Film Showing and Reception Set for Sept. 14, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO-  Twenty-five years after its premier, the groundbreaking documentary “Choosing Children”—the first film to explore and chronicle the journey taken by lesbians and gay men to become parents after they came out—will return to the silver screen at the Herbst Theater on Sept. 14 to celebrate its 25^th anniversary.

The landmark film, produced by two Bay Area filmmakers, Academy Award winner Debra Chasnoff and Kim Klausner, was released in 1985, introducing viewers to the first generation of lesbians and gay men who chose to become parents after coming out, and contributed to an expanded definition of family that has since opened the doors for millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to become parents. “Before the early 1980s, it was just assumed that if you came out, you gave up the chance and the right to be a parent,” says Chasnoff. “But a small number of brave lesbians and gay men began to challenge that belief. With “Choosing Children” we wanted to share their stories with the world and inspire others that they, too, could redefine family for themselves.”

Chasnoff and Klausner conducted a nationwide search for lesbian-headed families that were navigating what was then a very new legal, political, and social terrain. Ultimately, they found six families who reflected some of the racial and ethnic diversity of our vibrant communities, and who had “chosen children” in different ways. Their stories provide an intimate look at the challenges and joys faced by this early generation of lesbian and gay parents in their quests to build their families—stories that are still fascinating and relevant today.

“Without the pioneering generation that we were able to capture in “Choosing Children,” none of us would have the rights or opportunities for creating families that we have today,” Klausner says. “It is almost beyond comprehension how much the political and social landscape has changed since we made the film.”

The film poignantly captures some of the important history that has contributed to today’s LGBT family rights victories, including the recent Proposition 8 decision by Judge Vaughn Walker here in California. It is partly why so many community groups are cosponsoring this evening celebration for LGBT families, our allies, prospective parents and others.

One of the arenas where the most significant advances have been made is the legal system.

“The legal advances we have made for our families are nothing short of breathtaking,” says National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director Kate Kendell. “These gains are largely due to this early generation of lesbians and gay parents, who charted a previously unseen path in order to become parents and raise children, becoming role models for LGBT people everywhere.”

Many Bay Area organizations are joining together for this community-wide screening and celebration to mark the 25th anniversary of Choosing Children, celebrate all the wonderful children LGBT people are now parenting, and raise funds to permanently preserve this historical gem on DVD. The restored 35 mm film print, courtesy of the OUTFEST Legacy Project and the UCLA Film Archive, was a huge hit at last summer’s Los Angeles Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

If you’ve never seen Choosing Children, here’s your chance to soak up a delightful piece of our cultural history. If you are planning on having children, you will be inspired by the courageous pioneers in the film who figured out how to bring kids into their lives, co-parent with a same-sex partner, and handle concerns from relatives and schools. If you saw the film “back in the day,” this will be a trip down memory lane (including a rarely heard song by Holly Near) and a special moment to marvel at how much progress we’ve made.

The 25^th Anniversary Screening and Reception includes a viewing, and remarks by Chasnoff, Klausner, and the Honorable Donna Hitchens, founder of the National Center for Lesbian Rights who is featured in the film, and dessert reception The event is presented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Groundspark, COLAGE, Frameline, Equality California, Our Family Coalition, and PFLAG to celebrate the advances our movement has made in family law and society, and to raise funds to permanently preserve this historical film on DVD.

TICKET and EVENT INFORMATION

“Choosing Children” 25^th Anniversary Screening and Reception

What: “Choosing Children” 25^th anniversary celebration to raise funds to permanently preserve this historical film on DVD
When: 6:30 p.m. on September 14, 2010 (Program begins at 7 p.m.)
Where: Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA
Cost: $25 (regular admission); $10 (student admission)

Learn more and order tickets

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Contacting My Sperm Donor – I Am A Kid who is All Right! (lezgetreal.com)

The media is buzzing about the new film “The Kids Are All Right”, which premiered earlier this month.  Its release was exciting for me because for the first time I saw characters who closely reflected my family’s makeup, though the rest of the story, not really.  I too have two mothers and a sperm donor who I contacted when I turned eighteen.  The outcome was different and far less drama surrounded my family when I was finally able to contact and meet my donor, though there were still plenty of surreal moments.  The reaction to the film has been extremely varied, from people thrilled to see representation of a lesbian-headed household, to those who see the events depicted in the film as reinforcement of the notion that children need to know and live with their biological mother and father.

Growing up in Massachusetts through the marriage equality debate in 2004 and all subsequent movements, I have long been combating false beliefs that LGBTQ people should not get married or raise children.  I have lesbian mothers and I have a sperm donor.  This in no way has made me less of a person, daughter, woman, or friend.  To me, what makes a good parent is dedication to raising and loving a child.  The number, gender, or sexuality of the parents does not determine the ability to help a child grow into a compassionate and kind person.  To tell the truth, I feel lucky to have grown up with the knowledge that my mother put a great deal of time, money, and thought into having me.  I have never doubted that I am loved because I know how much my mother wanted to have a child and did everything she could to have me.

While I understand that some people believe that the married, heterosexual, biological family is the only valid familial model, I refuse to let this stereotype go unchallenged.  I have two mothers, only one of whom is biological, and no father.  Rather than somehow leaving a negative affect, my family has helped me become a more open, loving, passionate, and socially aware individual.  Growing up I was surrounded by many wonderful adult role models, some of whom were male.  Of course I thought about my sperm donor, who he was, why he donated, what it would be like to meet him.  The reason for me was never about searching for a parent I had lost or a piece of me that was missing, it was about meeting and thanking the person who enabled Cathy and Nancy, my mothers, to become parents.

I had never met another person with a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or even queer parent until I was thirteen.  That summer my family went to Provincetown, Massachusetts for Family Week where I participated in workshops provided by COLAGE.  COLAGE is the only national youth-driven network of children, youth, and adults with LGBTQ parents.  I would not be writing this if I had never come to know COLAGE and the others with LGBTQ parents I met through COLAGE.  That summer I found my center and my political voice.  Through the years COLAGE has helped me become a better advocate for myself and my family.  This summer I am an intern at COLAGE and I am assisting in the distribution of the Donor Insemination (DI) Guide.  The DI Guide is part testimonials and part advice focusing on the questions and concerns of donor-conceived children and their families.  I have been able to watch the DI Guide go from an idea to a tool for families.

