According to a recent study conducted by the University of Melbourne in Australia, children of same-sex couples are happier and healthier then children from "traditional" families. The study was aimed to "describe the physical, mental and social well-being" of children with same-sex parents as well as "the impact that stigma has on them".
A research team surveyed 315 same-sex parents and a total of 500 children. The results show, on average, the children with two moms or two dads scored 6% higher on measures of general health and family cohesion. When it came to temperament, mood, behavior, mental health and self-esteem, the children scored the same as children with heterosexual parents.
Head researcher, Simon Crouch, believes an emphasis on skills rather then traditional gender roles is a major factor in the survey results. "So what this means is that people take on roles that are suited to their skill sets rather than falling into those gender stereotypes. What this leads to is a more harmonious family unit and therefore feeding on to better health and wellbeing." Crouch explained.
I think this is a brilliant idea because it helps show children that their gender does not make them who they are. Society as a whole still as a stigma that if you are a certain gender you can only like certain things or do certain things. Such as only girls can enjoy baking, and only boys can be grow up to be mechanics. As a society we need to do away with the idea of traditional gender roles for the sake of future generations.
In my opinion, the results of this survey make perfect sense. Unlike heterosexual couples, no same-sex couple has a child accidentally. Whether they are from fostering, adoption or surrogacy, having a child is a meticulous process that requires time and planning for any same-sex couple. Most importantly, every child raised by same-sex parents knows they are wanted.
For the full results of this survey, visit http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/635/abstract
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Conversions In Washington State
Monday marked a change for same-sex couples in Washington state. The majority of registered domestic partnerships have now been converted into marriages by the state.
Before Washington state voters legalized same-sex marriage in 2012, there were roughly 10,000 domestic partnerships registered with the secretary of state's office. Since the same-sex marriage law went into effect at the end 2012, over 7,000 same-sex couples have been married. Not all of the marriages were previously registered domestic partnerships, but many of them were. Those domestic partnerships that weren't previously converted into marriages by the actual couples have now been converted by the state as of Monday.
This change was a component of the state's same-sex marriage law. However, the conversion only went into effect for couples who are both under the age of 62. Domestic partnerships can now only be filed if one of the partners is over the age of 62 because seniors risk losing certain retirement benefits if they marry. This stipulation for domestic partnerships holds true for both heterosexual and same-sex couples. It was estimated that around 3,600 couples have been effected by the conversion.
Couples were notified of the impending change last year, and then again in March of this year. They were also instructed on what to do if they wanted to end their domestic partnership before the change went into effect. However, according to the corporations director for the secretary of state's office, Pam Floyd, despite best efforts by the state, there will be inevitably a few couples that have broken up and moved to a different state without legally ending their partnership who don't know about the conversions. Those couples will now need to get a divorce to dissolve their partnerships.
Washington citizens have shown mixed feelings about this decision. Some couples feel like their right to decide when they want to be married was taken away, and some were frantically trying to dissolve their partnerships before the change went into effect. Dissolving a domestic partnership is similar to a divorce in a marriage. You have to go to court and file an action. Other couples didn't mind the change because they either already got married, or they feel as though it saved them a step.
Washington isn't the only state to convert domestic partnerships into marriages. New Hampshire and Connecticut have done the same.
Before Washington state voters legalized same-sex marriage in 2012, there were roughly 10,000 domestic partnerships registered with the secretary of state's office. Since the same-sex marriage law went into effect at the end 2012, over 7,000 same-sex couples have been married. Not all of the marriages were previously registered domestic partnerships, but many of them were. Those domestic partnerships that weren't previously converted into marriages by the actual couples have now been converted by the state as of Monday.
This change was a component of the state's same-sex marriage law. However, the conversion only went into effect for couples who are both under the age of 62. Domestic partnerships can now only be filed if one of the partners is over the age of 62 because seniors risk losing certain retirement benefits if they marry. This stipulation for domestic partnerships holds true for both heterosexual and same-sex couples. It was estimated that around 3,600 couples have been effected by the conversion.
Couples were notified of the impending change last year, and then again in March of this year. They were also instructed on what to do if they wanted to end their domestic partnership before the change went into effect. However, according to the corporations director for the secretary of state's office, Pam Floyd, despite best efforts by the state, there will be inevitably a few couples that have broken up and moved to a different state without legally ending their partnership who don't know about the conversions. Those couples will now need to get a divorce to dissolve their partnerships.
