Amelia

Tyler Clementi was an 18-year-old college student when he died. But he wasn't always. I'm sure his mother feels like it was only yesterday that he was a little boy finishing the first grade, just like my son now. When I hear Tyler's story, sometimes all I can think is,...

I have never really liked Mother's Day.

On May 13 people across the country will celebrate the ideal American mother. She is a woman who is flawlessly kind, patient, and generous. A woman who never loses her temper and will forgive her children of any mishap. A woman who...

I try to avoid Fox News, and I'm not a fan of Bill O'Reilly. Anyone who has read anything I've written on The Huffington Post is probably not surprised by either of those facts. But as the mother of a self-identified gay 7-year-old son who has a crush...

In some families the introduction of LBGT family members requires finesse or lengthy explanation. I don't have one of those families.

After a whirlwind romance my brother Harold and his then-fiancée Jeanne, now my sister-in-law, were addressing their wedding invitations. They had a conversation that went a little like this:

When the word "marriage" is mentioned, what comes to mind?

Love, fidelity, family, partnership, commitment, monogamy?

Or maybe something more poetic: in sickness and in health, till death do us part, growing old together, the joining of two into one, a holy union?

Personally, I'm fond of calling my husband...

My son was in another room talking to the big kids. They were fourth graders, 9- and 10-year-olds who are very cool, hip, and mature (according to my kid, anyway). They were a mix of girls and boys, and most of the girls were talking about which boys they thought...

Two 5-year-old boys who would rather play princess than prince, a 10-year-old out and proud lesbian, a 7-year-old boy who happily announces "I'm gay," and a little boy who at 5 years years old decides he wants to be Scooby-Doo's Daphne for Halloween.

All five are amazing kids who...

Considering that my son has a longstanding crush on Glee's Blaine and regularly refers to him as "my boyfriend," I thought there was a fair chance that he would someday say, "I'm gay." But my kid is only 7 years old. I figured I had a few years before we...

I always listen to the news on my way home from work. It's alone time (precious to any parent), and I like to at least pretend to keep up with national and world events. Lately, the news has been full of stories about GOP political primaries. It never seems to...

When conservatives rant against "gay rights," almost always included is some kind of "think of the children!" message. Just a couple of weeks ago Rick Santorum (snicker) made some truly heinous comments about how children would be better off with a father in prison than two gay fathers...

Your child might be gay.

I'm not talking about your neighbor's kid or your cousin's kid, and I'm not even talking about my kid (although they are certainly included). I'm talking about your kid. Your kid might be gay.

You may want to protest:

"My son doesn't like show...

I'm one of those people who will talk to almost anybody. It's a habit that will embarrass the living hell out of my kids as they get older. So, when I met Gil, I started up a conversation.

"Tell me your life story," I said with a laugh.

"Oh, no....

When people think about LGBT stories and the holidays, some imagine scenes of argument and strife or -- sometimes worse -- tension and polite-acting relatives. Well, this story isn't like that at all. This is the Christmas story of Ryan and Eddie.

The love story started in college. Ryan grew...

Work has been kicking my ass lately. It was well after the lunch hour the other day when I finally wrenched myself away from my desk and went in search of sustenance. I needed to get back quickly, so I braved something I normally avoid: fast food. When I got...

My oldest son turned 7 a couple of months ago, and we had a big party with most of our family and friends. My niece Jamie arrived late because she had dance class that day. The present process had already been completed, and all the kids were running around like...

I am generally not a "holiday person," which is kind of frowned upon for a mom. I don't like pictures with Santa. The first couple of years we were parents, we didn't even put up a tree. (Everywhere else we went had one. Why did I need one in my...

Almost everyone my age (late Gen-Xers who aren't lying about their age... yet) has a story of homophobia that took place at their high school. This is mine, or, rather, it is my friend Kevin's.

Kevin and I grew up in a small town that was short on diversity and...

I am one of those people who are enthusiastically enthusiastic. I don't just read a book; I read an eight-book series in under a week. If I start watching a television series, I anxiously wait for the kids to go to bed so I can finish the season as soon...

There are those moments when someone tells me a truth of their life, and I feel so grateful for the privilege of hearing it. Not long ago a truly "rock-star mom" gave me one of those moments.

I may live in a great little diverse and liberal neighborhood in an...

When we are small, our lives are totally defined by our experience. How our own life works is obviously how the entire world works.

One day, when my oldest son was about 3 years old, I came home from work to find him on the couch with a book in...