I was all set to write a cheery back-to-school post, when this happened. I’d feel like a dolt if I overlooked it. Stay tuned for school stuff later in the week.
In June, I related the happy news that two pioneers of the lesbian- and LGBT-rights movements, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, would be the first same-sex couple to marry legally in San Francisco. Today, I am saddened by the news of Martin’s death. She and Lyon had celebrated over 50 years together. Martin was one of the mothers of the LGBT movement, but also a mother and grandmother in the literal sense.
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Tags: daughters of bilitis, del martin, phyllis lyon
Filed under Politics and Law.
A few weeks ago I reported on the first challenge to Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, a children’s book featuring two gay guinea pigs who marry.
Last Saturday, library director James LaRue, who wrote a sensitive, balanced response to the initial challenge, reports that a second patron has challenged the book and asked for its removal from the Douglas County Libraries in Colorado. The new patron argued that “the topic of a gay wedding is inappropriate because same sex marriage is illegal in 48 states, and specifically, in Colorado.” She also said “she knows at least 100 people ready to fill out a petition against the book.”
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Tags: ala, american library association, censorship, challenged books, sarah brannen, uncle bobby's wedding
Filed under Books for Kids, Politics and Law.
Entrepreneur Jared Polis could become the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Congress as a non-incumbent, according to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. He won the Democratic primary last night in Colorado’s “overwhelmingly Democratic” 2nd Congressional District, and the Victory Fund says he is “nearly certain to win the seat in November.” He would join Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI; the first openly gay person of any gender elected to Congress as a non-incumbent) and Barney Frank (D-MA; who came out after serving several terms) as the only openly gay or lesbian members of Congress.
Everyone in the LGBT political blogosphere is going to be covering the news today. The Mombian angle, however, is that Polis’ parents are the founders of Starfall, a wonderful pre-reading and early-reading site for kids.
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Tags: colorado, jared polis, starfall
Filed under Education, Politics and Law.
Because we’re all about the Olympics at the House of Mombian this week, here’s more on a variety of Olympic mom-athletes:
Olympian and mother Oksana Chusovitina is 33, a far cry from Dara Torres’ 41. I’m almost more impressed by her than by Torres, however, because she’s competing in gymnastics. That’s right, gymnastics, where most athletes hover around the 16-year-old minimum and there are rumors of some sneaking in at younger ages.
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Tags: dara torres beijing, jeannie longo, jujie luan, oksana chusovitna, olympics, olympics 2008
Filed under Sports.
Dara Torres, at 41 years old, just won her 10th career Olympic medal, a silver in the women’s 400m freestyle relay. She anchored her teammates Natalie Coughlin, Lacey Nymeyer, and Kara-Lynn Joyce, but went into her leg facing a time deficit she could not make up for gold.
She is an amazing athlete, and news venues all over have been waxing poetic about her prowess. She is also mother of a two-year-old, however, and I was struck by this video in which she talks about motherhood, credits her daughter with her amazing comeback into Olympic swimming, and tells us she took part in a competition three weeks after childbirth. (Those of you who have been pregnant: What were you doing three weeks after childbirth?
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Tags: beijing olympics, dara torres, olympics, olympics 2008
Filed under Sports.
A modernized version of Cinderella by the Russian-based Imperial Ice Stars caused controversy in Australia Tuesday when “two male characters share a romantic scene together on the ice.” And no, one of them isn’t the fairy godmother. They’re just a couple of guys at the ball.
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Tags: cinderella, gay cinderella, russian ice stars, sarah brannen, uncle bobby's wedding
Filed under Entertainment, Funny If It Wasn't Scary.
Compare and contrast:
John McCain: “I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no, I don’t believe in gay adoption.”
Seriously. Do we really want a president who can’t count to two? He later “clarified” to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos:
I am for the values and principles that two-parent families represent, and I also do point out that many of these decisions are made by the states, as we all know, and I will do everything I can to encourage adoption—to encourage all of the things that keeps (sic) families together…
And here’s Barack Obama, in response to a letter from the Family Equality Council asking what he will do for all families:
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Tags: barack obama, election 2008, john mccain, presidential election
Filed under Politics and Law.
Random lesbian cultural moment: Barbie Dykes on Bikes, from the sixth annual Altered Barbie art show. (Click to enlarge.) Of course, I would have done it as two lesbian moms with their child in a sidecar.
It’s almost enough to make me want a Barbie—never thought I’d hear myself say that.
What other altered Barbies do we need?
Tags: barbie, dykes on bikes
Filed under Ephemera.
The Massachusetts House voted this week to repeal the 1913 law that prevented most out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying in the Bay State. The bill could go to Governor Deval Patrick as early as today, according to the Associated Press. Lawmakers have also attached an emergency preamble, stating that the repeal will take effect as soon as he signs it, rather than after the usual 90 days.
And yes, there’s no question he will sign. Among other things, he has a lesbian daughter who would surely have a few words with him if he didn’t. (Not that a lesbian daughter has stopped Dick Cheney from supporting an anti-LGBT administration, but the Patricks seem to be more in synch in that regard. (Heck, Katherine Patrick has to fight to keep her dad from watching The L Word with her.)
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Tags: 1913, california, marriage, massachusetts
Filed under Politics and Law.
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