Washington citizens have shown mixed feelings about this decision. Some couples feel like their right to decide when they want to be married was taken away, and some were frantically trying to dissolve their partnerships before the change went into effect. Dissolving a domestic partnership is similar to a divorce in a marriage. You have to go to court and file an action. Other couples didn't mind the change because they either already got married, or they feel as though it saved them a step.
Washington isn't the only state to convert domestic partnerships into marriages. New Hampshire and Connecticut have done the same.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Surprising News From The White House
Today, at the annual LGBT Pride celebration at the White House, President Obama gave some astounding news.
Last year, the President promised the LGBT community he'd make sure the Affordable Care Act was implemented to insure no one could be denied health insurance based on their sexual orientation OR gender identity. He didn't disappoint. Now he's taking on another challenge for the LGBT community, this time within the work place.
He announced plans to sign an executive order protecting all Federal workers from gender identity discrimination. This order is designed to help protect transgender workers. Previously this month, he announced plans to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Federal employees are already protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Together, these orders will insure all LGBT Federal employees and contractors are protected from discrimination for being who they are.
While these most recent executive orders for transgender persons are a big step forward, they apply only to Federal employees, and there is still a lot of work to be done around the country to insure everyone is treated equally. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, only 37% of Americans live in an area of the U.S. that protects employees on the basis of gender identity. However, these orders by President Obama have set a good example for (hopefully) the rest of the country to follow.
Obama had called on Congress to pass federal legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, but they would not. So the President decided to issue executive orders instead.
Last year, the President promised the LGBT community he'd make sure the Affordable Care Act was implemented to insure no one could be denied health insurance based on their sexual orientation OR gender identity. He didn't disappoint. Now he's taking on another challenge for the LGBT community, this time within the work place.
He announced plans to sign an executive order protecting all Federal workers from gender identity discrimination. This order is designed to help protect transgender workers. Previously this month, he announced plans to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Federal employees are already protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Together, these orders will insure all LGBT Federal employees and contractors are protected from discrimination for being who they are.
While these most recent executive orders for transgender persons are a big step forward, they apply only to Federal employees, and there is still a lot of work to be done around the country to insure everyone is treated equally. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, only 37% of Americans live in an area of the U.S. that protects employees on the basis of gender identity. However, these orders by President Obama have set a good example for (hopefully) the rest of the country to follow.
Obama had called on Congress to pass federal legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, but they would not. So the President decided to issue executive orders instead.
“The majority of Fortune 500 companies already have nondiscrimination
policies to protect their employees because it’s the right thing to do
and because many say it helps to retain and attract the best talent,”
Obama said. “And I agree. So if Congress won’t act, I will.”
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Pride 2014!
Earlier this month I attended my second LGBT Pride festival here in my town. It's not nearly as big of an event as places like Seattle, Toronto, Portland etc. but it was still tons of fun!
I get why some people in the LGBT community don't think Pride should still exist. In this day and age, it shouldn't matter what orientation you are, everyone should just be the same. There shouldn't still be a need for Pride festivals, but since the fight for equality is still happening, Pride still means a great deal to a lot of people. It's a time where you can celebrate the ability to be you without the threat of jail time or being put to death for your orientation. Considering there is still a lot of places in the world where that is legal, it's a relief to those who are in a place that celebrates Pride because they don't need to worry about those threats.
That being said, I highly recommend going to a Pride festival if you have the chance. Whether you are part of the LGBT community or an ally, they are a lot of fun. There is access to all kinds of information and services not to mention there's usually fun activities for the kids, performances, and even a parade. You can meet all kinds of new people and learn new things. Plus there's just something about Pride that is comforting to be around.
I wore a shirt to Pride that said "100% Asexual, 100% Out, 100% Proud". I had people stop me to ask about asexuality, tell me they knew someone that was asexual, and even one young lady tell me she was asexual too! It was great to help spread visibility and educate people.
So if you have the chance, grab some friends like I did and go experience a Pride festival. You won't regret it! =)
I get why some people in the LGBT community don't think Pride should still exist. In this day and age, it shouldn't matter what orientation you are, everyone should just be the same. There shouldn't still be a need for Pride festivals, but since the fight for equality is still happening, Pride still means a great deal to a lot of people. It's a time where you can celebrate the ability to be you without the threat of jail time or being put to death for your orientation. Considering there is still a lot of places in the world where that is legal, it's a relief to those who are in a place that celebrates Pride because they don't need to worry about those threats.
