Not to take anything away from the wimmenfolk, but…as far as menstruation goes, aside from the obvious hygenic necessities and the psychologic/rite-of-passage implications, is there really that much to it? I mean, guys tend to discover masturbation at about that age, which involves slightly more complex maneuvering and at least as much psychological turmoil, and most of us made the transition just fine despite any specific guidance from our fathers. (Thank God.)
I mean, I’m sure it’s nice to have Mom around to explain the pros and cons of pads vs. tampons and such, but you’re still not exactly baking a damn souffle here. I have to think that this would be way down on the list of traumatic and confusing events of adolescence for a girl raised by two fathers.
My dad taught me plenty about cars–most of which, I’ve come to find out, is entirely wrong, or is at least wrong for any car manufactured later than 1972.
Aunts
Uncles
Fag hags
Single parents
Homosexuals as responsible parents
Male Gynocologists
Female mechanics
The theory that stereotypes are bad
Stonewall
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Oral Sex
Tea-bagging
Felching
Rationality
Common Sense
Cecil Adams
In high school one of the coolest, happiest, most confident kids I knew had two dads. I have a gay uncle who step-dads for his partner’s kids. If I was unable to raise my son for some reason, I’d have zero problem seeing my little sister and her girlfriend taking over his care. My head reels to think that anyone would object to an unwanted child going to a couple–of any composition–who would love, protect, and support them.
On top of that, it’s so good to know that as a single mother I am also completely incapable of raising a healthy and happy son.
Did anyone else read the “why a child needs a male and female parent” link at the bottom? It’s filled with all kinds of good advice like:
Well then maybe I should have my son’s junkie thief father move back in so he can start on his “lessons”. :rolleyes:
Deep. Good to know my vagina came hardwired with knitting capabilities.
Yeah–because no woman works or wants her children to succeed.
Really. How many people actually still think like this? And who keeps breeding with them? Survival of the fittest people! Quit helping them reproduce. I’m begging you.
[sub]I know, I know–I’m preachin’ to the choir[/sub]
bella–despairingly
I’d like to point out I learned all the facts of life the old fashioned way…my mom left a book on my bed (or maybe it was my dad, hard to tell).
(Bella, if I just stuff the yarn up there, will I get a cable knitted sweater? I’ve never tried. I suppose if mom would have talked to me instead of having me learn from a book, I might know these women things.)
[QUOTE}Kids need a mom and a dad.
Mom and dad bring different and necessary contributions to
parenting a child that the other doesn’t. Kids need both. And we
would need a bit more time than a weekend provides to see how
kids are wounded when they grow up without a mom and dad.
We need to look at the full life of a child.[/QUOTE]
Yes, forget about anyone who was raised by a single parent. You’re all wounded. And please, sign me up for the complimentary news stories so I can learn more about how some of the people I treasure most in life are incomplete, wounded, and emotionally stunted.
So belladonna and Dangerosa, can my vagina macrame and if so how long will it take before I have a lovely and useful set of potholders?
To get the cable knit effect, you have to twist your breasts in opposing directions while you extrude the yarn.
brondicon–I believe the macrame applications were deemed obsolete last quarter. They have been replaced with cookie-baking codes. Sorry, we forgot to send you the memo.
I came from one of those traditional-gender-roles families, until I was nine and my mother started working. The two of them had married in the 1950’s.
My father tried to teach me to build stuff. So I had him build a doll house. After that, I think he pretty much gave up on me
Oh, and they made me take shop instead of home economics. I almost lost my arm to one of those machines, and had to learn to how to cook after I left home.
I’ve never understood what the point of gender-based role-models was. It seems to be a tired ritual of passing on sexist expectations to the next generation.
Sure, there are certain specialized bits of information, such as about menstruation. But I bet I could find more accurate information about menstruation today, and deliver it with far less embarassment, than, say, my grandmother did to my mother.
There’s also lots less to explain about menstruation today, now that we’ve done away with the menstrual belt. Stick it and go!
And belladonna, please make sure I get the next memo.
And who will teach these children to hate those who are different, to make fun of the little girls who would rather build a tree house than play house or the little boys who would rather dance than fight? Who will teach them to judge a person’s worth by one characteristic rather than look at that person’s entire soul? The Boy Scouts?
I’m straight as the proverbial board, but I still preferred playing football (both varieties) and climbing trees to play with dolls and gossiping. I knit very well (never tried it using my vagina, though, and what do you use for a cable needle – it sounds painful!), but I’m better at programming a computer. My carpentry and cooking are about equal, with carpentry probably having a slight edge, and I still have fond memories of metal shop in high school which I had to struggle to take. My parents, FTR, are even straighter than I am and have been married for over 40 years. So much for that theory.
This sort of codswallop is the reason I take Dr. Dobson’s Focus on the Family inserts out of my bulletins at church touching them as little as possible. Actually, I really think I ought to start washing my hands afterwards, especially on the days when I’m chalicist.
Let me join the chorus (alto line, please) of Christians on this Board saying “We’re not all like that, really!” and please accept my apologies for the idiots and bigots who’d turn a gospel of love into an excuse to hate.
Dances are generally held in middle school , and i did not have my mom help mr get ready- I did not give a fuck about clothes and makeup then.
