Straight Parent, Gay Kid

Anti-Bullying Tactics Begin At Home

By Wesley Cullen Davidson | September 21, 2011

Whether it’s “cyberbullying,” or bullying in person, Lisa Furst, LMSW, Director of Education with the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC), has these suggestions for parents to practice—yes, practice. Here’s her homework for parents:Talk daily to your teen and find about their school lives and their relationships with friends and peers.  Listen thoughtfully…

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When the Fail-Safes Fail at Your Child’s School

By Wesley Cullen Davidson | September 7, 2011

Last week, I wrote about the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) which promotes safety in schools through its programs. Unfortunately, as a parent, you can’t assume that these programs will be put into play. Many schools don’t have the interest or the comfort level to implement those GLBT regulations often regarded as inciting controversy….

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Reading, Writing, and Harassment

By Wesley Cullen Davidson | August 26, 2011

Your gay child may ace Algebra I this year, but don’t think his social life will be as easy.  According to a 2009 survey by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), nearly two thirds of gay and lesbian teens feel unsafe in school. Unfortunately, untrained teachers, and even principals, in middle and high schools…

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No General Swim, Lanyards at This Camp. Just Drama and Horror Stories at the Campsites!

By Wesley Cullen Davidson | August 1, 2011

While the “dog days of August” may seem like the perfect time to send your(gay) child to camp, don’t be tempted by ex-gay camps! You may be a Molotov cocktail of emotions at this time: sadness, fear, disbelief, guilt, shame, right? But whatever you’re feeling, don’t think your child’s sexual orientation is a problem that…

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Your Child Came Out, YOU Blew It! Tips to Recover

By Wesley Cullen Davidson | July 23, 2011

Your son or daughter came out to you and you were so shocked that you were tongue-tied. Or, more commonly, you reacted by getting angry and saying things that smack of denial such as “You can’t be! You’re too young to know!” Studies have showed that 2/3 of parents who are caught off-guard do not…

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Superman Comes to New York’s Gay Pride Event

By Wesley Cullen Davidson | July 10, 2011

Happy (and famous) faces at the Gay Pride Parade on June 26th (Photo courtesy of the Associated Press) The New York Times and New York Post awarded Governor Andrew Cuomo “rock star” status when he came to New York for Pride event on Sunday, June 26th. It was more like Mighty Mouse ”saving the day.” In…

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The Normal Heart Had MY Heart Thumping

By Wesley Cullen Davidson | July 10, 2011

I never saw the original 1985 play “The Normal Heart.”  At that run at the Joseph Papp theatre, Joel Grey (who now directs the current play with George C. Wolfe) played the confrontational Ned Weeks, the protagonist. Its revival, which I recently saw, was voted “best” on Broadway at this year’s Tonys, and stars Joe…

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Neal Patrick Harris Offends This Theatre Goer

By Wesley Cullen Davidson | July 10, 2011

Ex-Doogie Howser, M.D.’s Diagnosis of Broadway Audiences Makes Me Ill He’s adorable.  He’s talented: he can sing, dance, and act. He was named by Time Magazine as one of the magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2010. He’s won Emmys and has a hit show “How I Met Your Mother.”  Yet, on the June 12,…

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J Crew Ad

J. Crew Executive Mom Paints Son’s Toenails Pink in Ad and Conservatives See Red!

By Wesley Cullen Davidson | June 29, 2011

  Molly Ringwald might have looked “Pretty in Pink,” but so does J. Crew’s president Jenna Lyons’s son Beckett. Or so his mother thinks. In an ad sent to J. Crew customers a few weeks ago, J. Crew President Jenna Lyons is having a fun time painting her five-year-old son Beckett’s nails. It’s a lighthearted…

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