It has been almost three years since I began the process of contacting my sperm donor.  Four months after I turned eighteen I had the name and address of my donor and within the year I learned I had two half-sisters who shared the same donor.  I think the most incredible part of meeting my donor and half-siblings was putting an end to the mystery.  After years of playing around with different scenarios in my head, or coming up with the reasons that Harvey Fierstein was my donor, I lost mystique but gained very real new friends and family.  Now family gatherings include my two sisters, two of their siblings, our collective six lesbian mothers, and our donor and his wife.  Certainly we are still getting to know each other, but there is an undeniably authentic connection between all of us.

Along with identical chins, my half-sisters and I have followed very similar paths.  One sister, who is four months older than me, was a sophomore at Smith College as I began my first year at Mount Holyoke College.  The schools are both women’s liberal arts colleges and twenty minutes apart. Together we met our other donor sister in March 2009.  It turned out that this new sister is from a town ten minutes from my own, that we have mutual acquaintances, and I had heard about her a year before I met her.  At a drama festival at her high school I met a guy who had taken the girl in town with lesbian mothers to her senior prom the previous year.  In my favorite “small world” story, my sister and I took the same guy to our senior proms.  I do not look like anyone in my family, but I do look a lot like her.  The photos, both of us wearing blue dresses, are just incredible.  Thankfully, we did not both date “our” prom date.

Meeting my donor and my new extended family did not alter my relationship with my parents.  They were completely supportive of my desire to contact my donor and they were with me when I met him.  I did not begin this adventure to seek a father and, though my donor is a wonderful person and a part of my life now, he is not my father.  I have two parents and that is enough for me, but I am thrilled to have him as part of my growing family.  For some people, family is a rigid concept.  For me, family is not limited by genetics or living in the same home.  My family is filled with moms, grandparents, half-siblings, friends, cousins, and a sperm donor.  It may seem unfamiliar to some, but this is my family and together we are more than all right.

-Emily McGranachan

Emily McGranachan ’12  – Love Makes a Family

Hometown: Georgetown, Massachusetts

Emily McGranachan found her voice at the age of 13 while attending the COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) Family Week in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Its “life-changing lessons” gave her “a sense of empowerment.”

As a resident of Massachusetts, McGranachan often heard people debate what rights her family should have. Now a guest speaker with the Freedom to Marry Tour, she has shared her story and “introduced people to a child of a same-sex household” on several radio stations nationwide.

McGranachan has also worked to encourage tolerance and activism on a local level, serving as president of her high school Civil Rights Team and as a volunteer at a family homeless shelter through Horizons for Homeless Children. “These children inspire me,” she said. “In return I do my best to teach them kindness and compassion by being a positive role model.”

COLAGE is an organization, created in 1989 by the children of several lesbians and gay men who felt a need for support. Though its membership is not necessarily LGBT-identified, COLAGE’s focus on the issues of LGBT parents’ families makes it a de facto part of the LGBT community. There are 52 COLAGE chapters in the United States of America, 2 chapters in Canada, and one European chapter.  COLAGE is run and operated by children (of all ages) who have a lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT) parent or parents. Older Colagers mentor younger members. They prepare them for any challenges that a child may have, having same sex parents. Members are open with each other and any topic can and is discussed. COLAGE teams each summer with Family Pride and holds its annual Family Week in Provincetown on Cape Cod. There, hundreds of gay families come to enjoy the summer and the kids attend COLAGE meetings and workshops.

COLAGE is based out of San Francisco, California and has small number of paid staff. Its executive director is Beth Teper who has a lesbian mom and today is an advocate for children who have same sex parents.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Confessions of a Sperm Donor: Hundreds of Kids (abcnews.go.com)
• With the web, curiosity and luck, sperm donor siblings connect (cnn.com)
• Gay Marriage’s Biggest Supporters: Children of Gay Parents (politicsdaily.com)
• “The Kids Are All Right” on DADT (lezgetreal.com)

Sacramento, CA (LifeNews.com is bragging about the fact that – The Susan B. Anthony (SBA) List is investing $215,000 in an independent expenditure campaign highlighting what it considers “the strong pro-life stance” of California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina.  She faces pro-choice Tom Campbell and pro-life Chuck DeVore in the Republican primary.

The winner will take on pro LGBT rights and pro-choice Sen. Barbara Boxer, in the general election.  As a true progressive liberal democrat I am  definitely backing Hewlett Packard disappointment, Fiorina for the Primary.  It would make the General election a walk in the park for incumbent Senator Barbara Boxer!

Leading up to the state primary election on June 8th, the SBA List asserts that it will “educate voters through an aggressive online advertising and e-mail campaign, targeted calls to 600,000 registered voters and direct fundraising from its membership.”

Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser told LifeNews.com of the educational effort.

According to an article by Steven Ertelt  LifeNews Editor, in an article  Pro-Life Women’s Group Puts 215K Behind Carly Fiorina in California Senate Race.

Carly Fiorina is the perfect pro-woman, pro-life contrast to Barbara Boxer,” said Dannenfelser.  ”The Susan B. Anthony List is dedicating significant resources in the final two weeks of the primary to educate California voters about Fiorina’s strong pro-life position and ability to beat Boxer in November.” She said.

Referring to Boxer and Campbell as “pro-abortion” is no mere misnomer but a mischaracterization and typical right wing “educational” stance regarding abortion.  This disingenuous depiction will undoubtedly be countered if Fiorina wins the primary.  Gosh I hope she does. Go Carly the lesbians support your PRIMARY.

As far as the primaries are concerned, let them waste their money on the anti-choice contender- because if Fiorina wins, hehehe,  Californians will never vote for her.  She will drive the woman to the polls to vote for Senator Boxer.

Fiorina is running for Senate on the smell of her desire for unfettered power – a loser who nudges her way into settings that exceed her capabilities and put truly competent women to shame!

Californians would like nothing more than to focus on the Pro choice winning issue  rather than on economy and LGBT wedge issues.  This is no pro-life State!   The is a death sentence state!    AND of course a Pro-choice State to the Core!

Carli will be Dead on Arrival.  SO thanks for the Money SBA List and for helping Boxer gain the momentum for the General.

“California is burdened with two female Senators who claim to represent women by pushing their radical, pro-abortion agenda, yet polling clearly shows that more and more Americans are calling themselves pro-life,’ the pro-life women’s leader added. (Okay!- that’s kewl!)

