http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com Discussion for LGBT families. Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:25:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en April 17, 2007: In another example of putting common sense and the welfare of children ahead of homophobia and pandering to the religious right, the Colorado legislature did the right thing. This is from the Rocky Mountain News: A measure to allow gay couples to adopt won the Senate’s initial approval ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/04/17/colorado-care-about-kids/ April 7, 2007: The Washington Post gave front page coverage to Disney's decision to allow same sex couples to have incredibly pricey and campy ceremonies at their theme parks. Same-sex weddings are coming out at Disneyland. Walt Disney Co. said yesterday that gay couples can buy the company's high-end Fairy Tale Wedding ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/04/08/live-the-fairy-tale-be-the-fairy-tale/ April 7, 2007: The Boston Globe just published this helpful overview of marriage rights in America's states. Massachusetts is the only state that recognizes same-sex marriages, the result of a 2003 ruling by its Supreme Judicial Court. Three other states -- Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey -- have civil unions that extend ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/04/08/equal-marriage-overview/ February 19, 2007: A recent study has found that adoptive parents are often superior to birth parents. This is from 365Gay.com: Adoptive parents invest more time and financial resources in their children than biological parents, according to a new national study challenging arguments that have been used to oppose same-sex marriage ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/02/20/adoptive-parents-rule/ The Gay Parenting Show # 31: Robert Bernstein, author of Families of Value (MP3 –18MB –50min) [audio:http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/audio/tpn_gay_20070210_031.mp3] Download the Show. Today we have a moving and inspiring interview with Robert A. Bernstein, author of Families of Value: Personal Profiles of Pioneering Lesbian and Gay Parents. This wonderful book is described like this ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/02/13/the-gay-parenting-show-31-robert-bernstein-author-of-families-of-value/ February 8, 2007: The country's first state to allow legal civil unions may be the second to offer full marriage rights. This is from 365.Gay.com. Legislation that would replace Vermont's landmark civil union law with same-sex marriage was introduced Wednesday at the State House. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Mark Larson ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/02/08/real-marriage-equality-comes-to-vermont-maybe/ February 4, 2007: Two openly gay Connecticut lawmakers (see why's its important to elect LGBT people?) are proposing to replace that state's civil union's bill with full and equal marriage. State Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, and state Rep. Michael Lawlor, D-East Haven, co-chairmen of the Judiciary Committee, announced plans yesterday morning ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/02/05/marriage-is-not-a-threat-to-marriage/ February 1, 2007: Mary Cheney continues to surprise and worry me. At a recent panel at Barnard University, Mary was asked about her pregnancy. On the postive side, she did defend herself, and by extension, all LGBT parents. This is from the NY Times: Today at the panel discussion, inside a stuffy ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/02/02/mary-cheney-speaks-out/ January 31, 2007: For a while, as I previously posted, it looked like Tony Blair was going to allow churches to discriminate against LGBT people in their provision of adoption sevices. Well, now I have to eat my words. And I'm thrilled to do so! Now I love, love, love Tony ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/01/31/185/ January 28, 2007: My American readers may not have been following this, but there's a huge row brewing in England, where Catholic Church leaders have threatened to stop providing adoption services if they aren't allowed to merrily discriminate against homosexual parents. The Church, which thankfully has never suffered any gay abuse ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/01/29/184/ January 25, 2007: I don't get the Cheney's. In past posts, I, along with other's in the LGBT community, praised the Vice President and his wife for the positive things they've said about their openly lesbian daughter Mary's pregnancy. But not everyone has been positive. The far right has viciously attacked ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/01/26/why-doesnt-the-vice-president-defend-his-daugher/ January 18, 2007: Because LGBT people are discriminated against by this country's marriage laws, we have to resort to other legal arrangements to protect our partners. One way in which people do that is by adopting their partners. It seems odd to think of adopting another adult with whom you have ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/01/19/another-example-of-how-unequal-marriage-laws-screw-things-up/ The Gay Parenting Show # 30: Jennifer Chrisler from Family Pride (MP3 –18MB –50min) LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE [audio:http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/audio/tpn_gay_20070114_030.mp3] January 14, 2007: Today I talk to Jen Chrisler, the wonderful, articulate and passionate executive director of The Family Pride Coalition. We chat about Mary Cheney (of course), and I make a strong pitch ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/01/15/the-gay-parenting-show-30-jennifer-chrisler-from-family-pride/ January 13, 2007: Thanks to LGBT parents and other committed activists, my local county is implementing a gay inclusive education cirriculum this week. This is from the Washington Blade: The curriculum, titled "Respect for Differences in Human Sexuality," explains concepts like sexual identity and orientation using nonjudgmental language. Students in eighth grade ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/01/13/180/ January 7, 2007: Lots of news on the marriage front. Disappointingly, Massachusttes lawmakers moved closer to letting the public vote on whether or not we deserve basic civil rights. This editorial in the Boston Globe takes them to task. Meanwhile, California courts say we deserve to be treated as equal citizens, an ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/01/09/gay-marriage-in-the-news-and-the-frighteningly-spineless-mccain/ January 1, 2007: Happy New Year to all my LGBT familes and their friends!  May 2007 find all famlies able to share the love and diversity that we exhibit in ours. xoxox Scott http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2007/01/02/happy-new-year/ December 29, 2006: A few years ago, a friend of mine who was a member of the National Gay and Lesbian Journalist’s Association paid me a wonderful compliment.  He told me that Bill O’Reilly had recently made a presentation to the group.  He said that O’Reilly told the audience that ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/12/30/bill-oreilly-to-gay-parents-let-them-eat-cupcakes/ The Gay Parenting Show #29: The Vice President's Daughter's Baby and Ellen Kahn from HRC (71 mins, 25MB) LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE [audio:http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/audio/tpn_gay_20061226_029.mp3] December 26, 2006: After eating a lot of humble crow for my looooong absence from the show, I talk about Mary Cheney and interivew Ellen Kahn, from the HRC ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/12/27/the-gay-parenting-show-29-the-vice-presidents-daughters-baby-and-ellen-kahn-from-hrc/ December 26, 2006: William Saletan recently wrote in the Washington Post and Slate that while conservatives are furiously condemning my new favorite person Mary Cheney, (actually, I have mixed feelings about her. As she faces these terrible attacks against her and her family, I keeping thinking "as ye reap, ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/12/27/the-survey-says-gay-parents-are-great/ December 21, 2006: According to front page story in The New York Times yesterday, the country that brought us Tiananmen Square is putting strict restrictions on who may adopt their orphans, one of which will severely limit LGBT adoptions. This is from 365Gay.com: The Chinese government is preparing to bar gays ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/12/22/china-makes-gay-adoptions-nearly-impossible/ December 20, 2006: Awhile ago, I became aware of a "controvery" because some backwards school district somewhere in the dark heart of this country was protesting the availabliity of "And Tango Makes Three," a story of two male penguins who raise an abandoned egg. To see what all the fuss ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/12/21/fear-of-gay-penguins-these-people-are-crazy/ December 18, 2006: In another sign of progress, New Jersey is added to the list of states legally recognizing gay partnerships. This is from New Jersey.com. New Jersey lawmakers on Thursday approved the civil union bill, putting same-sex couples within a pen's stroke of acquiring the rights and benefits of marriage. At the ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/12/18/the-world-only-spins-foward/ December 14, 2006: Conservative Christians continue to shower the Cheney-Poe famliy with the love for which they are famous. Here's the always-compassionate James Dobson writing in Time: With all due respect to Cheney and her partner, Heather Poe, the majority of more than 30 years of social-science evidence indicates that children do ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/12/15/170/ December 12,2006: Although LGBT people have more stable relationships than their straight counterparts (50% divorce rate, anyone?) we do break up. When there are children involved, what do we do? It's a problem that an increasing number of courts are trying to solve. This is from the Star Tribune of ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/12/13/what-happens-to-the-kids-when-we-divorce/ December 8, 2006: Although I can't think of an Administration less likely to do anything to help LGBT famlies than this one, Mary Cheney's pregnancy might be one of the best things to happen for us in a long time. This is the Vice President's daughter - his daughter! - openly ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/12/09/mary-cheney-provides-us-with-help-from-an-unlikely-source/ December 7, 2006: First, I want to apologize for the long delay between posts - and shows. But there is a good explanation. A while back, because of our public presence on the web and elsewhere, our family became the target of some threatening actions. I really can't go into any ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/12/08/back-in-business-2/ The Gay Parenting Show #28: Back to School Episode with Aimee Gelnaw (MP3 –18MB –52min) LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE [audio:http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/audio/tpn_gay_20060928_028.mp3] September 28, 2006: It’s Back to School Time, and tireless advocate, educator and activist Aimee Gelnaw is on to tell you about her new curriculum for teaching early educators