Both parents helped me lean how to cook, and ride a bicycle. I was out of luck with the skateboading, although my aunt Toni did give me a skateboard.
I will teach our son to cook and to work with wood. Although in contrast to cj, my cooking is better.
Her girlfriend (if the relationship lasts) and my brother will provide the sports education (except for hockey, I can handle that).
Either of us will teach him to arrange flowers.
His mother will teach him to cuss like a sailor (don’t tell her I said that) and love (or probably hate) disco.
Working on cars is a job for mechanics. That’s what they are there for. Especially now that almost any problem with a newer model car requires special computerized diagnostic equipment to find. The easy stuff like chaning oil and brake pads can be done more cheaply and quickly by the nearby jiffy shop.
Shaving! I learned by practice. Nobody showed me how. What a dolt.
Bullies. Maybe if there weren’t so many “tough-guy” straight men teaching their sons to bully smaller, weaker kids nobody would have to worry about that.
Ask any kid who grew up in foster care or an orphanage how painful that was and I’m sure they’d all have preferred one or more straight, gay or bi adults to have been a parent. Even if you have a bigotry against gays, why can’t you see that have any parent is still better than none?
The strawman factory called. Did you want another gross? I happen to think that the Rosie piece made a lot of sense – you probably guessed that from the GD Thread on the same topic.
I’m shocked, shocked to find such a tract from a website that lists their mission as:
This was the best you could find to get all knotted about? How’s’about this, from Dobson’s website:
:smack: ya-yo, that’s sooo dumb.
or this capper
Well, I’m sure the Boston parish is overjoyed, for one. That’ll be a big boost to their new campaign of “3 boys and you’re out.”
My lesbian cousin and her partner just had twins (artificial insemination). The babies are a boy and a girl. You would not believe the comments they have gotten on how they shouldn’t be raising EITHER of the kids!
Some people say that being raised by two lesbians will turn the little girl into another lesbian. Others say that being raised by two lesbians will turn the little boy into a “sissy”. It’s a no-win situation! But honestly, they are well off and will have no trouble providing for these kids, and both women have a very supportive, loving extended family (including me) who are excited about the babies. These kids are going to turn out fine! They will be loved and fed and taken care of by two moms and many aunts uncles and that’s going to be a lot better life than lots of other kids being raised by alcoholics, abusive parents, even single parents who can’t afford to provide for their kids.
If there are people who are perfectly suitable in every other way that want kids, why let their sexual orientation get in the way? I will never understand it.
Ace0Spades,
What I object to is the position that homosexuals are inherently less moral/equipped to raise a child than other human beings. This is also my beef with the Boy Scouts. As I’ve said in other threads, one of the most decent human beings I know is gay, and he has shown decency, morality, and compassion under fire. Some of that fire was coming from nice, Christian kids.
I’m also not happy with the rather sexist tone of the article. While I’m willing to make allowances for a sort of standard Christian glurge factor in the depiction of an idyllic home life, it doesn’t always work that way in reality. FTR, I am a woman. My mother was not particularly into clothes, cooking, or make up; that’s probably one of the reasons I’m not either. Did she fail as a mother because I’m not interested in the so-called feminine things? Not as far as I’m concerned. I stood up to bullies because no one else save the aforementioned gay friend was willing to do it. The bullies included both Catholic and Protestant Christians (and yes, at times, I would have preferred the Lions! )
Also, it’s been my experience that when conservative Christians refer to “traditional family values” they mean a household where the wife stays at home looking after the kids doing the cooking and cleaning. My cooking is so-so, with a few exceptions. My cleaning is quite definitely worse. I’m also not all that good with kids, especially babies. I’m in my mid-30’s and have never married. In short, I don’t fit into that scenario all that well. If I do marry, I wouldn’t rule out fostering in older kids (I’m pretty good with teenagers, at least the unconventional ones), but trust me, any girls I foster would be better off going to matt mcl, esprix or a few others on the board for advice on fashion than me, by the sound of things.
As to preventing homosexuality, why would we want to? To my way of thinking, it’s like preventing brown hair. It’s my understanding that sexuality has a biological basis. While it may be possible for it to be altered if one is willing to expend the time and effort to do so why would any human being want to undergo the psychological damage?
I certainly would rather have had a nice, non-smarmy, non-grossed out gay dad tell me about menstruation instead of my repressed “normal” straight mom, who was obviously embarrassed and disgusted by the whole subject. I remember when I first asked her what a sanitary napkin was, having seen an inexplicable advertisement in her Family Circle Magazine (this was around 1970). She turned purple and told me that if I didn’t start reading the articles instead of the ads, she wouldn’t let me read her magazines any more.
So much for fighting ignorance.
When the big “P” finally occurred (much to my horror), and I asked Mom what I should do with used pads after I was done with them, she said “Whaddya THINK you do with them? Eat them?” She should have been glad I asked instead of trying to flush the damned things down the toilet.
Anyway, before this hijack gets too far along, my point is that it’s not WHO tells you these things, it’s how they do it. I’d take a down to earth gay man over a Pope-poisoned mother any day when it comes to icky body stuff.
Gonna have to disabuse you of this notion PDQ, cjhoworth. Wouldn’t it figure that that (and the clean apartment) were the only stereotypes that didn’t apply to me? :smack:
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