Dannenfelser continued according to the NEWLIFE Blog: “Carli Fiorina is uniquely poised to be a leader for the unborn and for women in the U.S. Senate, ushering in a new brand of ‘feminism’ that harkens back to its roots in the suffragettes and recognizes that the rights of one are not built on the broken rights of another.”  (Okay which Carly are you talking about here – the one who is a woman herself?) As the EMILY’S List-endorsed candidate, SBA says Boxer is the most aggressive champion of abortion rights in Congress and makes a Fiorina match-up ideal in the upcoming general election.

Apparently according to the Fiorina SBA  backslapping Blog , LIFENEWS -

The Susan B. Anthony List plans to spend $6 million on voter education in the midterm elections, including $3 million on key Senate races, $1 million in bundled direct candidate contributions from SBA List members and $1 million on its plan to target “pro-life” Democrats who voted for abortion funding in the health care bill.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Carly Fiorina Chutzpah (lezgetreal.com)
• USA Women’s Rights Under Attack (lezgetreal.com)
• New poll shows Whitman, Fiorina ahead, but Democrats also get some good news (latimesblogs.latimes.com)

5-6-10 Melanie Nathan

We all know it matters who we send to Congress. But if ever we needed a reminder for why it’s crucial that we elect pro-choice Democratic women governors and representatives at the state and local level, here it is, according to Emily’s List.

Women’s rights have been under attack around the country recently. In the last few weeks, state legislatures have taken steps to dramatically limit access to full reproductive services — endangering women’s lives for political gain.

Emily’s list provides the following recently updated overview on what’s happening in the following seven states:

Nebraska

In Nebraska, lawmakers seem to think that women who aren’t deemed mentally fit to have an abortion should instead raise a child – a mindbender, if you ask me. The legislature passed a far-right bill last month that requires women who seek abortions to undergo mental health and physical screenings — and they didn’t stop there. The state’s anti-choicers are on a roll, pushing through another bill soon after that makes it illegal for women to have abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, citing possible fetal pain.

The name of the screening bill? The Women’s Health Protection Act. Ironic, isn’t it?

Oklahoma

Two laws in Oklahoma were passed last week, despite a veto from the state’s Democratic governor. The first bill, which has no exceptions for victims of rape or incest, requires that women seeking abortions have ultrasounds an hour prior to receiving an abortion. The second bill protects doctors who withhold critical information about a woman’s pregnancy — information, such as fetal abnormalities, that might be a factor in a woman’s decision to have an abortion.

Read more about Oklahoma’s latest assault on women’s rights here.

Florida

Florida’s legislators were on the same page as those in Oklahoma, recently bill that requires all women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound. And if the women don’t want to see the image, doctors must describe it to them.

Georgia

Georgia’s already gearing up for new anti-choice legislation in their next session, after a proposed bill was deemed too extreme even by Republican House leadership. Georgia Right To Life had advocated for the bill, which would have made it a 10-year felony for physicians to perform abortions if the gender or race of the fetus is a disclosed reason a patient is seeking the procedure. The bill also made it a crime for physicians to perform abortions if the patient were coerced into ending a pregnancy. The speaker of the state House, a Republican, did not support the initial bill but has promised to introduce a revised version next year.

Mississippi

Just last week, the state legislature sent its Republican governor a bill that would forbid public financing of abortion — even in cases of severe birth defects. Additionally, the legislation would prohibit public funding of abortion in any health exchanges created in response to health care reform law.

Despite having a 2002 bill on the books that prohibits any federal, state, or local tax dollars from being used for most elective abortions, anti-choice advocates argued for the need to make a public response to national health care reform — reasserting what they’d already established, apparently.

Louisiana

The state House in Louisiana is hoping to have a new law on the books soon, one that would ban insurers from offering elective abortion coverage. A violation of rights? Definitely. A knee-jerk bill that ignores possible consequences? Without a doubt. Health care providers in the state have already raised the flag about the possibility that women may be forced to carry to term fetuses with no chance at survival — a cruel attempt to “preserve life.”

Utah

And in Utah, women who miscarry because of “an intentional or knowing act” can now be charged with murder, according to legislation signed into law recently. The vague law has raised plenty of questions — if your doctor’s orders and your job requirements conflict, who’s going to foot the bill to help feed your kids when you can’t work? And, as Tamar Abrams, insightfully points out, the law doesn’t even attempt to address the real problem: why a woman would be so desperate that she would knowingly cause her own miscarriage – an incredibly dangerous and sad choice to make.

EMILY’s List is dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to office.

• EMILY’s List looks for viable political opportunities and recruits strong pro-choice Democratic women candidates to run.
• They tell the members about these women, and ask them to give directly to the campaigns of candidates for House, Senate, and governor.
• Also provide extensive training for candidates and staff so they can make the most of limited resources and win the toughest races.
• Conduct in-depth, ongoing research into the minds and moods of women voters, a critical bloc for Democrats whose votes are key to electing more women.
• Finally,  the WOMEN VOTE! project reaches out to women voters in the days and weeks before Election Day with persuasive messages that motivate them to go to the polls and cast their ballots for progressive Democrats.

EMILY’s List’s motto is “win today and build for tomorrow.” Emily notes that if women vote, women win….

SO be sure to visit their website, to see whom they endorse and then Don’t forget Vote and Vote well!  While many in the LGBT community are feeling somewhat resentful and not inclined to make political contributions – I say we have what we have and must make our donations wisely.  But a donation is of no value unless you get rowdy as well….  Call your members of Congress and for those in the hook for election- ask the pointed questions….

Related articles by Zemanta

• Oklahoma Abortion Law Would Force Women To Hear Detailed Descriptions Of The Fetus (alan.com)
• Oklahoma forces women to have ultrasound before abortion (telegraph.co.uk)
• Jodi Jacobson: Connie Saltonstall, Pro-Choice Candidate, Launches Primary Challenge Against Stupak (huffingtonpost.com)

5-5-10  MELANIE NATHAN

Lambda Legal Case:

“This is a terrific outcome for our client and her six-and-a-half-year-old son. New York has recognized the legal parent-child relationship established after this couple entered into a civil union in Vermont.”

(New York, May 5, 2010) — In a decision yesterday, all seven judges on the New York State Court of Appeals ruled that a non-biological mother, represented by Lambda Legal, is a legal parent and entitled to seek custody and visitation based on a Vermont civil union that she and her former partner entered into prior to the birth of their son.