That being said, I highly recommend going to a Pride festival if you have the chance. Whether you are part of the LGBT community or an ally, they are a lot of fun. There is access to all kinds of information and services not to mention there's usually fun activities for the kids, performances, and even a parade. You can meet all kinds of new people and learn new things. Plus there's just something about Pride that is comforting to be around.
I wore a shirt to Pride that said "100% Asexual, 100% Out, 100% Proud". I had people stop me to ask about asexuality, tell me they knew someone that was asexual, and even one young lady tell me she was asexual too! It was great to help spread visibility and educate people.
So if you have the chance, grab some friends like I did and go experience a Pride festival. You won't regret it! =)
Friday, June 13, 2014
Coming Out At 73
I know in the past I've done a few posts mixing LGBT news with WWE wrestling. I'm sorry to those of you this bothers, but I'm about to do it again. Frankly, this story means too much to me not to post about it.
This past Thursday on the WWE Network reality show "Legends House", wrestling legend and Hall-Of-Famer, Pat Patterson, came out for the first time publicly in a tearful confession to his fellow legends.
What made me want to post about this story wasn't the fact that it involves wrestling, but because of the circumstance surrounding Patterson's coming out and what we can learn from it. What really stood out to me is the fact that Pat Patterson is 73 years old and has been in the closet for over 50 years. He also had a partner for 40 years that hardly anyone knew about. That is a long time to hide a fairly big part of yourself away.
What we should all take from this story is that it is NEVER too late to show the world your true self. Your right to feel secure in your own skin in public does not have an expiration date. Coming out, whether to yourself or to others, isn't something that you only get to do before a certain age. Whether you are 18 or 88, you always have the right to say "This is ME and I'm gonna be happy".
If you are struggling with accepting yourself or with the idea of coming out, remember there is no deadline. You don't need to rush yourself. You have your whole lifetime to find out who you really are.
I've included a link to an article giving more details on Pat's coming out. Even if you have no idea who he is, I highly encourage you to read the article and watch the video clip.
http://www.out.com/entertainment/popnography/2014/06/13/wwe-legend-pat-patterson-comes-out-gay
This past Thursday on the WWE Network reality show "Legends House", wrestling legend and Hall-Of-Famer, Pat Patterson, came out for the first time publicly in a tearful confession to his fellow legends.
What made me want to post about this story wasn't the fact that it involves wrestling, but because of the circumstance surrounding Patterson's coming out and what we can learn from it. What really stood out to me is the fact that Pat Patterson is 73 years old and has been in the closet for over 50 years. He also had a partner for 40 years that hardly anyone knew about. That is a long time to hide a fairly big part of yourself away.
What we should all take from this story is that it is NEVER too late to show the world your true self. Your right to feel secure in your own skin in public does not have an expiration date. Coming out, whether to yourself or to others, isn't something that you only get to do before a certain age. Whether you are 18 or 88, you always have the right to say "This is ME and I'm gonna be happy".
If you are struggling with accepting yourself or with the idea of coming out, remember there is no deadline. You don't need to rush yourself. You have your whole lifetime to find out who you really are.
I've included a link to an article giving more details on Pat's coming out. Even if you have no idea who he is, I highly encourage you to read the article and watch the video clip.
http://www.out.com/entertainment/popnography/2014/06/13/wwe-legend-pat-patterson-comes-out-gay
"It is never too late to be what you might have been."
-George Eliot
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Animated Films For The Win
The newest spoiler for the upcoming movie "How To Train Your Dragon 2" from Dreamworks has revealed that one of the characters will be coming out.
Supposedly, the character Gobber will subtly address his sexuality after watching a husband and wife arguing. Dean DeBlois, a writer-director for the film, said "I think that's a really fun [and] daring move to put in. I love the idea that Gobber is Berk's resident gay." Deblois himself is openly gay.
This isn't the first time in recent years that an animated character has been portrayed as being gay.
In the 2012 film, "ParaNorman", the character of Mitch was revealed to be gay by responding to being asked out to a movie by a girl with the line, "You're gonna love my boyfriend. He's like a total chick-flick nut!".
Then in the 2013 mega hit, "Frozen", the owner of the trading post, Oaken, was shown to have a husband and kids.
