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Amelia
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Amelia is a mother, wife, partner and breadwinner. When not at the office she's spending as much time as possible with her three young sons, husband and best friend. In her copious free time she knits, obsesses about science fiction and cult television, and reads way too many books. She considers her most superhero worthy act finding a couple free hours now and then to read trashy novels.

Note: "Amelia" is a pseudonym chosen to keep her family's identity anonymous.

Blog Entries by Amelia

When Your 7-Year-Old Son Announces, 'I'm Gay'

Posted February 16, 2012 | 02/16/12 01:04 PM ET

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...

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The Problem with Understanding Hate

79 Comments | Posted February 1, 2012 | 02/01/12 04:55 PM ET

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...

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Looking at Family with Sean Maher

13 Comments | Posted January 18, 2012 | 01/18/12 06:44 PM ET

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...

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Open Letter to Parents: Your Kid Might Be Gay

665 Comments | Posted January 5, 2012 | 01/05/12 06:00 PM ET

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...

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A Holiday Story with Real Family Values

13 Comments | Posted December 23, 2011 | 12/23/11 11:57 AM ET

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....

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An Unremarkable Holiday

Posted December 16, 2011 | 12/16/11 12:10 AM ET

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...

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The Fight for Equal Rights Is So Far From Over

Posted December 7, 2011 | 12/07/11 06:54 PM ET

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...

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Who Do I Want My Son to Be? I Want Him to Be Himself

Posted December 2, 2011 | 12/02/11 12:06 AM ET

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...

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Turkey, Laughter and Love

Posted November 23, 2011 | 11/23/11 11:42 AM ET

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...

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Looking Back at a Story of Bullying

Posted November 17, 2011 | 11/17/11 05:57 PM ET

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...

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Trying to Explain Hate to My Son

Posted November 10, 2011 | 11/10/11 07:37 PM ET

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...

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A Mother's Love for a Daughter Who Is a Son

Posted November 3, 2011 | 11/03/11 07:26 PM ET

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...

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The Way My Boy Sees the World

Posted October 27, 2011 | 10/27/11 12:14 PM ET

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...

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Was That 'My Kid'?

Posted October 20, 2011 | 10/20/11 10:53 AM ET

It happens again. It always does. The news reports another innocent child driven to take their own life because of homophobia and bullying.

This news always hits me hard. I vividly remember being bullied in middle school and high school. I remember the kids who did it, the teachers who...

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Hungry Hungry Hippos, Transformers and the 'Gay Agenda'

Posted October 13, 2011 | 10/13/11 11:54 AM ET

My oldest son is a shy kid. So shy, sometimes school can be hard for him. On those mornings when I can tell he is a little anxious, we play the "Who Loves You?" game. It's fairly straightforward: I ask him who loves him, and he names off all his...

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Lessons from Sharing the Story of My (Possibly) Gay 6-Year-Old Son

Posted October 3, 2011 | 10/03/11 01:07 AM ET

Editor's note: "Amelia" is a pseudonym chosen by the author in order to keep her family's identity anonymous.

On August 16 I learned what viral meant.

I wrote an essay about my oldest son and his love of a popular gay television character, Glee's Blaine, and how this crush led...

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