how to talk ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/09/30/the-gay-parenting-show-28-back-to-school-episode-with-aimee-gelnaw/ September 20, 2006: I've often said that people who get unduly worked up about homosexuality and who devote themselves to preventing our community from having basic human rights are probably having some kind of psychological crisis. More proof of this phenomenon has emerged as the former Governor of New Jersey, ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/09/21/more-proof-that-anti-gay-activists-are-repressing-themselves/ September 9, 2006: In a move that could only serve to pander to his most conservative supporters, Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, we must remember, as a Hollywood star must have frequently worked and socialized with a ton of LGBT people, has vetoed legislation that would have barred discrimination against LGBT ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/09/10/gov-schwarzenegger-refuses-to-help-kids/ The Gay Parenting Show # 27: Wayne Besen and the “Ex-Gay” Threat (MP3 –20MB –57min) DOWNLOAD THE SHOW HERE [audio:http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/audio/tpn_gay_20060824_027.mp3] August 24, 2006: I’m SO glad to be back podcasting! Today’s show features and essential interview with Wayne Besen, author, activist, and the Executive Director of Truth Wins OUT, an organization dedicated to ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/08/25/the-gay-parenting-show-27-wayne-besen-and-the-%e2%80%9cex-gay%e2%80%9d-threat/ August 23, 2006: Bad news from Arkansas, where a majority of the population supports a proposed bill to bar LGBT people from providing much-needed foster care to children who desperately need homes. This is from 365Gay.com.  A majority of people in Arkansas support a proposed bill to bar gays and ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/08/24/arkansas-to-foster-kids-fewer-homes-for-you/ August 21, 2006: Wonderful former Gay Parenting Show guest Judith E. Snow, (author of How It Feels to Have A Gay or Lesbian Parent,) will be speaking at the Eberhard Center at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday, Sept 22. Check out Gays in Faith Together for ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/08/22/see-judith-e-snow-in-grand-rapids/ August 11, 2006: On the occassion of the annual meeting of the Tragically Repressed Self-Hating Hatemongers, I mean, of the North American Association to Treat Homosexuality (NARTH), the American Psychiatric Association issued this repudiation of NARTH's sick agenda: "For over three decades the consensus of the mental health community has been that ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/08/11/is-this-clear-enough/ August 4, 2006: Well, the move is complete and we're settled in our new house. Our internet service is up and running (thank you Verizon!) and I'm glad to be back with you. Unfortunately, my joy is tempered by the latest verbal vomit coming from the Religous Right. An organizer from ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/08/05/they-just-get-worse/ July 31, 2006: Sorry for the infrequent posts, but I'm in the middle of The Big Move. Now that my partner has taken a full time job in Washington, DC, we're relocating from Vermont to Maryland.  I'm staying in a Best Western right now (although if this is the best Western, I'd ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/07/31/the-big-move/ The Gay Parenting Show #26: The Family Pride Coalition Fights for Our Families (MP3 –10MB –29min) LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE [audio:http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/audio/tpn_gay_20060721_026.mp3] July 21, 2006: A quick show today as my family is SWAMPED as we get ready to move next week.We were lucky to be joined by Jennifer Chrisler of The Family ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/07/21/the-gay-parenting-show-26-the-family-pride-coalition-fights-for-our-families/ July 12, 2006: The American Academy of Pediatrics, hardly a fringe or radical group, has once again made it clear that that our famlies are OK with them.  This is from Gay.com: Children of same-sex couples benefit when their parents are able to marry or form civil unions, according to a report ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/07/13/more-scientific-evidence-supports-our-families/ July 7, 2006: Maybe just becasue I'm an optimist, but I assumed that the NY Supreme Court was going to find that the NY State Constitution required equal marriage rights. Unfortunately, the court let us down. I'm sure you've read all about it by now, but if not, check out ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/07/08/huge-letdown-in-ny/ July 3, 2006: As we prepare to celebrate our nation's histroy of freedom, some recent bids to discriminate against LGBT people are sputtering out like wet firecrackers. In Illinois, an anti gay marraige amendment does not look like its going to make it to the ballots in November, and in Pennsylvania, ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/07/04/hate-takes-a-holiday/ The Gay Parenting Show # 25: The American Fertility Association and Sasha Speaks! - (MP3 –12MB –34min) LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE [audio:http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/audio/tpn_gay_20060627_025.mp3] June 27, 2006: In this week’s show I interview Pamela Madsen, executive director of the American Fertility Association. The AFA is doing great work opening their doors to LGBT ... http://gayparenting.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/07/01/the-gay-parenting-show-25-the-american-fertility-association-and-sasha-speaks/