I think throwing LGBT characters into animated films is a brilliant idea. The trend so far has shown characters to mention their sexuality offhand, or it is merely shown, like in Frozen. None of the filmmakers are making a big fuss about these characters' sexuality, having a big spectacle of coming out, or even really having other characters react much. They are merely slipping them so kids watching won't think twice about Mitch having a boyfriend or Oaken having a husband instead of a wife.
Children aren't born bigoted or homophobic. Those are learned behaviors. If you tell a child they can love and marry either a boy or a girl, they'll accept it. It's that simple. So by putting LGBT characters into films directed towards children, children are being shown those characters are regular people too. These filmmakers are teaching children that people come in all kinds of variations, and that they should all be represented. It is especially great for the children who feel they are gay (or lesbian or bisexual etc) to see these characters because it shows them they aren't alone, and they ARE normal.
I really hope this trend continues to grow until having animated LGBT characters is just an everyday thing.
Supposedly, the character Gobber will subtly address his sexuality after watching a husband and wife arguing. Dean DeBlois, a writer-director for the film, said "I think that's a really fun [and] daring move to put in. I love the idea that Gobber is Berk's resident gay." Deblois himself is openly gay.
This isn't the first time in recent years that an animated character has been portrayed as being gay.
In the 2012 film, "ParaNorman", the character of Mitch was revealed to be gay by responding to being asked out to a movie by a girl with the line, "You're gonna love my boyfriend. He's like a total chick-flick nut!".
Then in the 2013 mega hit, "Frozen", the owner of the trading post, Oaken, was shown to have a husband and kids.
I think throwing LGBT characters into animated films is a brilliant idea. The trend so far has shown characters to mention their sexuality offhand, or it is merely shown, like in Frozen. None of the filmmakers are making a big fuss about these characters' sexuality, having a big spectacle of coming out, or even really having other characters react much. They are merely slipping them so kids watching won't think twice about Mitch having a boyfriend or Oaken having a husband instead of a wife.
Children aren't born bigoted or homophobic. Those are learned behaviors. If you tell a child they can love and marry either a boy or a girl, they'll accept it. It's that simple. So by putting LGBT characters into films directed towards children, children are being shown those characters are regular people too. These filmmakers are teaching children that people come in all kinds of variations, and that they should all be represented. It is especially great for the children who feel they are gay (or lesbian or bisexual etc) to see these characters because it shows them they aren't alone, and they ARE normal.
I really hope this trend continues to grow until having animated LGBT characters is just an everyday thing.
Monday, April 21, 2014
WWE & NOH8 Campaign - Tag Team Of The Year
Don't you just love when two of your passions collide? If anyone were to ask me what I'm most passionate about I'd say the LGBT community and WWE wrestling. Weird combo right? Well, I'm proud to say that back in January of this year, those two things did in fact combine when a large portion of the WWE roster did a NOH8 photo shoot.
I've been excited about this for months. Back in August 2013, a WWE Superstar named Darren Young (real name Fred Rosser) came out as gay in a TMZ interview. The outpouring of support from the rest of the WWE was immense, and, while that made me very happy and proud, I was extremely excited to see they went even further in showing their support of the gay, lesbian, bisesxual, and transgender community by teaming up with the NOH8 Campaign. Backstage photos were posted back in January after the shoot, but the final photos have FINALLY been published!
Without further ado, I give you WWE NOH8! =D
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| WWE Superstar & COO Triple H & his wife Principle Owner Stephanie McMahon |
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| WWE Superstar -Big Show |
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| WWE Superstar - Daniel Bryan |
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| WWE Divas - Nikki & Brie "The Bellas" |
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| WWE Superstar - Batista |
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| WWE Superstar - The Miz (my fav!) |
 | |||
| WWE Divas - Cameron & Naomi "The Funkadactyls" |
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| WWE Superstars - Jimmy & Jey "The Usos" |
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| WWE Superstar - Jack Swagger |
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| WWE Superstar - Darren Young (aka Fred Rosser) |
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| WWE Broadcaster - Renee Young |
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| WWE Diva - Tamina Snuka |
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| WWE Diva -Natalya & husband WWE Superstar - Tyson Kidd |
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| WWE Superstar - Ricardo Rodriguez |
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| WWE Superstar - Antonio Cesaro |
Saturday, March 22, 2014
First Gay Hug
If you are active in the online world (which if you are reading this I'm assuming most of you are) then by now you would have at least heard of, if not seen, the video that's been taking the internet by storm the last two weeks entitled "First Kiss". In the video twenty strangers were asked to kiss for the first time. Later it was discovered the video was actually an advertisement for an LA based clothing company (interesting form of advertising!).
