Posts Tagged ‘children’

VOICE OF ELMO COULD FACE SEX CHARGES

Kevin Clash takes leave of absence after being accused of having a relationship with 16-year-old boy

Posted by Natalie Hope McDonald on 11/12/2012 at 11:58AM | No Comments

Not everyone was surprised to find out that the man behind the voice of Elmo is gay, but when news broke that Kevin Clash may have had an affair with a 16-year-old boy, things started looking grim on the usually chipper Sesame Street.

Clash, who hails from Baltimore, has been playing the voice of Elmo for the past few years. But amid accusations that he had an affair with a 16-year-old about seven years ago (the accuser is now 23), Clash, 52, took a leave of absence from the long-running children’s show after admitting that he had a relationship with the young man after he became an adult, according to the Baltimore Sun.

TMZ broke the story after being contacted by the young man in June. And while no evidence has been produced to substantiate the affair (the two did exchange emails), both Sesame Street and PBS are investigating. “I had a relationship with [the accuser],” Clash confessed to TMZ. “It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not.”

That’s all fine and dandy, but if you’re working for one of the most well-known children’s television franchises in the world, maybe you should consider dating guys who are at least old enough to get into Woody’s.

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WHO WE LOVE: THIS DAD

He gets a gold star in our big book of parenting

Posted by Natalie Hope McDonald on 8/29/2012 at 9:34AM | 1 Comment

Nils Pickert’s son likes to wear dresses. But when the family moved from Berlin to a smaller town in southern Germany, the little boy drew stares and was worried that kids would mock him. But rather than make the kid wear pants, dad decided he’d support his son – by wearing skirts, too.

“I didn’t want to talk my son into not wearing dresses and skirts,” Pickert said, according to Gawker. “He didn’t make friends in doing that in Berlin already and after a lot of contemplation I had only one option left: To broaden my shoulders for my little buddy and dress in a skirt myself.”

Courtesy of Gawker

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THIS IS NOT THE LETTER YOU WRITE YOUR GAY SON

A son came out and his father disowned him

Posted by Natalie Hope McDonald on 8/8/2012 at 9:56AM | 3 Comments

A young man originally posted the letter his father wrote him after coming out – it’s since be shared in the viral world. “I hope your telephone call was not to receive my blessing for the degrading of your lifestyle,” his dad wrote. “I have fond memories of our times together, but that is all in the past.”

Heartbreakingly, his father goes on to disown the young man, saying, “You made your choice though wrong it may be. God did not intend for this unnatural lifestyle. If you choose not to attend my funeral, my friends and family will understand.”

A word to parents, this is not the letter anyone should write to a child.

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BOY SCOUT DEBATE HEATS UP

Top CEO issues statement about openly gay and lesbian troops and leaders

Posted by Natalie Hope McDonald on 6/13/2012 at 1:01PM | 1 Comment

Will the Boy Scouts of America finally change its direction when it comes to banning gay scouts and leaders? (Photo by Think Stock)

Philly isn’t the only place where the debate is heating up over whether to reconsider the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) rule to banning gay and lesbian scouts and leaders from serving. But as we reported last week, the scouts are expected to decide whether it’s time to retire the discriminatory practices after one LGBT activist – a scout and the son of two lesbian moms –  Zach Wahls delivered a petition to headquarters asking the board to vote for a new policy to include gay and lesbian families.

This also comes after lesbian mom Jennifer Tyrrell started her own petition after she was kicked out as den mother of her son’s Cub Scout troop – simply for being gay.

CNBC reports today that Ernst & Young CEO James Turley – a board member for BSA – issued a statement that bodes well for the LGBT community.

“As CEO, I know that having an inclusive culture produces the best results, is the right thing for our people and makes us a better organization,” says Turley. “My experience has led me to believe that an inclusive environment is important throughout our society and I am proud to be a leader on this issue. I support the meaningful work of the Boy Scouts in preparing young people for adventure, leadership, learning and service, however the membership policy is not one I would personally endorse. As I have done in leading Ernst & Young to being a most inclusive organization, I intend to continue to work from within the BSA Board to actively encourage dialogue and sustainable progress.”

Not only does Turley express a sentiment that seems to be shared by the majority of Fortune 500 companies today (all 100 firms on the Fortune Best Companies to Work For list offer non-discrimination policies for LGBT employees), but his statement is expected to carry some serious clout as the board debates the issue this year.

What do you think? Will the Boy Scouts finally allow gay and lesbian leaders to serve?

