Marriage equality wasn't really about upholding the conservative idea of a nuclear family. It was about legal rights to visit when someone was in the hospital, the legal right to make medical decisions (both huge during the AIDS crisis), it was about finances, child custody, buying a house together, having all the legal and financial protections that hetero couples take for granted. I feel like the academic discussion is reducing queer people to theoretical constructs instead of real people just trying to live their lives. I also wonder if some of the disconnect is because the academic discussion is coming from people who I believe at least some of them are not in the US. The recent history for queers in the US is not pretty or purely academic.

The queer people I know aren't looking to be a part of any project except getting the dominant Conservative Christian culture in the US to stop wanting to wipe them out. They want to be able to live their lives with acceptance and without fear. They really don't care about some dead French philosopher's idea of what their lives are supposed to look like.

I think I'm not understanding how you use the term queer. You're saying Queer = anti-family, while Gay/trans/lesbian/bi = pro-family. So, a quick google and Planned Parenthood says: "Queer is a word that describes sexual and gender identities other than straight and cisgender. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people may all identify with the word queer. Queer is sometimes used to express that sexuality and gender can be complicated, change over time, and might not fit neatly into either/or identities, like male or female, gay or straight. " That is pretty much my understanding (and the people I know who identify as queer) of the word queer, so I really don't understand your previous statements.

The history of drag, the political theories of drag, or a few guys idea of what is behind wanting to drag, doesn't define drag for everyone. I feel like those who currently participate in drag culture should be able to talk about what drag means to them, how they practice it and why, and not be told they're wrong because of the history of drag, the political theories of drag or a few guys idea of what is behind wanting to drag. Many cultural practices change over time and often bear no resemblance to what they started off as. Ideas evolve, practices evolve, expectations evolve, societal impressions evolve. Drag Storytime is part of evolving the societal impressions of drag to be more mainstream, less sexualized at least in some contexts. And I definitely don't understand why queer activism would be considered anti-family? WTH?

This!

Her statement was actually made in response to another post. At the time, I think she was saying that she hoped being gay would be such a non-issue that people wouldn't automatically assume everyone was straight and there would be no need to "come out", it would be something that just comes up in normal conversation where you would talk about your husband or wife or when you got married or who you are dating, etc. Not something needing an announcement.

Well, he used it to describe himself and was excited about participating in some "drag" events during Pride Month. Some places drag seems to be becoming a wider description/term used to scare people into protesting and pearl clutching over Pride events. Other places I see it being used by the LGBTQ+ community as a general term for being out and blatant in their non-conformity. They are doing the opposite of trying to pass.

I actually feel like some of this discussion is offering a much broader view of drag, instead of it being limited to only a highly sexualized, mocking caricature of women. This isn't the first place I've seen drag used more to describe people who dress in non-gender conforming ways, especially in a somewhat over-the-top performative way. I've definitely seen it used IRL for a gay man dressing in a flamboyant, feminine way. Could this be one of those terms that is undergoing a slight change in meaning and getting more nuanced? Especially in the way it's used to title something like "Drag" Storytime? ETA: I'm definitely NOT in one of those places that are seeing all non-gender conformity being labeled drag but I definitely see reference to it happening other places. It seems much more benign and inclusive to a larger group the way I see it around here.

Of course, the drag performer should be background checked for certain positions, just like the mom next door, the church Sunday School teacher, and the newly licensed teacher. But being a drag performer shouldn't automatically exclude them from working with children, just like any other legally held job.

Why? Can part of her life not be helping bring literacy to children? As long as she does it dressed with the relevant bits covered, why would it be odd? Do we need to have anyone who does storytime fill out a questionnaire about how they spend every minute of their lives? Should a teacher be fired if they do adult entertainment at night, even if there is no evidence of it in their daytime life? Interesting question - would someone who works as a drag queen, a perfectly legal job (at least for now), "fail" a background check?

Good Morning! Happy Friday! Last day of class for the school year. I have one chemistry class and we are learning about macronutrients and making french toast. I have to run to AFSA this morning for ingredients. I don't remember the last time I posted. It's been a busy week, weird week. So I'm just going to update everything I can think of. 🙂 I decided to stop taking Berberine and see if it's causing the dry mouth. I'll wait a week, then start it again and see if the dry mouth comes back. Then I guess I have to decide if the beneficial effects of the berberine are worth putting up with the dry mouth if it does appear to be due to that. I started HRT and so far nothing feels any different. I'm trying to not eat any sugary snack foods. It was getting excessive and sugar has started to make me feel really weird. At least I think it's the sugar, I guess we'll see. I need to lose weight and cutting out/down drastically on the sugar should really help with that. The other day the nailbeds on my right hand were purpley. That hand sometimes feel colder than the rest of me, I think related to the old very bad break in my wrist. It was chilly but I don't think much under 60 degrees so not freezing or anything but I was cold and put on long sleeves and socks. The purple went away when I took a warm shower. I did check pulse ox and blood pressure and both were normal. So that was weird. I am doing our under step elliptical every morning for at least 15 minutes. Will be able to do more, as well as more walking/yoga/hiking now that classes are done. I'm off next week but have to organize a 10x10 storage unit that has had stuff just added to the top of the pile lately. I need to do it next week since I need stuff for camps that start the following week. We sent a proposal to our landlord for the larger upstairs space. It's a low offer. We haven't heard back from him yet but I guess it wasn't dismissed completely. There's a very definite firm deadline for us to move - we have to be able to be in there by mid August so we are ready for classes to start in September. I think that wraps up my life for the past week or so.

