The Next Family’s Adoptive Parents blogger Jillian Lauren has a book coming out on April 27th. Here is the trailer for “Some Girls: My Life In a Harem”
By: Tom Butts
It’s unfortunate, but airlines aren’t the only thing affected by a big snow storm. The so called “Snow Storm of the Century” could also delay Congress weighing in on DC’s decision to make gay marriage legal. How do these two topics even relate you ask??
Well, by law Congress has 30 legislative days to review all laws signed by the DC Mayor (Adrian Fenty – in case you’re thinking it’s still “cracked-out” Mayor Marion Berry). If the Capitol shuts down, so does the clock that counts down the 30 days.
What this means is that gay marriage may not become law until mid-March. Fortunately, even with all the talk about the devastating defeat the Democrats had in the Senate in Massachusetts, we still have 59 votes and a much larger margin in the House. Gay marriage hasn’t been legal or recognized in the 233 years we’ve been a country, so what’s another week or two…right?!
Artcile from The New York Times
For over a decade, the issue of same-sex marriage has been a flashpoint political issue in the United States, setting off waves of competing legislation and ballot initiatives attempting either to legalize or ban the practice. Rifts have also opened among religious groups over the decision to recognize same-sex marriage or condemn it.
Proponents of same-sex marriage say that the institution is a unique expression of love and commitment and that calling the unions of same-sex couples anything else is a form of second-class citizenship; they also point out that many legal rights are tied to marriage. Those opposed to same-sex marriage agree that marriage is a fundamental bond with ancient roots. But they draw the opposite conclusion, saying that allowing same-sex couples to marry would undermine the institution of marriage itself.
Gay rights supporters felt the tide was turning in their favor for much of 2009. With President Barack Obama they felt they had an ally in the White House, and the movement was making remarkable progress in state legislatures, with lawmakers in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire approving bills allowing gay marriage in 2009.
More on this article go to New York Times
A week ago, in response to a question in Florida, President Obama declared his belief that LGBT Equality is founded in the Constitution.
The President then went on to acknowledge that Social Security short-changes America’s same-sex couples:
“…the notion that someone who’s working really hard for 30 years, can’t take their death benefits and transfer them to the person they love the most in the world, and who has supported them all their lives, that just doesn’t seem fair, it doesn’t seem right…”
Here is a video put together by Rock For Equality on Portraits of Discrimination
By ELISABETH MALKIN- An article from The New York Times
MEXICO CITY — Angela Alfarache and Ivonne Cervantes met at a party 16 years ago and have been a couple ever since, filling their lives with books and writing and friends. After their daughter, Constanza, was born six years ago, they became a family.
Mexican law never saw it that way. Only Constanza’s biological mother — the pair will not say which one gave birth to her because, as they explain, they are both her mothers — is her legal parent. The law does not recognize the other mother.
In a few weeks, that will change. A new Mexico City law goes into effect March 4 that will allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt children, propelling the city to the forefront of the global gay rights movement.
“We want society to change its chip that says there is only one kind of family,” said Ms. Alfarache.
But fierce opposition erupted almost as soon as the law was passed on Dec. 22. In his final homily of the year in Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera said, “Today the family is under attack in its essence by the equivalence of homosexual unions with marriage between a man and a woman.” Roman Catholic groups asked the conservative federal government to intervene.
President Felipe Calderón said the Constitution defined marriage as between a man and a woman, although legal experts disagree. His attorney general filed a challenge before the Supreme Court, arguing that the law violates a constitutional clause protecting the family.
Under its left-wing mayor and city assembly, Mexico City has stretched the nation’s limits in acknowledging just how much the conceptions and realities of family have changed here. The city legalized abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, untangled its cumbersome divorce laws and recognized civil unions.
But while many families have been fractured by migration, teenage pregnancy, divorce and abandonment, most Mexicans still cherish the ideal of a nuclear family.
More on this article The New York Times
NEW YORK, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ — Weplay.com, the leading online youth sports community, is providing behind the scenes coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics with daily updates from current and legendary Olympic athletes. Summer Sanders, Olympics 2-time gold medalist swimmer and Universal Sports correspondent, will contribute exclusive daily updates, while athletes such as Jennie Finch, Julie Chu, Natalie Darwitz and members of the USA Men’s Hockey team are contributing blogs, videos and behind the scenes coverage in addition to their Weplay profiles.