“This is a terrific outcome for our client and her six-and-a-half-year-old son. New York has recognized the legal parent-child relationship established after this couple entered into a civil union in Vermont,” said Susan Sommer, Director of Constitutional Litigation at Lambda Legal. “While this is a great result for Debra and her son, unfortunately a majority of the Court did not go further and overrule its 1991 Alison D. That decision allowed only biological or adoptive parents to seek custody and visitation. Today’s decision only added one new category of protection for families. Children whose parents conceive them using an anonymous donor but haven’t traveled out of state to enter into a civil union or marriage should be protected as well. The legislature should follow the lead taken by many other states and pass legislation clarifying children’s legal relationships with both their intended parents.”

The Court of Appeals ruled that “New York will recognize parentage created by a civil union in Vermont. Our determination that Debra H. is M.R.’s parent allows her to seek visitation and custody at a best-interest hearing.”

With this victory in New York’s highest court, Debra H. now is able to proceed in the trial court to seek custody and visitation with her son, as well as to provide him with financial support. A trial judge will ultimately rule on what is in the best interest of the child.

Today, the Court of Appeals also decided another case, H.M. v. E.T., involving a same-sex couple who conceived a child with an anonymous donor, but in which the non-biologically related partner now argues that she is not the child’s parent and should not be required to provide child support. The high court ruled that Family Court has jurisdiction to hear the case and determine whether the woman is the child’s parent.

Background on Debra H. v. Janice R.

Lambda Legal represents Debra H. in her effort to continue to parent the son she and her former civil union partner, Janice R., planned together. The couple agreed they would raise a family together in a two-parent household and conceived their son using in vitro fertilization. Janice promised that Debra would formally adopt their child, and they met with an adoption lawyer prior to their son’s birth. In 2003, before he was born, they entered into a civil union in Vermont, which at that time was the most legally significant relationship available to same-sex couples under U.S. law. Debra was by Janice’s side throughout labor and delivery and cut their son’s umbilical cord; her last name was included in their son’s name on his birth certificate. In the years that followed Debra gave him the day and night love, nurture and care of a mother. When it came time for the second-parent adoption, Janice, who is a lawyer, advised Debra “as a lawyer” that they didn’t need to get the courts involved and that Debra would always be the boy’s parent. When the couple’s relationship ended in 2006, Debra continued actively to parent her son, who moved with Janice into an apartment only a block away. Debra and her son were together daily, and she often put him to bed.

Early in May of 2008, when the child was four-and-a-half-years-old, Janice abruptly refused Debra any further contact with him. Debra immediately filed for emergency joint custody and restoration of parental access. The trial court ordered interim regular ongoing visitation and allowed Debra’s petition to proceed to trial. When Janice appealed, Lambda Legal entered the case in early 2009 on Debra’s behalf. The case was argued in the Appellate Division, First Department in March 2009, and on April 9, 2009, the trial court decision was reversed. The New York Court of Appeals then accepted the case for appeal and heard argument on February 17, 2010. Many prominent legal and child welfare experts filed friend-of-the-court briefs on Debra’s side, including the New York State Bar Association, the New York City Bar Association, the National Association of Social Workers, child advocates and 45 family law professors on the faculty of every law school in New York State.

The child’s court-appointed attorney also asked the court to give Debra the opportunity to protect their parent-child relationship.

Susan Sommer, Director of Constitutional Litigation at Lambda Legal, argued the appeal on behalf of Debra. She is joined by co-counsel Bonnie Rabin and Orrit Hershkovitz of Cohen, Hennessey, Bienstock & Rabin, P.C. and by Lambda Legal affiliated attorney Jeremy Sanders. Debra’s son is represented by Anthony Parisi, III and counsel Jennifer Colyer of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, who argued the case in the Court of Appeals.

Posted by Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

“Like a virus, no one is immune from ignorance – no matter what their profession or even educational background might be.“

4-13-2010m; Posted by Melanie Nathan

Rambam Medical Center in Haifa on Tuesday will launch the first invitro fertilization unit in Israel for HIV carriers with fertility difficulties who are rejected from treatment by other hospitals.

Although Israel boasts one of the highest availabilities of fertility treatment in the world, it never before had the facilities to carry out IVF treatment for HIV carriers.

Today, an HIV carrier who receives treatment has almost the same life expectancy as the rest of the population, and certain medical treatment enables carrier to conceive and give birth to healthy children.

Following the Supreme Court appeal by the task force and six women, in 2006 the Health Ministry set up a committee to look into fertility treatments among carriers of HIV and Hepatitis B and C.

The committee recommended setting up a separate infrastructure for fertility treatment for such patients, despite the fact that in many Western countries carriers receive the treatment in ordinary clinics.  The multiple postponements of the opening led to the Health Ministry being sharply rebuked by the Knesset Labor, Welfare and Health Committee.

The unit,  located in a remote, discreet area of the hospital, to afford for maximum privacy for the patients, will also serve carriers of other viruses, and it already has a waiting list with several women waiting for treatment.

The Rambam unit opens just two days after the launch of a sperm washing institute at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, allowing men who carry the HIV virus to conceive healthy children together with non-carrier spouses.

The opening of the new unit at Rambam, which includes a number of labs and sub-clinics, has been postponed at least four times.

Yonatan Karni, director of the Israel AIDS Task Force, said Monday “I’m thrilled to cut the ribbon for the unit, but what will truly convince me this is really happening will be to cut the umbilical chord for the first child born as a result of the process.   To get to this day we had to go through the Supreme Court and four years of public battles. To my surprise the greatest obstacle was the obstinacy of the healthcare system. I found that just like with the virus, no one is immune to ignorance – no matter what their profession or even educational background might be.”

Original Source:- 4-13-2010 Ha’aretz

New hospital unit allows HIV carriers to conceive through IVF

By Fadi Eyadat

Melanie Nathan – nathan@privatecourts.com

A leading Australian In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) specialist is calling for Aussie men to lend a hand and  start donating more sperm because apparently our lesbian sisters from Down Under are  using it all up just about as fast as he can get it.

Accroding to Australia’s The Age.com, John McBain, a doctor at a Melbourne IVFclinic, said a campaign will begin today aimed at encouraging men to view sperm donation as an altruistic gift to others, similar to blood or organ donation.

