Thursday, February 19, 2009

Flying with Children!

Max Mutchnick (of "Will and Grace"), tells an interesting story of taking his two 5 month old daughters on a plane trip, in which he and his partner were questioned by a TSA agent who--probably more out of interest than homophobia--seemed interested yet puzzled by the twins with the two gay dads.

Some of the issues that have to be confronted by LGBT couples who have children is proof they are our children. No one wonders--with the last name of Webb-Mitchell and children with the same last name, a unique last name at that--if they are mine. But others do have that issue:

I want to talk about the underlying responsibility of being a gay dad. We're trying so hard to fit in. We're trying to get married and share insurance policies and we're trying to go on typical family vacations to see Grandma and Grandpa. I even did my best to describe the normal madness of traveling with small ones. But there's nothing normal about turning the car around when you're half way to the airport because you forgot your daughters birth certificate. That's right. Having Rose and Evan's original, authenticated birth certificate was the other thing this baby roadie had to have on his person. It mattered as much as infant Zantac and warm hats and clean diapers. Keep in mind, we were two men traveling with two little girls. If you look at it with a crooked eye you can make yourself see things. Can you imagine if you had to deal with indignity of having to explain your family? Even worse, proving that your biological daughter was yours?

Having kids and being gay is a challenge in society.

But the joy is overwhelmingly good.

Click here for more.

Pace!

B

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