“Weplay provides a meaningful opportunity for us to give back to the youth sports community in which we all were nurtured,” said Summer Sanders. “It’s exciting to speak directly to future generations of Olympians who are early on in their sports journey, to show them what this event, and sports in general, means to all of us.”
“Giving an athlete’s view of the Winter Games is an amazing way for kids to relate to the highest levels of competition in the sports they love and to realize that athletes are not only approachable and helpful, but also often just like them,” said Weplay CEO, Steve Hansen.
Weplay is also featuring premium content from NBCOlympics.com, athletes involved in the USADA I Complete Clean program and the LA84 Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting youth sports in Southern California that was formed after the 1984 Olympics.
The exclusive content is featured in the 2010 Winter Olympics group, the Weplay Blog and on each of the athletes’ Weplay profiles.
About Weplay
Weplay.com (http://www.weplay.com/) is the leading online youth sports community. Its mission is to enable and enhance the joy of sports for kids, families, coaches and fans both online and on the field. On Weplay, parents, coaches and kids can set up team sites, create profiles, view comprehensive libraries of Skills and Drills, get answers to their questions and connect to the larger sports community. Weplay.com’s partners include CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency; Major League Baseball Advanced Media; FirstMark Capital; and iconic athletes Derek Jeter, LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Tony Parker, Shaun Alexander, Ryan Howard, Jennie Finch, Brandi Chastain, Summer Sanders and Sheryl Swoopes.
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New Survey Finds Infertility Delivers a Serious Blow to Self-Esteem Women Say Infertility Makes Them Feel Flawed While Men Say They Feel Inadequate WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Struggling to get pregnant can be a serious blow to the self-esteem of both women and men, according to a new national survey. Seven in 10 (71 percent) women said that infertility makes them feel flawed, while half of men (50 percent) say it makes them feel inadequate. Infertility also has a big impact on a couple’s relationship, with half (53 percent) saying they find themselves trying to hide their feelings from their partner. The survey of 585 women and men was conducted in September 2009 by GfK Roper on behalf of Schering-Plough; Schering-Plough and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) merged on Nov. 3, 2009. “Couples undergoing fertility treatment clearly experience a rollercoaster of emotions,” said Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., executive director, The Domar Center for Mind/Body Health, Boston IVF. “The desire to start a family is a strong one, and failing to achieve that can impact everything from the marital relationship to interactions with future grandparents and friends who become pregnant.” In a signal that the stress of infertility can lead to isolation, about 6 in 10 couples (61 percent) stated they try to hide their fertility troubles from family and friends. One-third (34 percent) say their ability to confide in others has decreased since they began trying to get pregnant. In fact, 54 percent of all couples agreed that it was easier just to tell people that they were not planning to have children, rather than admit to their struggle. Disbelief a common issue The majority of those surveyed never imagined that they would experience infertility. Two-thirds (65 percent) said that prior to trying to conceive, it never occurred to them that they may have trouble getting pregnant when they wanted to. More than half of couples (51 percent) agree that they may have waited too long to try to become pregnant. Of the survey respondents currently being treated by a fertility specialist or reproductive endocrinologist, 91 percent wish they had started doing so sooner. While the survey found that both women and men understand the link between a woman’s age and fertility, they often do not fully understand how soon a woman’s fertility begins to decline significantly. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a healthy 30-year-old woman has about a 20 percent chance per month of getting pregnant, but by age 40, her chance is only about 5 percent per month.(1) “Although an estimated one in eight couples of childbearing age struggles with fertility problems, patients often say they never thought it would happen to them,” said Zev Rosenwaks, M.D., director, Center for Reproductive Medicine, NY-Weill Cornell Medical Center. “Couples need information so they can understand their fertility risk factors, and they need to seek treatment from a specialist quickly if they suspect a problem.” Relationships with family, friends become strained Infertility can also have a negative impact on a couple’s relationships with family and friends. More than 6 in 10 couples (63 percent) say they get tired of people asking them how the process is going, or offering suggestions on how to conceive. “Couples undergoing fertility treatment often turn inward and stop confiding in family and friends because of the pain involved in talking about their struggle to conceive,” said Barbara Collura, executive director, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. “It’s important for couples to know that extensive resources exist to support them throughout the process.” Many couples also expressed frustration about receiving unsolicited advice. Most often, couples who receive unsolicited advice are told to just