When I started this blog a year ago, I promised myself that I would give it a 12-month commitment and, then, reevaluate. I’ve done that. I’ve decided to keep on blogging, I’m just not sure if I’ll stick to my stringent publishing schedule of two posts per week. If that were the goal, I’ve already failed in 2012! Whoopsies! While I get myself refocused and rededicated, here are links to some news stories that have captured my attention recently.
We have some important stuff to cover in the coming weeks, including C.J.’s fifth birthday and his new ballet/tap combo class. More soon. Thanks for sticking around!
“Open Letter to Parents: Your Kid Might Be Gay”, Huffington Post, 1/5/12
“Dear Customer Who Stuck Up For His Little Brother”, sweetupndown.tumblr.com, 1/3/12
“Riley on Marketing”, YouTube, 5/6/11
“The ‘genderless baby’ who caused a Storm of controversy in 2011”, TheStar.com, 12/26/11
“IT”, darlenetandogenderblog.wordpress.com, 12/20/11
“It’s Okay to be Neither”, RethinkingSchools.org, Fall 2011
Raising My Rainbow 
Glad you decided to stay around. Your family is wonderful. CJ is a doll. And the growth of the Colorado Grandparents tells me you are raising a little Angel. Keep being the great Mom you are. Orange County needed a CJ to be born here. I suspect that if he does choose to be gay when that time comes that he will suffer from none of the internalized homophobia some of us have struggled with. And if he surprises you and turns out straight you will have raised a sensitive man who will speak up for those who may feel disenfranchised. Blessed to have stumbled upon you.
I’m so happy you’ve decided to keep blogging!
You are very inspirational and your writing is beautifully stated.
I’m a teacher candidate (in teacher’s college) and I love learning about how to understand/cope with sexuality and gender issue, especially from a parent perspective. 🙂
I know i’m a touch naive in saying this, but, how completely depressing it is to hear that there are fathers that do what was described in, “Dear Customer Who Stuck Up For His Little Brother”.
I know I’m one father who is happily educated and informed because of your blog.
Keep bloggin’
You may enjoy one of my favorite writers, Suzanne Brockmann, whose son is gay and grew up much like yours – enjoying frilly things and show tunes. He is an adult now and a successful actor and she is a big proponent of gay rights and raising kids to be accepting of others, no matter if they don’t fit the “accepted stereotype”. You can find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SuzBrockmannFOJ
This blog is truly inspiring. I was an effeminate boy growing up. I was always invited to the girls’ parties because they hoped I’d bring my My Little Pony collection–which, by the way, was fabulous! As a young adult, I struggled with sexuality and labels. I dated whoever I was into, boys or girls (which confused the hell out of my parents at times) but never understood why it wasn’t OK to just love people for who they are and not their anatomy. As an adult, I am married and expecting my first child and if I can be even half the parent and advocate that you are for C.J., I will be proud. What’s the quotation? “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” You are doing that, times ten. Thank you for making this world a better place and reminding me of the responsibility I have as a parent to always let my child be him or herself and to love others for who they are!
All you can do is blog when it’s convenient – and fun – and be careful not to become a slave to a schedule. You have enough on your plate as it is!
Here’s another great read!
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/When-Did-Girls-Start-Wearing-Pink.html
I’m glad you will keep blogging! Hugs to your whole family from me 🙂
Glad to hear you’re still blogging. I spent time with family during the holidays and got to spend some time with a niece and her husband and their wonderful son who loved to regale us with songs, wear pretend long hair and loves to play with his friends who are girls. I sent my niece the link to your blog (with some worry that she’d take offense — I hope not). Thanks for letting us have these insights into your family life. CJ (and his family) rock.
I once maintained a blog for more than a year, posting two or three times each week, and it became such a major investment in my time that I eventually stopped. Looking at other bloggers during that period I saw that there was a lot of burn out when a blogger’s initial enthusiasm waned and blogs were abandoned. I think that a one year threshold is a turning point for many bloggers and a time to decide whether to continue or try something else.
I hope you won’t let this happen to you because your blog is so meaningful and delightful. I wouldn’t blame you if you cut back to one post per week to relieve some of the pressure. If you need more inspiration remember that we are also interested in CJ’s brother and the rest of the family. This is better than a movie.
Oh, awesome, my link ended up on the blog!
I can’t WAIT until the update on the tap/ballet class! That’s where I got my dancing start (and 30 years later I am still dancing). C.J. must LOVE it!
Please keep blogging, you have the best-written blog on my blog list!
Oh wow, what a present in my inbox…thank you for all these reads! Just go easy on yourself, some is better than none.
You are pretty much the only blog I follow! Thank you for keeping me entertained and for keeping people informed on the parenting skills necessary to raise children with any type of special attributes that make it harder in life to be accepted by society. This is way bigger then gender, sexuality, or parenting. Your writing gives me hope that eventually we’ll one day be able to accept all differences of people without bias or bigotry. Of course there will always be these types of problems but changing attitudes or silencing ignorance through your actions and experiences and documenting it here is changing our culture for the better. I salute you as a courageous hero for tolerance and look forward to experiencing your journey through your posts. Please know that this blog has touched lives across the globe.
You are pretty much the only blog I follow! Thank you for keeping me entertained and for keeping people informed on the parenting skills necessary to raise children with any type of special attributes that make it harder in life to be accepted by society. This is way bigger then gender, sexuality, or parenting. Your writing gives hope that eventually we’ll one day be able to accept all differences of people without bias or bigo
Oh, thank YOU for sticking around!!!!!!!
So in addition to my own selfish reasons for wanting you to keep blogging (your posts really are one of the highlights of my week!) I think you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you were to stop writing. You have a wit about you that comes through in every post and if you don’t have a professional outlet already… well, in a year or two, I’m sure you’ll have enough posts to put ’em all together into a book! Then you can cash in!! 🙂 Best to you and CJ and everyone else in your family in 2012!
Glad you’ve decided to keep blogging!
Please stick around. Your humor, the life of your family and of CJ. If you stop blogging, how will I learn how it ends? Basically I expect you to be blogging for the next 120 years.