5 things nobody prepares YOU for when your partner recovers from surgery
I thought I knew what to expect when my partner went in for his top surgery. We had done hours of research, compiled lists, packed our bags, asked all the questions we could think of, and I was pretty sure that I was prepared for whatever the healing process would throw at us. But boy did that week throw me some doozies that I never could have anticipated…
No you did not “turn me,” and other misconceptions about me being bisexual
I’ve noticed over the years that certain trends appear when I’m dating, at least when dating men. Here are the top five misconceptions about my bisexuality, that I feel I have to address…
Making babies the lesbian way, and why it might be good for your straight marriage baby-making
A little while ago a friend sends me a message asking for specific details regarding our artichoke jar inseminations. A few days later she sends me a long response thanking me for the information and tells me that she and her husband have been trying to get pregnant, without success, for 10 months now. They have two more months to try to conceive “naturally” before their doctor will give them a referral to a fertility clinic. And in the meantime their marriage is really suffering. Sex has become a chore and they are both frustrated, grumpy, and on edge. Enter: making babies the lesbian way.
On finding accessible, de-codified, LGBT language
Offbeat Bride featured an article about power, privilege, gender, and oppression when it comes to weddings which I totally love! But there is a lot of language in it that many would not understand. Does anyone have any advice or ideas on how to discuss these complex issues using simpler language?
Palliative care, cross-country moves, and whiskey in a Mason jar: Ariel Gore’s “The End of Eve”
Ariel Gore’s memoir, The End of Eve, describes the complicated role of caretaker thrust upon her when her mother Eve is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Their relationship has been fraught with emotional manipulation and abuse since Ariel’s childhood. Now that she’s dying, Ariel has to confront their relationship whether she’s ready to or not — and she has to move across the country to do it.
I’m queer and religious: Yes, we exist
I’m happily engaged to another woman, and yet, I find myself adhering to more conservative religious dress standards. I have seen glimpses of others like me online — the ba’al teshuvah lesbian on Tumblr who actively dates women; the queer “frum from birth” Jew who got a tattoo to commemorate his struggle with traditional Torah observance; the genderqueer Muslim I went to school with who wears a hijab; the Seventh Day Adventist and Pentecostal LGBTQ activists who blog for other queers in their denominations.
Remember the lesbian triad wedding? They’re pregnant!
Those of you who read Offbeat Bride may remember Kitten, Brynn, and Doll’s rainbow garden of poly love three-bride wedding that we featured last fall. Well, it turns out that the triad are expecting a baby!
Avoiding turbulence: Keep in contact with family at home while traveling abroad
When we started planning our first international family trip, we had a few co-parenting hoops to jump through; negotiation and compromise is often the name of the co-parenting game. For this trip to happen, I had to assure my son’s father that he would continue to have the routine contact he enjoys in our daily life, and that we would keep him apprised of our travel plans. As I sat down to work all the kinks out in this travel agreement, I learned several valuable lessons we will continue to employ as we enjoy traveling as a family and keeping all branches of our family tree satisfied and smiling.