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MEET FIVE LGBT FAMILIES

A documentary goes behind the scenes to find out what makes a family

Posted by Natalie Hope McDonald on 5/22/2012 at 9:00AM | No Comments

At a time when LGBT families are making media headlines, a documentary – In My Shoes: Stories of Youth With LGBT Parents – goes behind the scenes to get to know same-sex parents and their kids. We hear their views on everything from marriage and what it means to be a family to changing minds about what really makes a family. This film was produced by the COLAGE Youth Leadership and Action Program and directed by Jen Gilomen.

Check it out:

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ADOPTION: LGBT STYLE

HelpUsAdopt.com releases a new gay-friendly ad

Posted by Natalie Hope McDonald on 5/21/2012 at 9:00AM | No Comments

HelpUsAdopt.org is a favorite organization of ours. Not only does it help people of all stripes become parents thanks to generous and much-needed funding, but the group has been doing remarkable outreach to the LGBT community. If you or anyone you know would like to apply for a grant from HelpUsAdopt.org, just click here for the application.

They do not turn away single LGBT people or same-sex couples. “Family is family,” says a new gay-friendly ad. “Period.”

Check it out:

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ROMNEY WRONG ON ADOPTION

The GOP frontrunner better get his facts straight

Posted by Natalie Hope McDonald on 5/16/2012 at 8:11AM | No Comments

In an interview recently during his campaign tour, GOP candidate for president Mitt Romney asserted that “gay adoption is legal in all of the states but one.” But according to the HRC, Romney is having a little trouble with the facts.

In reality, same-sex couples are banned from adopting in states including Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio and Utah. And for couples who are interested in second-parent adoptions, that’s illegal in 26 states in the country, while join adoption is illegal in 18 states and Washington D.C.

“Mitt Romney’s remarks last week regarding same-sex adoption are wrong and, worse, they trivialize the very real and persistent obstacles qualified LGBT individuals and couples face in adopting and starting families,” says HRC Vice President of Communications Fred Sainz. “Every year, there are hundreds of thousands of kids who desperately need their forever family. LGBT individuals and families are perfectly qualified to provide that loving home. Leading medical, mental health and child welfare organizations have said time and again that sexual orientation and gender identity have absolutely nothing to do with the ability to be a parent to a child in need of a loving home. Governor Romney should clarify his muddled position and embrace adoption by loving and committed gay and lesbian parents.”

Worse, even in states that allow LGBT people to adopt, many still face discrimination. In fact, in 29 states, there’s no protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation (in 34 states there’s no protection for gender identity), including Pennsylvania.

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WEEKEND ROUNDUP

Equality Forum and much more

Posted by Natalie Hope McDonald on 5/4/2012 at 10:38AM | No Comments

Friday, May 4

Equality Forum continues today with the National Legal Panel (4 p.m.) and National Politics Panel (5:30 p.m.) at the National Constitution Center.

Guys Night Out goes on a gallery crawl in Old City (5:30 p.m.). The walking tour sets out from the William Way just in time for First Friday festivities.

Out filmmaker Kelly A. Burkhardt opens “Atomic Age” at Ven & Vaida (6 p.m.). Click here to read our exclusive interview with the artist.

See Tom Jacobson’s play The Twentieth Century Way (7:30 p.m.) at Plays & Players Theatre through the weekend (there’s a matinee Saturday at 2 p.m.).

Tabu hosts a drag show (8 p.m.) for Equality Forum with special guest Osher Sabag, a performer from Israel.

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SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE FAMILIES TOO

New guidelines could impact the way gay and lesbian couples travel abroad

Posted by Natalie Hope McDonald on 3/29/2012 at 9:42AM | No Comments

Photo by Think Stock

This week, the Obama administration took a small, but important step in recognizing same-sex couples. The Federal Register website reports that the White House proposed a change that would allow same-sex couples to be listed as families on customs forms. It states:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is proposing to revise its regulations regarding U.S. returning residents who are eligible to file a single customs declaration for members of a family traveling together upon arrival in the United States. Specifically, CBP is proposing to expand the definition of the term “members of a family residing in one household” to allow more U.S. returning residents to file a family customs declaration for articles acquired abroad. CBP anticipates that this proposed change will reduce the amount of paperwork that CBP officers would need to review during inspection and, therefore, facilitate passenger processing. CBP believes that this proposed change would more accurately reflect relationships between members of the public who are traveling together as a family.

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CONCEIVING FAMILY

The story of same-sex moms and their 15-month-old twins

Posted by Natalie Hope McDonald on 2/2/2012 at 9:25AM | 1 Comment

When Amy Bohigian and Jane Byers adopted 15-month-old biracial twins, everything changed. Conceiving Family follows the couple and their children – Franny and Theo – as they start their new lives together, confronting fundamentalists in their community, and transitioning into a real family. The documentary uses personal interviews and intimate footage to tell the story. The film was directed by Bohigian.

Check it out:

Conceiving Family Trailer from Amy Bohigian on Vimeo.

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