We recently bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BDMH10Q?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details I use it under a breakfast bar with a high stool and it works well. It doesn't seem to be very high or require much clearance. We chose this one because we liked it had the arm bands as well, and could be used standing. I'm nowhere near coordinated enough to do it standing at this point, but maybe some day. I do fell like I get a workout when I use it. I've been getting a lot of achiness and weakness in my legs when I sit so I wanted something to increase circulation in my legs while sitting.

Ds made the Dean's List for the year. He actually started in January of 22, but 22-23 was his first full school year, which is evidently how his school does it. Despite his one professor grading on a stupid bell curve.

That was my first thought because I'm pretty sure it started the day we first had effects from the wildfires, but it's still bad and our air quality is pretty much normal now. Unless it's lingering effects that will take some time to fully clear away.

I do, but I always have and it's a new problem.

I actually have started a few new medications/supplements lately so maybe I need to see if any of those can cause it.

Tons. Certainly more than I used to when I didn't have this problem. I'm actually wondering if I'm drinking too much water and not enough electrolytes. But that doesn't make sense either given my diet. Could this be a hormonal/menopause thing? ETA: Ugh, a dry mouth booya. Why have all my booyas lately been for yucky stuff? Am I only posting yucky stuff? I don't think I am. I'm pretty sure I also post boring stuff.

I definitely didn't have a healthy, functional family of origin. If I had, I'm sure many things would have gone differently. Would I have actually gone to veterinarian school if I didn't have to take a break from school every few years to work to earn the money to live and eventually go back to school? What if my mom actually supported me when I wanted to study English? Would things have gone smoother if I didn't go to school thousands of miles away at 17 years old, to a place that was severe culture shock, mainly to get away from FOO? I'm sure things would have been better if I had more support and better role models for what healthy relationships looked like. As it is, it took a divorce and until my mid-30's before I had my act together.

I'm good living where I'm at. We have strong gun laws, moderate politics that flip parties on a local level but mostly stay blue nationally and is very blue on social and reproductive issues, and we're not in a bad place as far as climate change impacts (at least where I am, I'm not that close to the coast). Cost of living on the other hand.......

I started HRT yesterday. We'll see how that goes. I've been waking up with super dry mouth every morning since last week. I don't know if its air quality, allergies, low humidity or what but I've never had it happen like this. I constantly feel like my mouth feels cottony. Yuck.

Sometimes but not often or in any particularly angsty way. I sometimes wonder if I were the person I am now when I was with ex-h, would things have turned out different. If I were willing to exert myself more, had more confidence on pushing for what I needed, would things have been better? Or would it have gotten bad faster? Or at least, would I have realized how bad it was and divorced him faster? I wouldn't trade having my oldest dd for anything in the world, but I am very happy in my life now. I have a career I love, an amazing husband, my kids are doing well and becoming (or are already) functioning adults.

Morning, Happy Sunday. My last week of classes is this week and it's another year done. One week off to prepare and then the first of our summer camps. It looks like we may get the bigger space. We offered slightly less than our current square foot rate. We are already paying below market, but we could stay where we are for 4 more years for only a slight increase and keep our outside area, parking, etc. Moving upstairs means we'd be paying more fees, not have our outside area, and parking is farther away, but we'd have more space. So, now we wait and see if the landlord goes for it.

The Breakfast Club is what I think of as the classic 80's movie, but I guess it's debatable how family friendly it is. Ghostbusters? same deal I guess, could be scary for some. Gremlins - a little scary but love it The Lost Boys - one of my favorites Beetlejuice Honey I Shrunk the Kids Any of the Muppet Movies The Secret of NIMH is one of my absolute favorite cartoon movies Rikki Tikki Tavi too ET The Princess Bride Back to the Future Goonies The Karate Kid Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure War Games Little Shop of Horrors

I run a homeschool science center and one of the things I offer is a Math Workshop class. It meets twice a week for an hour at a time. I will do Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, and Consumer Math. I generally have about 6 students. I start the year with a placement test and set up written notes/lessons for each student. I meet with each for about 5 minutes (depending on if they are struggling), then they work on their homework in class so they can ask questions if they need to. They are also able to text or email questions between classes and I will help. If they come in without homework, I have review pages for each chapter to check if they understood it before moving on. If they need something to do while waiting, I have various bell ringers and "fun" practice pages. I charge the same as my other classes, which is $100 for an 8 week session. If they come twice a week, they pay for it as 2 classes. I've considered offering it for younger kids but there's such a wide range of what they could be working on, and I feel like they wouldn't be able to work independently the way the older kids can. Plus my daughter is 16 and this makes sure she is getting her math done too.

We generally drive but most of our trips have been up and down the East Coast. Farthest we went was the far side of Pennsylvania, which was about an 8 hour drive. We drove to Florida, which was about 16 hours but we did it in two legs, staying overnight in South Carolina. For Florida, we've also driven to Virginia and taken the AutoTrain the rest of the way. We usually take vacations for at least 2 weeks, camp in different places (we were in Pisgah a few years ago!) and bring all our own gear so driving our large vehicles works out best. Plus ds is on the spectrum and has SPD so the people/sounds/smells on a plane/in an airport would be very uncomfortable for him. He'd probably be okay these days (he's almost 18) but when he was younger, it wouldn't have worked well.