”Our campaign, ‘A donation to us won’t save a life, hopefully it will create one’, will feature in online and print advertisements targeting the adult male population,” he said. ”It is aimed at appealing to men’s generosity as a donation can provide a couple or a single woman with the greatest of gifts – a family of their own.”

Dr McBain, who is also Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital’s head of reproductive services, said sperm donations had declined in recent years at a time when single women and those in same-sex relationships were given access to IVF programs for the first time.

”The new laws have to be welcomed as it means we no longer discriminate on the basis of sexual preference or marital status,” he said. ”However, it does mean that we will need more sperm donors in Victoria to cope with demand.”

So come on Aussie men…. give a hand and give some sperm.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Turkey bans trips abroad for artificial insemination (telegraph.co.uk)
• Fertility industry offers big money to recruit ‘desirable’ egg donors at top universities (scienceblog.com)

Tel Aviv View, by Melanie Nathan© - rights reserved

Melanie Nathan, 3-31-10. The Israel High Court of Justice reviewed a petition by a gay married couple (male) to have a surrogate mother carry their baby, and with deep social, philosophical and ethical issues decided it was a matter for the Knesset and not the court.

In Israel, the Surrogacy Law states that only a couple composed of a man and a woman are allowed to use a surrogate mother.  But the attorney for the couple argued that the law should be interpreted to include a homosexual pair in the definition of “a couple” or that, because the current law violates the constitutional right to equality, the right of homosexual couples to engage surrogate mothers should be included.  The state rejected both these arguments, but it put greater emphasis on the underlying issues that were raised by the petition and the far-reaching implications.

Because the state recognizes that there have been sweeping changes in the concept of what constitutes a “natural family” and because of the many technological innovations that have been made, it has decided to establish a public, professional committee to study the entire issue of fertility and birth and will include the issue of surrogate mothers in its investigation, the state added.

Itai Pinkas and Yoav Arad,  married in Canada and for the past five years have been trying to find a way to bring a baby into their family and now find themselves at the helm of this adventure toward overt recognition of all families by a Country,  born of tradition and religion,  that has a people  willing to lead in profound change.

“The petition places itself at the intersection of law and society and obliges all of us to reexamine the meaning of concepts that have permanently settled in our consciousness as having a certain importance,” wrote the State’s representative, Dina Zilber. “It invites us to examine the possibility of giving alternative significance instead of, or alongside, the conservative significance of concepts such as ‘family,’ ‘parenthood’ and ‘human dignity’ that we have become accustomed to think about in a certain way. It seeks to expand the boundaries of this awareness and the range of possibilities and choices.”

“It is very possible that the time has come to reexamine, perhaps also to refresh, basic conventions such as the ‘naturalness’ of the family institution and the meaning of this concept,” she continued. “The social and cultural changes, the technological developments, the separation between biological and social parenthood are all undermining the basic assumptions that prevailed regarding what a family is and offers a social, moral and even legal challenge to all of us. [But] it is a separate question whether the answer to these questions, in the circumstances before us, should or can be determined by the court. This is very doubtful.”

Another question raised by the petition was the role that surrogacy should play in society. Originally, it was introduced as an extreme solution for couples who could not have children.  Allowing homosexual couples to resort to do this would expand the practice beyond what the legislator originally had in mind, she warned. “In this regard, the state argues that granting the petition means expanding the use of surrogate to an extent we cannot know in advance.”

However I will go out on a limb to suggest that perhaps this makes the argument for gay men qualifying to use surrogacy within the confines of the current definition.  They are legally married and cannot reproduce without the assistance of surrogacy – to me sounds like they fit right in to the existing requirement.

The state also argued that the court in this case was not being asked to give official recognition to a situation that already existed, but to bring into  being a new family unit consisting of a father, a father and a child, a unit that does not exist today. I would suggest a contrary argument, that this family unit has a right to exist and hence this is invalid as an argument for the State.  In addition such a unit could feasibly exists and so the argument makes no sense.

LGR will keep a keen eye on any developments.

Itai J. Pinkas (born 1973) is a public figure and prominent leader of the Israeli gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual community (LGBT). Pinkas served as chair of the national LGBT association in Israel and today is a member of the Tel Aviv-Jaffa City Council.^[1] He also serves as a counselor to the mayor of Tel Aviv regarding LGBT affairs. Since January 2004, he has served as the chairperson of the board for the Dan Region Association of Towns for Environmental Issues & Sewage. Pinkas is also currently active in the Labor Party.

n 2005, Pinkas married his partner Yoav Arad as part of a public campaign to compel the state of Israel to recognize same-sex marriages. Their marriage was performed in Canada, the only country at that time which granted same-sex marriages to foreign citizens. Their request to have the marriage registered by the Interior Ministry was denied. However, in the end of 2006, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled the couple was, entitled to register their marriage in the Population Registry.

Reference source:  Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post.

Melanie Nathan

Post – By Melanie Nathan,   nathan@privatecourts.com
Human Rights and LGBT Advocacy, San Francisco.

@oblogdeeoblogda

Fan Page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/lezgetrealcom/488276775292

Debbie Thurman

 Posted by Melanie Nathan, 11.05 p.pm PST  1/1/10

  Lisa Miller, ‘ex-lesbian,’ has fled from her legal obligation to hand her daughter over to the custodial parent Janet Jenkins. She has disappeared with the child and all the while egged on by a very righteous bunch of  Christians who deem their interpretation of the Bible superior to civil law of the United States of America.  See my colleague,  Bridgette P. LaVictoire, Ex-Lesbian” Lisa Miller Fails To Hand Over Custody of Isabella To Janet Jenkins Written on 1 Jan, 2010 at 16:05 

Ex-gay proponent,  disguised as mental health expert, Debbie Thurman, creator of a support group, today cheered the disappearance of Miller sometime earlier this Thurman’s blog called this apparent kidnapping an example of “true motherhood”:

Thurman’s BLOG clearly sought to aid and abet the criminal act of Lisa Miller, spurring her along with prayer () and G-d knows what else,  and now guess what like Miller Thurman’s BLOG has done its own disappearing Act, clear evidence of her assistance and encouragement of the sacrificial lamb Miller,  to commit a crime.

I kept a copy of her website BLOG because I knew that when today came if Miller would fail to hand over the child as ordered by a Vermont Judge, Cohen, , Thurman would be compelled to take her BLOG, evidence of her crime, down.  SO if the FEDS want me as a witness I am ready willing and able. There are hundreds of LGBT bloggers out there who have been reporting on this for some time. I am sure they too would be willing to provide any evidence that the Blogosphere may have produced.

