Queer eye for kids!

I applaud the librarian in Colorado who supports keeping a book for children in the library about two gay uncles getting married! I have longed for a book to teach my niece and nephews about my marriage to my partner and finally there is a book that is about my life and not only about a gay mother or father.

An article posted on Yahoonews.com yesterday talks about a new storybook on a child's fear of losing a favorite uncle to another is challenged by a mom unhappy that the adults in question are both males.




Colo. librarian defends gay-marriage storybook
Wed Jul 16, 6:52 PM ET

A new children's book that treats a child's fear of losing a favorite
uncle's affection has been challenged by a Colorado mom unhappy that the adults
in question are both males.

"Uncle Bobby's Wedding," by Sarah Brannen
(Putnam; $15.95), was challenged this month by a Douglas County mom who wants it
removed from the county library, library director Jamie Larue wrote on his blog
Monday.

Larue, who researched the issue for his response to the parent,
said it appears to be the first formal protest of the book, which was published
in March.

In the story, Chloe the guinea pig is devastated when she
learns her Uncle Bobby plans to wed. Bobby and his fiance, also guinea pigs, win
her over by doing fun things like going to the ballet and roasting marshmallows,
until, she declares, "It's like having two uncles!" When the tuxedo-clad
critters hold their spring wedding, Chloe is the beaming flower girl.

"I
think you're right that the purpose of the book is to show a central event, the
wedding of two male characters, as no big thing," Larue wrote the apoplectic
parent.

"The emotional center of the story, of course, is Chloe's fear
that she's losing a favorite uncle to another relationship. That fear, I think,
is real enough to be an issue for a lot of young children. But yes, Sarah
Brannen clearly was trying to portray gay marriage as normal, as not nearly so
important as the changing relationship between a young person and her favorite
uncle."

To the parent's second objection, that the book is
"inappropriate" to its age group, Larue replied, "Children's books deal with
anything and everything," noting that even such horse chestnuts as "Hansel and
Gretel" handle troubling issues such as hunger and abandonment. (Barbara Wilcox,
The Advocate)

Boys Beware: 1959 film on the dangers of Homosexuals

The clip is taken from a film dealing with a perceived danger to young boys: Homosexuals!

Is there any wonder after watching this why people fear gays relating to children and teenagers? These lies and myths have been perpetuated into the 1970's!

Genetics, Environment Shape Sexual Behavior

MONDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Genetics and random environmental factors each play a major role in determining both gay and heterosexual behavior, say British and Swedish researchers.

This study puts cold water on any concerns that we are looking for a single 'gay gene' or a single environmental variable which could be used to 'select out' homosexuality -- the factors which influence sexual orientation are complex. And we are not simply talking about homosexuality here -- heterosexual behavior is also influenced by a mixture of genetic and environmental factors," study co-author Dr. Qazi Rahman, a leading scientist on human sexual orientation, said in a prepared statement.

Environmental factors are specific to an individual and may include biological processes such as different hormone exposure in the womb, the researchers noted.
The researchers studied more than 3,800 same-gender twin pairs, ages 20 to 47, in Sweden. The twins were asked about the total numbers of opposite sex and same sex partners they had ever had.

"Overall, genetics accounted for around 35 percent of the differences between men in homosexual behavior and other individual-specific environmental factors (that is, not societal attitudes, family or parenting which are shared be twins) accounted for around 64 percent. In other words, men become gay or straight because of different developmental pathways, not just one pathway," Rahman said.

Among the female twins, genetics explained about 18 percent of the variation in sexual orientation, non-shared environmental factors 64 percent, and family environment 16 percent.
It's important to note that heredity and shared environment had roughly the same influence in women, while shared environment had virtually no impact on men's sexual behavior, the researchers said.

The study, which was published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, shows that while genetic factors are important, non-shared environmental factors are dominant in determining sexual orientation.

"This study is not without its limitations -- we used a behavioral measure of sexual orientation which might be okay to use for men (men's psychological orientation, sexual behavior, and sexual responses are highly related) but less so for women (who show a clearer separation between these elements of sexuality)," Rahman noted. "Despite this, our study provides the most unbiased estimates presented so far of genetic and non-genetic contributions to sexual orientation."

