Straight Parent, Gay Kid
Gay Pride Month, Marching Optional
President Obama has declared June as Gay Pride month. Events are planned across the United States, from San Francisco to New York and all states in between, to celebrate the achievements of the LGBT population and show solidarity not only with these groups but also their straight allies. Yet, as the straight mother of a gay…
We Don’t Need to Know Everything About a Celebrity!
Theatre critic Robert Hofler’s critique of Lincoln Center’s Winter 2014 issue’s lack of mention of playwright Moss Hart’s supposed homosexuality or bisexuality can be read in The Advocate.com’s “Op-Ed: Moss Hart and Posthumous Closeting.” Hart’s only book, a memoir Act One, written in 1959, and revived at Lincoln Center now, does not delve into the…
Unsung Heroes
This Memorial Day, let us be mindful of not only the WWII and Korean veterans who fought in so-called “acceptable” wars, but also those of the unpopular wars that followed. My husband, a Vietnam War veteran, returned home, with a purple heart, in 1968 to his country that was at war with itselfover whether it…
Are Your LGBT Children Mentally Healthy?
May is Mental Health Awareness Month As a parent, no one knows your kid better than you. You see him/her daily so it’s easy to notice personality or physical changes. Sure, teens can be moody; it’s o.k. to feel sad once in awhile, but a lingering sadness can spell D-E-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N. We’ve all read about the…
You Gotta’ Have Heart
Conditional Love Common Sometimes it’s hard for a Mother to love her kids unconditionally. Kids act up. They fight with their siblings, beg for another glass of water so they don’t have to go to bed, leave pizza crust in the sofa just to name a few transgressions. To a parent, they are disrespectful when…
“Mothers and Sons”: A Review
“Mothers and Sons” Offers Optimism About Gay Civil Rights When in Manhattan two weeks ago, I had the good fortune to see “Mothers and Sons,” author Terrence McNally’s sixteenth work. It is a brave play that, for the first time, examines same-sex marriage from the perspective of three generations. It’s a four-character play headed by…
Huh? What Does “Mostly Heterosexual?” Mean?
New Term Coined On April 1, 2014, I wrote a blog entitled “Primer for Straight Parents: Not Your Mother’s Dictionary of Terms!” about various definitions for sexual orientation. Just when you thought you had all the terms down pat, here comes another one, less clear-cut. A well-known Cornell University professor of Clinical and Developmental Psychology,…
Holiday No-Nos for Straight Parents
Easter/Passover is a wonderful family holiday. Health experts advise that while you’re gathered around for carrots, lamb/ham, amid the tulips and colored eggs, that you ask your relatives about their inherited diseases so you can properly fill out those long medical questionnaires and know what to look out for with your own health. Did Uncle…
Primer for Straight Parents: Not Your Mother’s Dictionary of Terms!
Labels Explained: Saturday night, my husband and I watched “Dallas Buyer’s Club”(he for the first time, I for the second). When actor Jared Leto makes his first appearance in the movie, my husband says “Rayon’s a transsexual, isn’t he? “ I say “Yep, he’s a transgender.” Hubby remarks “isn’t that the same thing?” This had…