Friday, November 16, 2012

Penguins R Us!

From my post on www.parentsociety.com:

My first (but not last) tattoo on my right shoulder is a picture of three penguins in a cameo-like pose. The three penguins are at different heights, with the tallest penguin labeled “Dad,” and the other two penguins representing my two children.
I thought long and hard about my first tattoo, and wanted it to represent my family at the time. I could totally relate to the concept of a doting dad penguin since, like the dad penguin (and unlike other dads in the animal kingdom), I was a full-time, hands-on dad. I was enthralled with the doting actions of the dad penguins in the documentary “March of the Penguins,” and came to understand that my paternal feelings were, well, natural. When I explain the meaning of my tattoo, I invariably draw a lot of “oohs” and “ahhs” from admirers over the specialness of my penguin tattoo.
Soon after I got my tattoo, the story of the gay male penguins in the Bronx Zoo exploded across the pages of the newspaper. People were captivated by the idea that two male penguins would not only mate for life, but that they would raise a baby penguin from an egg to adolescent life. This story was captured in the children’s story, “And Tango Makes Three,” where two chinstrap penguins caring for an adopted egg.
Read more on: http://www.parentsociety.com/todays-family/same-sex-parents/penguins-and-same-sex-parents-we-have-more-in-common-than-you-think/

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