It is about time that religions interference and stepping on civil law is exposed for what it is.  The LGBT community is ready to be active when the civil law discriminates and now we are ready to be good citizens to urge the upholding of the civil law when it is broken; and to add insult to injury broken in the name of Jesus.  

The Christian right has no authority to circumvent the  law of this country.  This is the perfect example of the danger in failing to honor the boundary between Church and State. This failure to separate the two and invoke the Bible in place of the law of the land would serve to give us license to stone adulterers, and you all know the rest of what the bible has to say.

This is what Debbie  Thurman’s now missing Post says about now missing Miller :

“Were I in Lisa’s shoes, I could only hope to have the faith and courage she has displayed for the past six years. …

Lisa obeyed God in seeking to raise Isabella in the Christian faith. Isabella learned Scripture, apologetics and the art of prayer at her mother’s knee and in church, to the extent that she found her Christian school Bible classes boring and “childish.” This is an intelligent, precocious 7-year-old, who knows her mind and can speak it. She would have given Janet Jenkins nightmares had she consented to live under the same roof.

I cannot answer the burning question on everyone’s lips: Where are Lisa and Isabella? Somewhere safe, I pray. How and when did they get there? Only God knows. ..

What happens now? A lot of frustration, recrimination and more lies on one side and a collective sigh of relief on the other. The courts still have a huge task set before them, meanwhile. Lisa and Isabella represent only one of many similar cases waiting to be resolved. We need precedents that honor the prevailing states’ rights, laws and constitutions. The majority of Americans overwhelmingly support traditional marriage. If the tyrannical minority wants to push against that, it can and will be met with civil disobedience. There is no other way.

Lisa Miller is a mother who would give up her life to save her child. Of that there is no doubt. She apparently has chosen to forfeit a large measure of her liberty, personal property and pursuit of happiness in assuring that child her God-ordained future, much as a group of patriots pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor more than two centuries ago to establish this nation.

I say God bless and long live Lisa and Isabella Miller. All who have known them are the better for it.

Thurman’s statement seems to confirm allegations that Miller is being used by Thurman and Christian Rightists at the Liberty Counsel as a test case for their Manhattan Declaration, which is a vow to violate any law that fundamentalists happen to disagree with.

MMM, what do you all think?  So go to her BLOG site http://theformers.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/this-is-true-motherhood/

and you will see nada gone bye bye!

And  then there is this guy who ought to be subpoenaed too.

“ I pray,” says  Drew Taggart  “people ‘along the way’ are brave enough and smart enough to render the necessary assistance to Lisa and Isabella so this girl can be raised in a healthy environment. I just hope Lisa did her homework and did this disappearing act properly.”

In a subsequent defense of this statement, Taggart says:

I doubt she’ll ever see a day of jail. Once word of this gets out, millions of people are going to be outraged. And there are plenty of local and a few state law enforcement agencies around the country, who will not waste a minute trying to find her. William Cohen is a leftwing hack and this ruling is a joke. Without the support of law enforcement, especially wherever Lisa opts to call her new home, this ruling is going nowhere.

So back to my having copied the  now barren BLOG as a keepsake, I find the comments  here revealed to show  this Mr. Taggert that sentiment is not always anti-gay but that we have a way of being on the side of what is fair and correct  and average Americans have no problem seeing the danger in what you preach.

Comments from Thurmans now missing BLOG:-

” Surely there are similar precedents to draw upon involving hetro couples. Namely, situations where the mother’s male partner/husband is not the biological father, and has not adopted the child, but at some point had a supportive relationship to the child as a stepfather.

Comment by Priya Lynn — December 30, 2009 @ 2:32 pm“

I can think of anecdotal cases involving people I’ve known (in which case the former stepfather has no rights), but I’m not a legal scholar so I’d appreciate any info on the matter. Anyone?

Comment by Brad — December 30, 2009 @ 12:02 pm

If a warrant is issued for her arrest, anyone providing her with assistance would be aiding a fugitive. Somehow I doubt Debbie Thurman wants to do state or federal time. Since the State of Virginia is now supporting the Vermont Court as they are required, I would guess that Miller would flee south (perhaps even to Mexico). If anyone helps Miller flee Virginia, they are looking at federal penalties. Judges hold a dim view of those who flout court rulings. I wouldn’t expect much leniency in sentencing.

Comment by John — December 30, 2009 @ 1:12 pm

Unbelievably someone on the page made sense in pointing out that Miller hasn’t put herself in a good position and being on the run actually hurts Isabella.

Comment by a. mcewen — December 30, 2009 @ 1:15 pm

So much for Thurman’s lame excuse that she didn’t give Miller any legal advice. Always knew you were a BS’er Debbie, thanks for coming out of the closet and admitting it.

Comment by Priya Lynn — December 30, 2009 @ 1:29 pm

If Miller does not comply with the law and wants to play martyr – I say fine. She can send a few years handcuffed and locked in the can to think about the sin of kidnapping.

What Miller is doing is not holy. She is a poor role model who is mentally abusing her child. There will likely be massive shrink bills in the future for Isabella, thanks to Miller.

Her lawlessness is not to be compared to our nation’s founders. It is criminal behavior, profoundly irresponsible and deeply immoral. It disgusts me that these frauds are cynically co-opting American symbols in their politically based criminality.

It is a shame that Miller allowed herself to be used as a pawn in the Culture War Syndicate. I doubt her friends will visit her much in the hoosegow once she is no longer useful to their political games.

Comment by Wayne Besen — December 30, 2009 @ 1:52 pm

“So much for Thurman’s lame excuse that she didn’t give Miller any legal advice. Always knew you were a BS’er Debbie, thanks for coming out of the closet and admitting it.”

   And you are deducing this how, exactly?

Comment by Debbie Thurman — December 30, 2009 @ 2:24 pm

You really are a piece of work Debbie. You just admitted the truth in your own blog, praising miller for the kidnapping, calling it “true motherhood”. Now of course in your Christian world where black is white and bad is good, you’ll have some pathetic excuse for how your actions are really the opposite of what you’ve done, but we’re not stupid and we’re not buying any of your BS. “ 

Comment by Priya Lynn — December 30, 2009 @ 2:32 pm

THURMANS WEBSITE  is located at http://debbiethurman.com/dt_files/aboutdebbie.php 

Last but not least important, I am urging the FEDS to investigate the Liberty Council, Debbie Thurman, Taggart, et al to see just how Ms Miller has financed her escape… Check the Banks and there is likely to be a trail and who knows that trail might lead to Isabella.

