how you can help.

It would be fitting tribute—though no real recompense for their loss—if the U.S. Senate followed the House and voted this week to pass the FY 2010 Defense Authorization bill, with the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act attached.

After the jump, in case you missed it—Judy Shepard on Ellen: Read the rest of this post »

Lesbian Grandmothers for Equality in Washington

The National Equality March has come and gone, and every LGBT and mainstream news outlet is covering it. I’ll leave the immediate coverage to those who were there, and plan to do a roundup later in the week of what I think are the more insightful pieces.

In the meantime, let us not forget that one of the reasons for the March was to energize us for action in our home states. With that in mind, here is “Together,” the first ad from Washington Families Standing Together/Approve Referendum 71. It features lesbian moms—and grandmothers!—Jane and Pete-e.

I like it a lot. It offers a different view of LGBT families than the usual “young same-sex couple and toddler” imagery we’ve seen in a lot of ads. There’s nothing wrong with the latter, of course, but I think Jane and Pete-e will strike a chord with older voters in a way that a young couple might not. Here’s hoping.

(Thanks to Lurleen at Pam’s.)

Weekly Political Roundup

U.S. National News

• The National Equality March is taking place this weekend, and the biggest news to come out of it so far is President Obama’s upcoming speech at the HRC dinner tomorrow night. HuffPo has lined up a panel of bloggers to tell us what they think Obama should say. My favorite piece so far? That of former GLAAD president and lesbian mom Joan Garry, who says in part:
  

  I want the President to walk a few paces in our shoes tomorrow night. Perhaps he could talk about how he would feel if he had been Janice Langbhen sitting with her three kids in a hospital waiting room for 8 hours with absolutely no information of access while her partner died of a sudden brain aneurism because the hospital saw Janice as a legal stranger. Mr. President, put yourself in her shoes. How would it have felt to be sitting there in that waiting room? With Sasha and Malia at your side.

  Read the rest of this post »

New No On 1 Maine Ad Slams the Right’s Family Scare Tactics

Yes On One, the group that wants to revoke marriage equality in Maine, launched this drivel yesterday:

After the jump, Protect Maine Equality’s response. I think it’s a good one. (And yes, you really can go read pages of Who’s in a Family? on their Web site, which I think is a great idea. What’s your opinion of the ad? Read the rest of this post »