More information
The American Psychological Association has more about sexual orientation.

Warning! The new "Get Smart" movie is "disgusting".

I took my nephews (between the ages of 5 and 11) to see the new Get Smart movie. It was funny and very good especially if you enjoy slapstick comedy. They kept it much the same as the original television show and I thought they did a great job.

While watching the movie there is a scene in which Maxwell Smart (played by Steve Carell) kisses another male on the lips in slow motion. During this scene a man with three children (between the ages of 14 and 8) behind us contemptuously says out loud, “Disgusting!”

I was thrown back to 1978 watching the movie Midnight Express where two naked men in a shower scene kiss each other. I was a gay 15-years-old and was excited and aroused by the scene having never viewed anything like it before. The audience shouted anti-gay slurs screaming epithets like, “gross”, “fags” and then clapped when one of the men pushed the other away. The message sent to me at that time was, “never tell a soul about your homosexual interests or people will insult you”.

Back to the movie, Get Smart, 30 years later there is at least now only one man in the audience making a shaming and negative remark about two men kissing.

I sat there angry and hurt not knowing what to do. Had I not been there with my nephews I would have turned to him said something about this homophobic statement. But I didn’t.

When we got back into my car I told my nephews that the comment made by the man behind me hurt me and angered me. My 8-year-old nephew said, “Because you are gay?” and I answered, “Yes”. He then said something very wise, “But maybe to people who are not gay it is disgusting to see two men kissing”. I responded by saying, “Maybe so but people should not say that out loud you hurt people’s feelings. I kiss Mike like that and it is not disgusting to me”. He agreed.

I was glad I said something to my nephews so they do not think that what that man said in the movie was okay. What about this man’s children and the other children in the audience? Homophobic messages of hate and contempt go into the minds and psyches of children and perpetuate anti-gay beliefs.

What would you have done about this at a movie theatre?

Lady Sitters (HUMOR)

Now this is every straight guys dream when they just don't want to do what their wife wants them to! Very funny!

This was created from the Man Show

Federal Law Presents Hurdles For Gay Marriages

(Joe Kort and his partner, Mike)

People misunderstand the legalization of gay marriages at the stat level and not at the federal level. An article was written at KPSP Local 2 news website does a great job explaining the differences.

By David Wohl

KPSP Local 2 Legal Analyst

As of right now same sex marriage marriage is not recognized under Federal law. Here is a look at some important differences that will affect gay couples:

Federal Income Tax laws make a sharp distinction between those involved in a traditional marriage and those in a same sex marriage. While married gay couples must file their state tax returns as married filing jointly or separately, they must file their federal income taxes as single or head of household. This can lead to more Federal taxes being paid by gay couples.

Immigration laws treat same sex couples differently as well. If an American citizen marries a foreign citizen of the same sex, the foreign citizen will not gain residency rights from the marriage, as would a spouse from a traditional marriage.

While surviving male/female spouses are entitled to a dead spouse's Social Security benefits, this is not the case with same sex couples. A deceased gay spouse's benefits could go to another relative, or could escheat to the state instead.

While a surviving straight spouse can roll over a deceased spouses individual retirement account into his or her own IRA, thereby preserving the tax benefits, a same sex spouse or domestic partner cannot. He or she must begin taking fully taxable distributions from the inherited IRA
One more difference between domestic partnerships and gay marriage. Domestic partners must live together when their partnership is established. This is not a requirement for same-sex married couples.

Inside Gay Unions on Tom Ashbrook's On Point

I was interviewed by Tom Ashbrook on gay and lesbian relationships on his show "On Point" on NPR.


Inside Gay Unions Aired: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11-12PM ET

It may be beautiful, but everybody knows marriage isn't easy.

Who pays the bills?

Who works or stays home?

Who unloads the dishwasher?

So what about gay marriage?

Gay partnerships?

Yesterday, California was ringing with gay wedding bells, on its first full day of legal gay marriage. But gay marriage is not new anymore. Civil unions and long-term gay commitments have been around even longer. So how does it work, day to day, down in the weeds, when it's not "his and hers" but "his and his" or "hers and hers"?

This hour, On Point: Gay marriage, and how it actually works.

Listen here