Proud Parenting

LGBTQ Parents - Lesbian Moms & Gay Dads

Trendspotting: Cute Kids

By

The latest fashion trend isn’t fashionable clothing; it’s fashionable children!

Having cute kids is becoming it’s own fashion statement… just look at these two cuties:




(These are the twin daughters of our Executive Director Paula Brooks.)

Now that the Obama daughters have taken office with their father and mother; they are at the forefront on many levels.

On the level of fashion, many have their eye on what the Obama family has been wearing throughout their campaign for the Presidency, elections, and the Inauguration. Some have said that Michelle Obama is going to save women’s fashion, but now Malia and Sasha Obama are being called the First Daughters of Fashion. We have all seen children of celebrities gain visibility and set new trends for their ‘fashion sense’; but what we are seeing now is truly a new trend in itself.

Here are some cute outfits for kids, one for a little girl and one for a little boy…

I think my kids would rock these outfits for sure… cute and fashionable children overshadow the fashionable grown-ups in this new world we live in!

Julie Phineas Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her by visiting her page on MySpace.

Lesbians’ Little Man Enjoys a Day in Heaven and Some Campbell Soup

By

On Friday we had a snow day. Little Man was home for the entire day. He was excited about getting to sleep in . . . for about 5 minutes. Then he was all reared up and ready for the day. And oh what a day.

Do you remember those snow days when you were a kid? In our neighborhood there were at least a zillion kids to play with. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration since there were only 1,800 people in the entire town. But on snow days, all of the kids were in our yard and/or on one of the sledding hills. There were toddlers, teenagers and adults all throwing snowballs, rolling in the snow, building snowmen, sledding . . . frozen noses, fingers and toes . . . wet pants, socks and gloves.

We’d come in for a few minutes every couple of hours or so. My mom would have hot chocolate waiting for all of our friends and we’d warm our hands and toes near the furnace vents. Then we’d put on dry clothes and go out for more.

Well, Little Man is now 7 and he had one of those days. Our town is a “little” larger and kids can’t roam the neighborhoods like they once did but by the end of the day I counted 9 different kids who had come by to share some part of the day with him.

Outside they built a snow fort, threw snow balls, played on the swing-set / wooden fort, went sledding and inside they built a fort out of the sofa cushions, pretended to be characters from Star Wars, and played with Hot Wheels, monster trucks, Bakugans, an Erector Set, Thomas the Train, Battleship, had a sword fight, did some boxing . . . There were boys and girls. They were black and white and Japanese. All were between the ages of 4 and 10. And, they all live in our neighborhood. Little Man is the only one with 2 moms but having 2 moms is a zip on their scale of what’s noticeable.

All they cared about was having a fantastic day and making sure that when they came in a grownup met them at the door with an offer of hot chocolate and dry clothes for the next trip outside.

Oh, and just like our mothers, these Two Lesbos served the kids hot Campbell Soup for lunch . . . wink . . . wink.

Much to be thankful for here. Oh, and just like when I was a kid . . . our dog had more fun than anyone.

PS – Little Man topped off Friday night with a slumber party sleep-over Star War’s birthday for his friend Jason who lives a couple of houses down the street. Eleven boys sleeping over . . . gee, can’t want for our turn. Yikes!

Come check us out at http://twolesbosgoinatit.com

WAY OUT PARENTING: Don’t Listen to Your Parents If They Say Things Like This!

By

Parents of straight people are constantly pushing their children to have children—whether their children want them or not—while parents of gays have a thousand reasons why their children should abstain from parenting. What do these Parents of Gays say?


Advocates of Intelligent Design argue that god never included gay parents in his master blueprints.

Rabidly evangelical parents warn that if their gay children give birth to children they will single-handedly trigger the Apocalypse.

Darwinists worry that the gay adaptation could threaten the survival of the species.

Neoconservative parents say gays having children distracts from the war on terrorism and the security of Israel.

Fiscal republican fathers tell their gay sons and daughters that their only responsibilities as gay adults is to channel all their disposable income into the retail, travel and entertainment sectors so the U.S. economy can recover as quickly as possible.

Liberal, hippie parents tell their gay children they support their decision in theory but that if their children try to be parents, all the right-wing crazies will enact more anti-gay legislations and they’ll be worse off than before.

Jock fathers argue their gay sons can’t teach fastballs, curves, and sliders, and their grandsons will turn into candidates for Project Runway by the age of ten.

Ultra-feminine mothers think their lesbian daughters will fail miserably at dolls and dress up and their granddaughters will strut around like truck drivers.

WASP parents say, “Can’t you just drink?”

Black parents say, “Can’t you just stay on the down low and get a wife and kids?”

Hispanic parents say, “We should never have left our life of abject poverty in Guatemala.”

Japanese parents don’t say anything. They just put the hari kari sword in a prominent place in hopes their children will know what to do.

