Mommy, When Is our Father Son Time? Shattering the Parental Binary

Today is the day that we take out to celebrate Mothers. We celebrate the new beginnings that they birth, the lives they nurture and support, the faith that they have in their families and also instill in their children. On this special day we will see many images of mothers, grandmothers and even great grand-mothers being doted on by their children and being surrounded in loved by their families and members of their communities. One image that is missing in the celebration of Mothers Day is the image of Masculine of Center (MOC) mothers. Somewhere in the celebration of motherly love we conveniently left strong Butch mothers out of the picture. These are the women that have to fight in a society that tells them that their masculine energy makes their love different from any other mother on the planet. The MOC mother that has the struggle of raising a boy to be a man in a society that not only tells them that they can’t, but also asks how dare they think that they have the right to do so. A better question is does anyone have the right to invalidate anyone’s ability to parent to “mother” their child based on one’s gender expression?

Continue reading at Media Diversified.

O’Malley Signs Md. Transgender Rights Bill

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley on Thursday signed into law a bill that bans discrimination against transgender Marylanders. “We are closer today to creating an open, respectful, inclusive world that we want for all of our children,” said O’Malley before signing Senate Bill 212 — the Fairness for All Marylanders Act of 2014 — into law. “This bill gives us another step closer to that vision and to that reality.” Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller (D-Prince George’s and Calvert Counties) thanked state Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery County), who introduced SB 212 earlier this year, for helping his fellow senators “evolve on the issue.”

See more at the Washington Blade.

Marie Claire Magazine Features Trans Women in their May Issue

Transgender women have finally become more visible thanks to a number of television shows, news articles, and magazine spreads that have included the trans community in main stream media. Laverne Cox, Carmen Carrera, Janet Mock, Isis King, Amiyah Scott, and many more have done a wonderful job sharing their stories with society. Because of these fearless women we have a better understanding of what it means to be trans.

This month Marie Claire put together an article saluting four of our favorite transgender women in media. Carmen Carrera, Janet Mock, Laverne Cox and singer/songwriter, Laura Jane Grace were all featured in a segment affectionately titled “Trans Nation” that highlights trans visibility over the last year.

Via The Fab Femme.

Op-ed: Why Virginia Is the Next Stop on the Road to Marriage Equality

Joanne Harris and Jessi Duff are raising a son together and want to provide him the stability and protections that come with marriage. Joanne is an epileptic, so she naturally worries about whether Jessi will be able to make medical decisions for her in a crisis or would be able to remain a parent to their son should anything happen to Joanne. No parents or partners should have to worry as they do.

More at Advocate.

The Oprah Winfrey Network Will Air a Michael Sam Docu-Series

The Oprah Winfrey Network announced today that it plans to air a multipart documentary series about University of Missouri football alum Michael Sam, who made history this weekend by becoming the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL. The series will follow Sam as he prepares to join the St. Louis Rams next season. “We are honored that Michael is trusting us with his private journey in this moment that has not only made history but will shape it forever,” said Winfrey in a statement, adding that “acceptance and illumination start here.”

More over at Vulture.