relax and stop worrying so much (78 percent), followed by health advice like changing their diet (42 percent), getting more exercise (41 percent) and getting more sleep (38 percent). “Deciding how much information to share with family and friends and when to share it is a challenge for couples dealing with infertility,” said Ken Mosesian, executive director, the American Fertility Association. “Many couples respond by closing themselves off, so it is important for families and friends to be sensitive and listen instead of offering advice.” Intimacy and relationship affected by infertility More couples agreed that their difficulty getting pregnant has brought them closer together (58 percent), as compared with those who say that it has hurt their relationship (36 percent). Women praise their partners for being supportive, with more than 8 in 10 (84 percent) saying that their partner either makes or attends medical appointments. For those women who have used injectible fertility treatments, 86 percent say that their partner has helped them with injections. However, both sexes indicate that the stress and tension in their relationship has increased since they first started trying to get pregnant (42 percent of men, 36 percent of women). Men were also more likely than women to say the time spent arguing with their partner has increased (36 percent of men, 26 percent of women). The struggle to conceive also takes a toll on intimacy. More than half of all couples (55 percent) report that infertility has made sex a physically and emotionally anxious time. In addition, 53 percent of couples say infertility has taken the fun and spontaneity out of their sex life, and more than 4 in 10 (43 percent) report feeling sexually unattractive. Full survey results are available at www.planforsomeday.com. About the survey A total of 585 people who are in a relationship and who were having difficulty trying to conceive over the past two years were interviewed from September 1-14, 2009. The 585 respondents were made up of 326 men and 259 women. Women interviewed were between the ages of 18 and 44. Men interviewed could be any age, so long as their partner was between the ages of 18 and 44. In all cases, either the woman or both partners had the fertility problem. The survey was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media, a division of GfK Custom Research North America, on behalf of Schering-Plough; Schering-Plough and Merck & Co., Inc. merged on Nov. 3, 2009. Respondents were from online panel sources in the United States. The following steering committee provided guidance on survey development: Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., executive director, The Domar Center for Mind/Body Health, Boston IVF; Zev Rosenwaks, M.D., director, director, Center for Reproductive Medicine, NY-Weill Cornell Medical Center; Barbara Collura, executive director, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association; and Ken Mosesian, executive director, the American Fertility Association. About infertility Infertility is a disease or condition that impairs the body’s ability to perform the basic function of reproduction. It is often diagnosed after a couple has not conceived after one year of actively trying, while women over the age of 35 are encouraged to seek diagnosis and treatment for infertility after six months.(2) More than 7.3 million Americans, or one in eight couples of childbearing age, struggle with fertility problems.(3) There are many causes of infertility including problems with the production of sperm or eggs, with the fallopian tubes or the uterus, endometriosis, frequent miscarriage, as well as hormonal and autoimmune (antibody) disorders in both men and women.(3) Approximately 40 percent of fertility problems are due to a female factor and 40 percent are due to a male factor. In the balance of the cases, fertility issues result from problems in both partners or the cause cannot be explained.(3) There are a variety of treatments available for infertility; these include surgery, hormone treatments, insemination, and IVF, among others.(3) |
From The New York Times – by: Sarah Wildman
GOING PUBLIC Karen, Kasey and Marcye Nicholson-McFadden at the State House in New Jersey.
Readers shared their thoughts on this article.
Kasey is 10 years old. When the New Jersey State Senate voted against same-sex marriage on Jan. 7, he was devastated. “We tried to buoy him and say, ‘It’s another step in the process and it’s not over yet,’ ” said Karen Nicholson-McFadden, one of Kasey’s mothers.
In fact, Garden State Equality, the New Jersey gay-rights organization that invited Kasey to speak, quickly told reporters they would pursue the issue through the judiciary system. It will be familiar territory for the Nicholson-McFaddens, who vow to press on — be it through rallies or lawsuits.
For as long as Kasey can remember, Marcye and Karen Nicholson-McFadden have been petitioning the State of New Jersey for the right to marry. So while much of Kasey’s free time is spent on typical preteen activities — in-line skating, swim team and soccer practice — some of it is spent appearing in advertising campaigns and events organized by Garden State Equality. So many of that organization’s 64,000 members have children that the group provides day care and activities for teenagers during its events.
In 2008 about 116,000 same-sex couples across the country were raising a total of about 250,000 children under age 18, according to an analysis of Census data by Gary J. Gates, a demographer of the gay and lesbian population at the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, law school.
More on this article go to New York Times