Ever since that video was posted, there have been numerous parodies of it popping up all over, but it's the one posted by The Gay Women Channel that I'm really excited about. The video is called "First Gay Hug (A Homophobic Experiment)" and the concept behind it was to ask fifteen homophobic people to hug gay strangers.
I'll admit that before I pushed play I was a bit worried about how the experiment would turn out. I had a sinking feeling that not all the interactions would go well. However, I was very pleasantly surprised.
This video shows you that sometimes all it takes for a homophobic person to start changing their way of thinking is to have a good experience with someone that is gay. I'm not saying the homophobic people in this video are suddenly going to go join PFLAG or attend a Pride event, but you can see some of the tension and awkwardness start to fall away throughout their interactions.
To me, the reason this video is so interesting and so touching is because it shows how powerful a hug can be, and how, if you strip away labels, underneath everything we are all just people.There is no hidden agenda or sexual undertones to this video, it's just about hugging.
My favorites in the video are the elderly woman, the woman with her daughter, and the man in the striped shirt. They really made me smile!
I hope you all find this video as touching and inspiring as I have!
xoxo
Ever since that video was posted, there have been numerous parodies of it popping up all over, but it's the one posted by The Gay Women Channel that I'm really excited about. The video is called "First Gay Hug (A Homophobic Experiment)" and the concept behind it was to ask fifteen homophobic people to hug gay strangers.
I'll admit that before I pushed play I was a bit worried about how the experiment would turn out. I had a sinking feeling that not all the interactions would go well. However, I was very pleasantly surprised.
This video shows you that sometimes all it takes for a homophobic person to start changing their way of thinking is to have a good experience with someone that is gay. I'm not saying the homophobic people in this video are suddenly going to go join PFLAG or attend a Pride event, but you can see some of the tension and awkwardness start to fall away throughout their interactions.
To me, the reason this video is so interesting and so touching is because it shows how powerful a hug can be, and how, if you strip away labels, underneath everything we are all just people.There is no hidden agenda or sexual undertones to this video, it's just about hugging.
My favorites in the video are the elderly woman, the woman with her daughter, and the man in the striped shirt. They really made me smile!
I hope you all find this video as touching and inspiring as I have!
xoxo
s
Friday, February 28, 2014
A Win In Arizona
Wednesday marked a good day for the Arizona LGBT community. Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, vetoed a bill (SB 1062) which would have given Arizona businesses the right to LEGALLY refuse services to gay and lesbian customers. The heavily Republican legislature passed the bill last week where it continued on to the governor.
This controversial anti-gay bill was created using the idea of "religious freedom" as its grounds for being legal. However, in response to that, Governor Brewer was quoted as saying, "Senate Bill 1062 does not address a specific or present concern related to religious liberty in Arizona. I have not heard one example where business owners' religious liberty has been violated."
In the days leading up to Brewer's decision, the bill faced a lot opposition. Arizona Republican Senators, Jeff Flake and John McCain, both called on the Governor to veto the bill. Former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney voiced his opposition to the bill through a tweet.
Also opposed to the bill were many major corporations including Apple, Marriott, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Intel, AT&T, and Major League Baseball. Many feel this bill would have had adverse effects on Arizona's economy (to which I think "well... duh".). Especially concerned about the bill were Phoenix area businesses including the Super Bowl Host Committee. The 2015 Super Bowl is scheduled to be held in Glendale, AZ.
As much opposition as there was for the bill, it still had its supporters. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh believed Brewer was "being bullied by the homosexual lobby in Arizona and elsewhere."
Honestly, even though I don't think Brewer should have needed a few days to decide on this bill, I'm still very happy she did indeed veto it. The fact that it was supported by several well known Republicans and vetoed by a Republican Governor surprised me a bit. Only because past history has shown that the majority of the Republicans in the US aren't usually in favor of the LGBT community. Not to mention Arizona hasn't always been the most LGBT friendly state. I think vetoing this bill was an excellent decision and having it backed by Republicans was a nice change of pace. This has added to my hope for the future of the country's LGBT community.
