Bunchland

We asked some of our favourite LGBTQ parents what they thought about Obama’s statement

Dana Rudolph, a.k.a. Mombian

President Obama, by stating that he supports my family’s right to equality, has given me hope that my son may grow up in a country where he is not disadvantaged because of anti-gay laws and attitudes. We’re still a long way from that–no laws have changed since he spoke–but I am optimistic that the President has set an example for others to follow. I am also delighted that he mentioned the positive influence of his daughters, who have friends with same-sex parents, and who accept them and their families as inherently equal. I believe many young people feel as they do, and that bodes well for the future.

Billy Hossack, Toronto dad  Read more...

Meri Perra’s sure to have something good for us!

Meri Perra’s moving into some new digs this weekend, so we’re sure to hear a good story about it next week. You may recall that Meri and her family live in pretty close quarters, so we’re glad they’re getting a bit more space. Anyone else moving this spring?

We’re wondering if Meri took a gander at Stephanie Potter’s moving with kids tips.

On the lesbian mom news front, some good news and some bad. First the good: Zach Wahls has a book! My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength and What Makes a Family came out yesterday. And why we need to keep talking about queer parenting issues: the Boy Scouts booted out a lesbian den mother, but she’s fighting back and she’s got GLAAD on her side.

Photo by The Muuj via Flickr

Meri Perra blogs about the challenges she and her partner face in trying to raise their girls with feminist values

I found a new queer parenting column on Chicago’s LGBT news site, the Windy City Media Group by Roi Ann Phillips, a self-identified suburban, lesbian soccer mom, who debuted her column with the following question:

“What about our life is quintessentially gay?” she writes, hitting home with:
“I haven’t been an active part of the public LGBT movement in nearly eight years.”

Relate much? I do. Much of my first pregnancy was spent being a union local president, and freaking out about becoming a mom, both of which caused me to drop out of the queer scene a good nine months before our first daughter was born. I’ve been out of it nearly six years.  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Tiny queer parent rights victory! An Israeli court has recognized a lesbian couple as their son’s natural, biological moms. One donated eggs while the other carried the pregnancy.  The mom who gave birth to the boy, now 5, was immediately recognized as the birth mother, but the other had to argue that if she were a man, of course genetic material would make her a legal parent.

2. Does your potty-trained child wet the bed? The problem might not be with their bladder, but rather their colon. (Warning: this is an article all about poop)

3. Baby-swinging yogi Lena Fokina says she does what she does to build the babies muscle development. Um, not convinced.

4. Blossom wrote a book! And no, it’s not about how to wear create a personal style via hats, it’s about attachment parenting. You  may have heard that Mayim Bialik has a PhD in neuroscience, and in her studies found much support for attachment parenting practices like co-sleeping and babywearing.  Read more...

What LGBT parenting news we’re reading today:

1. Of all the opponents to marriage equality, Maggie Gallagher “has done more than any American to stop same-sex marriage,” and all because she got pregnant while she was still in college?

2. What do you get when you cross a Maggie Gallagher with Veruca Salt? A 14-year-old Maryland girl who asked her state legislators to vote “no” on gay marriage for her birthday . She argued it’s a choice and kids of queer parents are missing out and how dare some people challenge the definition of the word “marriage” and blah blah blah. We’re going to go out on a limb and say when this girl turns 18, she’ll meet more people, do a 180 and learn some compassion.  Read more...

Meri Perra blogs about the challenges she and her partner face in trying to raise their girls with feminist values

Here’s one to bring us down a notch. Just as last weeks’ Globe article told us lesbians are better parents than straight moms and dads, the New York Times ran a piece in their Lives section by writer Benjamin Anastas about growing up in early eighties suburbia with two lesbian moms.

It wasn’t pretty. Anastas’ older teenaged brother rebelled in a bad way and left home as soon as he could. Referring to his moms as pioneers, Anistas says: “We were pioneers, too, but only by proxy. We were not prepared for the savages behind the hedges and the front gates, their radar for what was different about our house.”  Read more...

Meri Perra blogs about the challenges she and her partner face in trying to raise their girls with feminist values

Sometimes there’s so much going on, it’s like this blog just writes itself. Take last Saturday morning. Picture me, waking up, stumbling over kids and coffee, and turning on TVO, “just for those 15 minutes of peace with the newspaper.” I read the Globe headline: “7 Habits of Highly Effective Families”. Huh, I thought. What does the Star have to say today? I sipped more coffee, and then glanced at the Globe again. I read: “7 Habits of Highly Effective Lesbian Families.”

Ok. Now you’ve got my attention. I may not be the only lesbian parent who felt a little smug after last Saturday’s Globe and Mail headline, but I seem to be the first to admit it online. Online admission: I felt smug after the Globe told me we’re better parents because we’re gay.  Read more...