You, Too, Can Be a Queer Parent
“Do you have to use that word?” My mother made a face that looked slightly ill. Despite being a bit insulted, I feel compassion for her plight. I know my mother loves me, but she hates the word...
View ArticleYoung Mamas Need Support, Not Stigma
As we approach Mother’s Day (May 13), we’re inundated with celebrations of motherhood, but some kinds of mothers are not invited to the party. Hallmark cards and flower commercials rarely show queer...
View ArticleA Mama’s Day for the Rest of Us
Mother’s Day is just around the corner. This Sunday, tradition dictates that we will celebrate our moms by showering them with flowers or brunches or candy and finding a way to say “I love you.” For...
View ArticleMy Own True Mother’s Day
The flowers come out and the prices go up. Balloons, cards, jewelry—gifts for every price point are hawked from every storefront. Even the slick, gender-neutral Apple stores are festooned with maternal...
View ArticleMomtroversy: How Feminist Is Attachment Parenting?
About a month ago, in anticipation of starting my son on solid foods I attended a seminar at a parenting support center in Los Angeles. Of course we must make our own baby food, the lecturer began: By...
View ArticleMen Want to Be Breadwinners–But So Do Women!
Here’s some great news. The vast majority of young people–about 80 percent of women and 70 percent of men across all races, classes and family backgrounds–desire an egalitarian marriage in which both...
View ArticleAssociated Press Honors Marriage Equality … Finally
On February 11, the Associated Press (AP) accidentally revealed a bias in its policy regarding the treatment of same-sex marriages in print. The memo—intended for internal circulation only—revealed...
View Article“Mom, You Suck for Having Me”–New York Disparages Teen Parents
Browsing through my Twitter page I came across an ad directed at teen mothers in NYC. While seeing this ad disgusted me, I was a little relieved that I had not seen it person in my city, Brooklyn. Not...
View ArticleCan’t We Stop Acting As If Queer Parenting Is Something New?
We can all recite the cultural fairytale about the American family: A man and a woman meet one another, date and fall in love. Wait—let’s really go for the fairytale stereotype: He’s handsome and...
View ArticlePediatricians Say: Marriage Equality Helps Children
As the Supreme Court takes up the same-sex marriage battle, more and more people and organizations are jumping on the equality bandwagon. Not only have amicus briefs been filed by a wide range of...
View ArticleKids’ Toys: More Gendered Than Ever
Megan Perryman’s 5-year-old daughter was browsing toys in a store. She picked up a toy recorder and her expression quickly changed as if she had done something wrong. “Oh no,” she said. “I’ve got the...
View ArticleWe’re Glad That Marriage Equality Makes Alito and Scalia Mad
Today’s Supreme Court marriage decisions are big news for all U.S. citizens who care about equality. Not only do the rulings affirm the democratic principle of equal rights for all, they also signal a...
View ArticlePoor Women Are NOT Having Babies for Money
When I was young, my mom was on welfare. She wasn’t unlike other moms on our South Los Angeles block: single, working multiple jobs and doing her best to keep her head above water. She cared deeply...
View ArticleShow-and-Tell Feminism for Dads of Daughters
Last week, in response to a widely shared piece on The Huffington Post by Bret Spears entitled “10 Things No One Ever Told Me About Having a Daughter,” Tracy Moore, a writer at Jezebel, asked “Why...
View ArticlePass the Turkey, Spread the Feminism
Family holidays are ripe with opportunities to insert feminist commentary and social critique. With each holiday tradition, there’s ample material to pick apart, analyze and either support or condemn....
View ArticleCOFFEE: Where Feminism And Family Intersect
Imagine a space where feminism and family intersect. Where people from all walks of life get together to discuss—productively—the changing face of what constitutes a family, how they’re “made,” what...
View ArticleClara B. Spence: Ahead of Her Time
This March, for Women’s History Month, the Ms. Blog is profiling Wonder Women who have made history—and those who are making history right now. Join us each day as we bring you the stories of iconic...
View ArticleAi-jen Poo, Still Alice and the “Care Revolution”
“In the darkest of times, you can always find incredible oases of connection, of care and of love,” said Still Alice director Wash Westmoreland to an intimate gathering of some of Hollywood’s most...
View ArticleNew Feminist Mom: This Easter, Choose People—Not Projects
Ashley Steimer-King is a lifelong feminist and a first-time mom. In her column, New Feminist Mom, she’ll be exploring issues such as co-parenting, finding work/life balance and raising feminist...
View ArticleSen. Patty Murray: A Champion for Paid Sick Days
The Healthy Families Act has a new sponsor, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and she’s proving to be not just a backer but a champion for paid sick days. A few weeks ago, Sen. Murray surprised many...
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