Blogging for LGBT Families Day

Well, I'm running a bit late with this, but the gals over at Mombian are still taking submissions, so here we go!

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It's funny, last year's post starts out by talking about the New Jersey civil union law, which had just gone into effect, and now we're both celebrating the marriage decision in California, and keeping our fingers crossed that it will stick.

But, how about a little closer to home?

A year ago, I was just starting the cycle that I thought would be our first attempt at getting pregnant (had to wait one more, as it turned out) and now, here I am - fifteen weeks pregnant!

There are so many things that I could rant and rave about on this topic, in terms of the laws that discriminate against our families, and the assholes who make the laws and the bigger assholes who elect them, but really, I'm more inclined to talk about the support we've gotten from our friends, family, and acquaintances, LGBT and not, in our quest to create our family.

Granted, I don't know what might be being said or thought behind our backs, but we've not encountered a single negative outward reaction to our plans or to our pregnancy.

(Okay, there was one negative reaction to the baby plans, but that wasn't because we're gay, it was because he's an asshole.)

The medical professionals that we've worked with have been completely accepting of our relationship, of our rights to hold each other's hand through every procedure, of our plan to create and parent Peeper.

Everyone else that we've told - family, friends, coworkers, parents of my students, other colleagues - has been nothing short of thrilled for us, even those whom we thought might be less than supportive.

Of course, there have been some "curious" questions along the way, such as "How did you decide who would have the baby?" or "How did you choose a donor?" but that's fine with me.

Hell, I have those questions for other lesbian couples having babies!

I'd like to think that this experience will continue, as Peeper is growing up, but I worry that it won't.

For one thing, we won't just be hanging out with our friends; we'll be meeting and dealing with all Peeper's teachers, his/her friends' parents and lots of other folks who don't generally run in the same (rather progressive) circles where we're most comfortable.

I fear that we might be in for a shock, when we suddenly find ourselves swimming in the "mainstream" of our little conservative town, rather than hanging out on the left bank, with the other commie-hippy-pinkos.

But, I plan to approach these folks the way I approach anyone else when talking about Shrike or our family - with complete nonchalance.

I've found that to be very effective.

I can't remember the last time that I actually announced to someone that I'm gay (probably a receptionist at a doctor's office, when explaining what sort of treatment or services I was looking for), but I come out to people all the time, just by talking about Shrike, in exactly the same way that anyone else would talk about their spouse.

Because, why shouldn't I?

I don't know if that's going to work with the other PTA-Mamas, but I plan to give it a try, and hope that maybe the world is a bit more evolved by then.