At the same time I urge Ms Miller to turn the child in, the damage is done and your only chance of leniency is that once you have done so you may be reprieved.  I urge also the Christian Ministries involved or not involved to encourage Ms. Miller to subvert the Manhatten Declaration and to obey the Civil Law especially those of you who may be implicated in this.  If you do turn yourself in pronto,  you may find a willing Judge let go of having you do time.  That would be a lot better for Isabella.    A good mediator may then help you with some supervised visitation, once Janet decides she is comfortable with such.  Or do you prefer Jail visits for Isabella?

Blogged by Melanie Nathan: nathan@privatecourts.com
www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com

Relying heavily on the precedent established by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 1988 during the case of Baby M, where Mary Beth Whitehead decided that she wanted to keep a baby she had carried as part of a surrogacy agreement with a New Jersey couple, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Francis B. Schultz ruled that Angelia G. Robinson maternal rights could not be terminated against her will.

Citing a passage in the Baby M decision at said “The surrogacy contract is based on principles that are directly contrary to the objectives of our laws…. It guarantees the separation of a child from its mother; it looks to adoption regardless of suitability; it totally ignores the child; it takes the child from the mother regardless of her wishes and maternal fitness.” Schultz wrote, “Would it really make any difference if the word ‘gestational’ was substituted for the word ’surrogacy’ in the above quotation? I think not.”

Court papers released last week say Ms Robinson agreed to act as a surrogate and have the children in 2006 for her brother, Donald Robinson Hollingsworth, an accountant in Manhattan, and his spouse, Sean Hollingsworth. The embryos were created from anonymous donor eggs and fertilized with sperm from Sean Hollingsworth.

The girls were born in October 2006 and went to live with the Hollingsworths at their home in Jersey City. But in March 2007 Ms. Robinson filed a lawsuit seeking custody, alleging that she had been coerced into the arrangement.

In the Baby M case, Mary Beth Whitehead, carried her own genetic child for another couple after artificial insemination with the man’s sperm, but later decided that she wanted to keep the baby. The New Jersey Supreme Court invalidated the traditional surrogacy agreement in that case, which provided a $10,000 fee to Whitehead. The Court also barred the use of money in an adoption placement and further held that no one could contractually abandon his or her parental rights.

However in gestational surrogacy, the surrogate becomes pregnant via embryo transfer with a child of which she is not the biological mother. She may have made an arrangement to relinquish it to the biological mother or father to raise, or to a parent who is unrelated to the child (e. g. because the child was conceived using egg donation, sperm donation or is the result of a donated embryo).

Prof. Charles P. Kindregan, an expert in reproductive technology law who teaches at Suffolk University Law School in Boston, said the New Jersey ruling, which was made Dec. 23 but released to the parties in the case this week, could expand the rights of gestational surrogates if it stood.

“If it’s upheld, that suggests that gestational surrogacy is not as different from traditional surrogacy as we’ve always interpreted it to be,” Professor Kindregan said.

Mr. Kindregan has worked with an American Bar Association committee in an effort to standardize surrogacy laws across the country…. (via NYTimes.com)

Since 2007, custody of the twins has been shared between the Hollingsworths’ home and that of Robinson’s, who has three parenting days a week. Judge Schultz’s ruling will give, Robinson, the right to seek primary custody of the children at a trial scheduled for latter this year.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Custody Battle Pits Gay Couple Against Surrogate (blogs.wsj.com)

According to Sweden’s English language newspaper, The Local, the problem stems in part from a 2005 change in laws governing fertility treatment at Swedish hospitals. That change granted lesbian couples the right to receive fertility treatments that previously were only offered only to married women or those who were in registered heterosexual partnerships.

Inger Bryman, head of gynecology and reproductive medicine at Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska University Hospital said, “We had estimated an increase of around 25 couples per year after the law change. Now there are 90 couples in line.”

However, Swedish lesbians are not the only cause of the sperm shortages.

Swedish law allows children born from artificial insemination to learn their biological father’s identity once they turn 18. That fact has discouraged donors, thus adding to the crisis.

However, the major reason for the shortage say Swedish health officials is due to poor quality sperm, either related to deterioration while being frozen or to medical conditions.

Because all this, Bryman explained, the wait can be up to 18 months and her hospital is unable to comply with Sweden’s healthcare guarantee law, which says that patients must receive treatment within a reasonable amount of time and last spring, the hospital started an ad campaign to actively recruit new donors in an effort to reduce wait times.

With the sperm shortage, and wait times, many Swedish couples have now chosen to seek treatment in other countries, chiefly in Denmark or Finland.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Killing sperm donation (guardian.co.uk)
• More than a third of women ‘have experienced fertility problems’ (telegraph.co.uk)
• Fertility Rights for England’s Lesbians Commence (queerty.com)

Clonaid is a website that advertises “reproductive cloning services”.

I first happened upon the site when adding Google ads to our site. They were text only advertisements, which are automatically displayed depending on the content of your site. Since this is a lesbian website, ads for LGBTs commonly display as well as some for anti-gay’s. It’s all in the keywords.

I was amazed however, when I saw this ad on our page:

Your Child by Cloning
Infertile, Single, Homosexual? we help you to have your own child
www.clonaid.com

Whoa!

Upon looking further into the site here are the services that Clonaid offers:

Clonaid™ is the world’s leading provider of reproductive human cloning services. Eve, the first cloned baby, was born Dec. 26, 2002, thanks to our team of highly skilled scientists. Since then, we’ve been able to help a number of patients have their own children through our cloning technology.

Clonaid™ can help you:

• If you’re sterile and have lost hope of having the child you dream of.

• If you’re homosexual and deeply desire a child who would carry your own genes.

• If you’ve just lost – or are about to lose – a beloved family member and would like to see an identical twin of that person begin a new life.

• If you’re HIV+ and want to have a child that would be your genetic twin – without infecting either the baby or your partner with the virus.

• If you simply want to be cloned, whatever your reasons may be.

This is really blowing my mind!!

I tried to wrap my mind around this. My wife and I have been trying to have a baby for the past few years, and have elected to try to have a child that would be genetically similar to the both of us as possible, thus choosing a donor father who resembles me a lot. We’ve been having a hard time, having lost a pregnancy 2 years ago, and failed tries since then.

