Straight Parent, Gay Kid
A Sticky Situation in Florida
To a child, a sticker is a reward. It’s a gold star on a chart. It’s an appreciation for good grades, a hand-out at the doctor’s office for good behavior. But take away a sticker from a child through no fault of his own, it becomes a symbol of shame. As of July 1st, Governor…
GLAAD’s 2002 Annual Accelerating Accepting Study Has Disappointing Results!
June is Gay Pride Month in many U.S. cities. It demonstrates solidarity for the LGBTQIA+ population and its allies as well as advances in LGBT+acceptance since the Stonewall Rebellion of 1969, believed to be the start of the gay civil rights movement. However, according to GLAAD, the main organization that focuses on LGBT+ discrimination in…
Ellen DeGeneres Packs Her Bags, But We’re Still Unpacking Her Message
On May 23rd, The Ellen DeGeneres show, after its 2003 debut, ended. Who would believe today that Ellen had a tough time selling the show, but she did? She had come out on her own show “Ellen,” a sitcom that ran from 1994-1998 when ABC axed the show in which she was not allowed to…
School Board Overrules Fl. Superintendent re: Yr. Book Stickers
Like any high school yearbook, Longwood, Florida’s Lyman High School, considered to be one of the best in the state, will have room for the usual autographs in their yearbooks: “Have a good summer!” “I’ll never forget our English class!” and the two-word message when you can’t think of anything else: “Good Luck!” What they…
Denial: What not to do when your child comes out
Coming out is fraught both for parents and their LGBTQ+ children. Your child has likely carefully planned what they’ll say, perhaps they’ve even rehearsed it in front of the mirror or with a friend. They’ve probably been thinking about their sexuality for months or years. They’re coming to the conversation prepared. You, however, might be…
Keep Politics Out of Disney!
You go to Disney because it’s magic and fantasy! Built out of swamp land, children and relatives come in droves (58 million tourists this year) to see animals and humans unite. It’s akin to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s masterpiece by Edward Hicks “The Peaceable Kingdom.” The children don’t care if Mickey and Minnie are…
Defeated by Jeopardy’s Final Question, but Not in Long Run!
Final question: “The only nation in the world, whose name in English ends with an ‘h’ and is also one of the 10 most populous.” Brainiac Amy Schneider was defeated by this question after winning 40 straight games and winning $1,382,800. (Yes, you read that right!) Her lead was upset by a Chicago librarian Rhone…
The Unintelligible “Parental Rights in Education” Bill
Does anyone understand this bill dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” Bill #1557 in Florida? According to Education Week, it does NOT mention the term “gay” or “LGBTQ+ community by name. Nor does it prohibit students at any grade level from talking about their LGBTQ+ family members or themselves or acknowledging the existence of gay people.” But…
Growing Up Gay May Give You An Academic Advantage
A new study, Intersecting the Academic Gender Gap: The Education of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual America, published in The American Sociology Review in 2022, purports that growing up gay gives that population an academic advantage. This survey was written by Joel Mittleman, a University of Notre Dame sociologist, and concluded that based on his three…
Just When You Thought You Knew It All….
O.K. you’ve mastered the basics: you know what non-binary means. It means a person who doesn’t identify with being defined as male or female. You know that sex is assigned at birth, but it also can refer to the sex act, short for sexual intercourse. That said, what is gender? It’s social, a personal expression. …