Underneath their protests, most of these parents just don’t want the world to know they have a gay child. Yes, they’re a little ashamed (maybe more than a little)—and rather than come out as a parent of gays, they’d prefer you never come out. But don’t let them sway you. They can vote away your marriage rights—in the short term–but they can’t stop you from having a loving family, and one day all of your children will change the world forever.

© 2008 by Carrie Smith. All rights reserved.

Orange County Wine Tasting Party!!!!

By

Hello! My partner Russ and I are hosting a celebratory launch party at our home for our church’s Open & Affirming Ministry (ONA) for LGBT folks and supporters, and would like to extend an invitation to you. The ONA group has done a great job coordinating this event, and it should be a wonderful evening.

Church of the Foothills is located in the hills of Tustin & Santa Ana, next to Orange. http://chotf. org/ (website undergoing overhaul!) The church has a nice mix of attendees (gay/straight, young/old, kids, ethnicities, etc.) and is very progressive, including using inclusive language in the services.

While Church of the Foothills has been ONA for some time, and performed numerous same gender ceremonies, they were recently profiled in the “OC Register” as the first church in OC to legally perform a same gender marriage. The ONA group will be doing outreach to the community, as well as hosting monthly fellowship opportunities, mentoring, etc. We’re running ads in the OC Blade and Lesbian News starting in October/November.

On Saturday October 4th at 6PM, we will be hosting a wine tasting party at our house to celebrate the launch, and we’d love it if you would attend. And, if you know of someone who might be interested in learning more about our church and our ONA ministry, feel free to invite them as well. In addition to wine/appetizers/desserts, the Laguna Culinary Institute will be presenting a brief instructional tasting of wine and cheese pairings.

Our goal is to get the word out about our church and its LGBT inclusive environment, so even if you’re not interested, if you know of any LGBT folks in the OC area who might be searching for a church home, feel free to forward this. Interested people can email me at proud2bedad@yahoo.com

Thanks for helping us get the word out, and hope to see you!

Kergan Edwards-Stout

Way Out Parenting: Do your parents need a 12-step program before you let them visit their grandchildren?

By

Do you have remarkably supportive parents who fastened on their “I love my gay son” or “My lesbian daughter rocks” lapel pins the minute you confirmed their worst fears? Or do you have parents who summarily shut the door in your face after hearing your news? Now that you have a grandchild, don’t be surprised if some of these parents want back into your life. Grandchildren change all the dynamics. The question is: do you let them in?

Parents who have disowned their gay children forfeit any right to participate in their children’s children’s lives. Until they atone for their abandonment, rejection, and hate, you have every right to deny them access. You may tell them you won’t even consider a supervised visitation until they have completed the 12-step program outlined below. Most hate-mongering parents can’t get through step 1. If yours miraculously complete all 12, they definitely want your forgiveness and you should give it.

The 12 Steps of Parental Atonement and Rehabilitation

Step 1 • We admitted we were pathetic parents overpowered by hatred and fear.

Step 2 • We got a therapist—this time not to change our child but to look deep into our hate-filled psyches and understand the origins of our prejudice.

Step 3 • We got on some much-needed medication.

Step 4 • We made a list of all of the reprehensible things we had done to our gay child, including the verbal taunts, humiliations, and emotional rejections.

Step 5 • We sent a heart-felt apology to our child and asked for forgiveness.

Step 6 • We sent an email blast to 1000 friends, relatives, business associates and neighbors admitting that we had deceived them about the true nature of our child out of shame.

Step 7 • We filled out an application form for the nearest chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbian & Gays (PFLAG) and started attending meetings on a regular basis.

Step 8 • We agreed to tithe annually to a gay rights organization of our son or daughter’s choosing in order to advance the cause we had obstructed for so long (and we produced tax receipts on request to prove it.)

Step 9 • For the first time in our lives, we supported the campaign of a pro-Gay candidate by holding a fundraiser in our home, volunteering at the get-out-the-vote phone bank, and distributing leaflets in front of our local polling station.

Step 10 • We identified and patronized all of the gay-and-lesbian owned businesses in our community including but not limited to: florists, catering services, health food stores, pet grooming facilities, hair salons, real estate agents, and interior design firms.

Step 11 • We endowed an annual college scholarship for gay children denied tuition by vengeful parents.

Step 12 • We became certified foster parents to gay youths in our community who could no longer safely live with their own families.

© 2008 by Carrie Smith. All rights reserved.

The Difference Between You and Your Kids

By

What are some of the differences between you and your kids? Every wonder what your kids need to help them when they leave your GLBT home and go out into the adult world? Want some advice on how to support your children in becoming their own individual person? Read the answers in my article at http://www.therainbowbabies.com/DifferenceKids.html. Feel free to comment on it here or send suggestions for other articles you’d like to see.

Create a great day!
Kristen Beireis, Life Enthusiast
http://RainbowInMe.AmazingSteps.com