Looking at Clonaid as an option for lesbian pregnancy, it really truly freaked me out when I thought about this fully.

Lesbians like me can have a clone of them or their partner, or any other chosen ‘cell donor’, to be implanted in either partner’s womb. The part that freaks me out about this is that the resulting child is not a creation of the parent, rather a replica of a previous creation. That would mean for me, that I would be giving birth to a new version of my wife, or my wife would be giving birth to a new me. Or… we could give birth to our own twin. WOW.

The fact that this is a possibility is truly incredible and I imagine there are circumstances where cloning is helpful.

I just can’t see this being a reality in my life, it would just be too weird to me. I imagine my child would seem like a robot to me, an android if you will; and I think I would always look at that child a little different, possibly with scrutiny.

Other couples, however, have found some benefit from the Clonaid services.

Dr. Brigitte Boisselier, head of the company that leads the Clonaid project, said babies cloned by her company are growing up healthy and normal.

“We’ve helped almost 100 families who were desperate to have a child,” Boisselier said. “Our reward has been to see a number of cloned babies growing up normally, like any infant born through natural reproduction or through in vitro fertilization.”

Some of the little known facts sprinkled around the cloning website:

“Clonaid has been able to find living cells in a body that has been dead for 4 months – there is hope!”

“Clonaid has had huge interest from people of all walks of life including many politicians and celebrities.”

Some of the other services offered by Clonaid:

-Having your cells preserved (Insuraclone™)
-Having your pet cloned (Clone-a-Pet™)
-Purchasing eggs (Ovulaid™)

You can find out more about reproductive cloning by Clonaid at their website here.

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her by visiting her page on MySpace.

One of the downsides of making a baby when you are a lesbian is having to deal with sperm.

Sperm is one of the ingredients you will need when making a baby, and before you can get anywhere in this baby making scenario you are going to need to locate some. There are many issues to consider when locating sperm such as the source of the sperm, the location of your source, and criteria by which you choose which sperm you like or not. Convenient access to your chosen sperm might also be an issue that becomes important to you as well. In addition, becoming comfortable with saying the word ’sperm’ is definitely a must.

Now, first and foremost the source of your sperm has to be able to make sperm in the first place so only accept sperm from men in their child-bearing years.

Also be sure that your sperm source is disease free, genetically superior, and a magnet for success if possible. When you are ready to begin your search for sperm, keep in mind that not all sperm sources are ideal. Many sources of sperm can in fact bring upon heavy duty side effects such as custody battles, constant reminders of a bad choice, and the occasional appearance on Jerry Springer. Careful consideration is a must when choosing your sperm source, and if needed, get a lawyer. Once you are prepared to begin your search for sperm, make sure you and your partner have a safe word to use instead of ’sperm’ for when you are talking about it in public.

When you are ready to begin your search, here are some good sources for locating sperm:

- First and foremost number one guaranteed simplest easiest highly recommended successful way to locate sperm is from the sperm bank. You go there, sign up, customize your preferences, and adjust your settings. Make a withdrawal and then have them deposit it. Be careful if your bank has high interest, withdrawals from the sperm bank have been known to double and triple instantly!

- Ask your friend for some. If you’ve got a male friend in his child-bearing years that isn’t doing anything productive with his sperm, ask him if you can have some to put to good use. It helps if you have a good relationship with this sperm source and should know him for at least 3 weeks before asking for his sperm.

- Ask a family member for some. If you are set on having a baby that looks like you, a sperm source that is related to you is a good way do that. Make sure your partner is okay with carrying your cousin’s baby and it’s best if it’s somebody who doesn’t like to attend the family reunions.

- Ask a stranger for some. Take your chances and ask a healthy looking sperm source for his sperm and pray everything works out for the best. Note: This method of locating sperm has a 99.99% rate of failure.

- Ask an ally for some. Take a gay cruise and party with various sperm sources for a few days on board the ship. Get to know who is looking to make a trade, barter, or contribution and pitch your proposal before the ship docks. If you can make the exchange happen on board the ship you are a natural and are well on your way to making babies with your lesbian lover from here on out.

- Take some from the enemy. Pretend you’re straight and narrow. Go on a date with a homophobe, talk him into sinful premarital unprotected sex and take his virginity while you cry and then storm out. You’ll need a few drinks first but it’ll be totally worth it to raise his child with your lesbian lover as a big f*ck you to society!

****Okay I was just kidding about that last one! HaHa******

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her online by visiting her website at www.juliephineas.com.

Are you a lesbian looking to expand her family?

Having a baby is a great way to do that!

There are many options for expanding your family, but if you are a woman of child-bearing age, having your own baby is what I recommend. Of course there are other means of expanding your family such as adoption or blending families, but that’s not what this column is about! Lez Make a Baby is all about helping YOU get pregnant, especially if you are a lesbian. (Disclaimer: I don’t think my advice will work if you are a gay man.) That being said let’s get down to business and talk about The Different Options for Lesbian Conception.

You might be surprised to learn that you have options as a lesbian when it comes to conception.

Close minded heteros have made us believe that it takes one man and one woman to make a baby but that is FAR from true. Sometimes it takes one man, one woman, and her lesbian lover!! (Or a turkey baster.) It’s all very exciting! (Unless you melt the turkey baster while sterilizing.) The options really are endless and here are a few different options that I have found for lesbian conception if you are looking to expand your family…

Option #1
Give it the old college try.
Go out for a night with friends, and when your inhibitions are low enough make your move. You don’t have to know him, but be prepared to worry about STD’s if you try this method.

Option #2
Tell HER to do it.
Locate some sperm and give it to your girlfriend. Bend over and brace yourself. It helps if she has a sterile plastic syringe with which to knock you up.

Option #3
Do it your damn self.
Don’t wait around for help. Make an appointment with an IVF specialist and put your feet in the straps. Wait for the news you’re carrying twins and hope she doesn’t leave you.

Be sure to talk this all over with your Ob-GYN to give ‘em a heads up, and don’t forget to eat your wheaties every day no matter what. Healthy babies are in!

I hope you enjoyed this issue of Lez Make a Baby! You can expect more insights in the future on topics to help you make a baby such as locating sperm, the legal challenges of creating people and more. If you have a question you would like to ask you can send an email to lezmakeababy@yahoo.com.

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her online by visiting her website at www.juliephineas.com.