Unfortunately, this bill isn't the only one of it's kind being pushed on legislature. Similar bills have been proposed in Maine, Kansas, South Dakota, and Tennessee.
This controversial anti-gay bill was created using the idea of "religious freedom" as its grounds for being legal. However, in response to that, Governor Brewer was quoted as saying, "Senate Bill 1062 does not address a specific or present concern related to religious liberty in Arizona. I have not heard one example where business owners' religious liberty has been violated."
In the days leading up to Brewer's decision, the bill faced a lot opposition. Arizona Republican Senators, Jeff Flake and John McCain, both called on the Governor to veto the bill. Former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney voiced his opposition to the bill through a tweet.
Also opposed to the bill were many major corporations including Apple, Marriott, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Intel, AT&T, and Major League Baseball. Many feel this bill would have had adverse effects on Arizona's economy (to which I think "well... duh".). Especially concerned about the bill were Phoenix area businesses including the Super Bowl Host Committee. The 2015 Super Bowl is scheduled to be held in Glendale, AZ.
As much opposition as there was for the bill, it still had its supporters. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh believed Brewer was "being bullied by the homosexual lobby in Arizona and elsewhere."
Honestly, even though I don't think Brewer should have needed a few days to decide on this bill, I'm still very happy she did indeed veto it. The fact that it was supported by several well known Republicans and vetoed by a Republican Governor surprised me a bit. Only because past history has shown that the majority of the Republicans in the US aren't usually in favor of the LGBT community. Not to mention Arizona hasn't always been the most LGBT friendly state. I think vetoing this bill was an excellent decision and having it backed by Republicans was a nice change of pace. This has added to my hope for the future of the country's LGBT community.
Unfortunately, this bill isn't the only one of it's kind being pushed on legislature. Similar bills have been proposed in Maine, Kansas, South Dakota, and Tennessee.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
A First For Disney
Earlier this week, Disney showed their support for same-sex families through one of their Disney Channel shows, "Good Luck Charlie". The episode aired on January 26th and was the first time a same-sex couple was featured in a Disney program.
Disney first announced information about the episode through GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), who also worked with Disney as consultants on the episode to ensure it was written in a way that would be well received by Disney's young viewers.
In the episode, Charlie (the family's preschool age daughter) has a play date with her friend, Taylor. While waiting for the Taylor and her family to show up, Charlie's parents, Bob and Amy, briefly argue over the friend's mom's name as they both believe they have met her. Bob says Cheryl while Amy says it's Susan. It is after the family arrives and they open the door that they discover they were both right as Taylor has TWO moms!
I saw the full episode personally, and frankly, I think they handled this episode beautifully. They treated the same-sex couple like any other couple bringing their kid over to a friend's for a play date. There was no spotlight on the fact that both parents were women nor did they make it seem like there was awkwardness between the two sets of parents. It portrayed them as if they were just a regular family because that's the truth!
By not making a huge deal out of Taylor having two moms, it helps kids watching the episode make the connection that there isn't anything not normal about having two moms or two dads rather then a mom and a dad. Shows doing things like this help young kids realize early on that not every family is has a mom and a dad and that families come in all forms.
I definitely give Disney props for this one.Way to go Disney! You are giving hope for the future.
Disney first announced information about the episode through GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), who also worked with Disney as consultants on the episode to ensure it was written in a way that would be well received by Disney's young viewers.
In the episode, Charlie (the family's preschool age daughter) has a play date with her friend, Taylor. While waiting for the Taylor and her family to show up, Charlie's parents, Bob and Amy, briefly argue over the friend's mom's name as they both believe they have met her. Bob says Cheryl while Amy says it's Susan. It is after the family arrives and they open the door that they discover they were both right as Taylor has TWO moms!
I saw the full episode personally, and frankly, I think they handled this episode beautifully. They treated the same-sex couple like any other couple bringing their kid over to a friend's for a play date. There was no spotlight on the fact that both parents were women nor did they make it seem like there was awkwardness between the two sets of parents. It portrayed them as if they were just a regular family because that's the truth!
By not making a huge deal out of Taylor having two moms, it helps kids watching the episode make the connection that there isn't anything not normal about having two moms or two dads rather then a mom and a dad. Shows doing things like this help young kids realize early on that not every family is has a mom and a dad and that families come in all forms.
I definitely give Disney props for this one.Way to go Disney! You are giving hope for the future.
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