[pics] Denise's Wedding!

(link to more photos)

[news] Denise and Mary Got Hitched!

Tonight I had the privilege of watching two great women marry in Canada, Denise & Mary. The ceremony took place at the Willistead Manner in Windsor, Canada (here). The setting was absolutely gorgeous. Professor Frier told us that the Manor was owned by Edward Chandler Walker - the same Walker from Contracts that was involved in the sale of the barren cow that was not so barren (Sherwood v. Walker).

After walking into this amazing home, I sat listening to two women playing the harp and the flute. I thought I might fall asleep were a wedding not about to commence. Mary's brother and Denise's daughters both gave short readings and lit two candles before the couple exchanged vows. Denise started crying almost immediately as the Minister began reciting the official vows to which Mary replied, "I do" and "I will." Lucky for Denise, she had some tissues stuffed into her brassiere just in case.

Everyone chuckled a bit since Denise could not hide her tears or the tissue for too long. Nonetheless, Denise returned the vows to Mary in kind. And, in first class lesbian fashion, both Mary and Denise read their own personal vows to one another. There was no hiding the tissue for either of the ladies at this point. Yes, Mary had a tissue stuffed away as well.

Despite the emotion, Denise and Mary both read their personal vows with clarity. They both committed immense and beautiful things to one another. Denise even commented on Mary having brought animals into her life - everyone laughed. The couple exchanged rings. Next, the couple walked over to the two candles that had been lit earlier and used them to light the marriage candle.

Then, the Minister, Denise, and their Maids of Honor all signed the marriage papers. This all seemed like a long, yet necessary delay to the main event - the kiss! We all stood and watched the couple head out the door and on to amazing horderves and a wonderful dinner. The rest is history! Best wishes on your lifelong journey, Ladies.

[note] Happy End of the Year!

I assume we Outlaws are now scattered to the winds, off in our corners of the world, celebrating (or just relaxing away) with our families and friends the end of the year and especially the end of the semester.

Drop us a comment (below) and tell us how your break is going. Here are my two cents:

My dad and I just snuck off and bought twenty poinsettias for my mom. My grandmother's playing with the Chihuahua. All is well in Texas today.

best wishes,
robert.

[note] Hail to Dean Johnson

Today Dean Johnson informed Outlaws that she would increase our budget for the Sexual Orientation Moot Court competition in Los Angeles by 40%!!! Hats off to the administration.

[plug] TwiceBlessed (Jewish GLBT) Channukah Dinner

Twice Blessed (Jewish GLBT) Chanukah Dinner

Tuesday, December 27, 2005 at TBE: 6:30pm food starts arriving, dinnertime for kids

7pm Menorah lighting followed by dinner for adults and kids activities

After 7pm, food, mingling, dreidel games, etc...

Join Twice Blessed for a pot luck latke and hot dog Chanukah dinner! Bring your favorite latkes to share, or try an eclectic new latke recipe that we'll taste! A diverse array of latkes for a diverse array of people!

Please bring your menorahs and candles and we'll light them together!

Please RSVP by Tuesday, December 20 to Nikki at Nikki10271@comcast.net and let us know how you want to participate, or if you just plan to attend.

[note] UM Outlaw quoted in The National Law Journal

In a recent National Law Journal (here) article about queer lawyering in mega firms, an UM Outlaw was quoted:

12-15-2005

The Bigger the Law Firm, the Bigger the Closet?
by Leigh Jones

. . . Despite the lower percentages of openly gay and lesbian attorneys at big law firms, many are beginning to recruit gay and lesbian law students aggressively, said Nadine Gartner, a third-year law student at the University of Michigan Law School. "They see that in order to get the best attorneys, they need to broaden their pool," she said.

Even so, Gartner plans to practice public interest law on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community after clerking for U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Emily C. Hewitt next year. "It's what I find worthwhile," she said.

*Go Nadine!*

[plug] R. Portland....MSU Women's Basketball VS PSU Protest

Action Item: Protest homophobia in Women's basketball.

The MSU Women's Basketball team is playing Penn State at home on January 5th at 8PM at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

Rene Portland is the longtime coach of the Penn State team.

On behalf of Jennifer Harris, a former PSU player under coach Portland, the National Center for Lesbian Rights has written a letter of complaint of Coach Portland's decades long practice of harassment, intimidation, and silencing of athletes in the Women's Basketball Program who are perceived to be Lesbian, as well as those supportive of Lesbian Athletes.

In support of the Penn State LGBTQ & A organization, who are protesting at all their home games, MSU's LGBQ & A organization and the broader LGBT & A communities in Mid- Michigan will be protesting Coach Portland's Lesbophobic practices at the game Jan 5.

Please contact lbgtc@msu.edu or marydrpenny@yahoo.com for more information.

[note] Kissing - A Credible Threat

I am taking an [undeserved] break from final exam taking (this take home exam is murder. I'm discovering an interesting fact -- writing an exam is much easier if you actually paid attention to the subject matter during the term) and exam prep (final in-class exam is tomorrow morning at 8:30. 8:30 -- that's AM!) to write this post because I find it so incredible.

As if Bush using the National Security Agency to spy in the U.S. on U.S. citizens wasn't enough, it appears that the Pentagon has been spying on Don't Ask, Don't Tell demonstrations, including NYU Law's OUTlaw group.

NBC News was able to obtain only eight pages of the 400-page report, but that small portion showed that Pentagon investigators kept tabs on April protests at the University of California, Santa Cruz; State University of New York at Albany; and William Patterson College in New Jersey. A February protest at NYU was also listed, along with the law school's gay advocacy group OUTlaw, and was classified as "possibly violent."
...
The database indicates that the Pentagon has been collecting information about protesters and their vehicles, looking for what they call a "significant connection" between incidents. Of the four "don't ask, don't tell" protests listed, only one—the University of California, Santa Cruz, where students staged a "gay kissing" demonstration—is classified as a "credible" threat.

Since I'm a board member of UM Law's OUTlaws group, I'm going to have to raise the issue as to why we've never staged a gay kissing demonstration in protest of Don't Ask; Don't Tell. Maybe then we'd get some Pentagon attention!

(Cross-posted at Life, Law, Gender)

[news] Virginia is for Lovers (not Haters...)

Since Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) decided to "quietly amend[] an executive order that for the first time explicitly bans Virginia state agencies from discriminating against gays in hiring and promotions," we thought we'd scream it from the rooftops for him.

(link to article)

[news] As Goes Latvia, So Go the Baltics

We've lost Latvia (link to map). I'm sure someone could organize a parade or something; but, according to Google Maps, Latvia doesn't have roads.

(link to article)

[note] Perry Watkins Fellowship

This post is also cross-posted at my personal blog: Life, Law & Gender.

The University of Michigan Law School, in an effort to ameliorate the effects of The Solomon Amendment upon its LGBT students last year established a fellowship ($3,500) in the name of Perry Watkins to be granted to a law student who summer interns for an organization promoting LGBT civil rights.

I applied for the fellowship, despite my concern that I would not be a likely candidate. I thought that my age and my previous financial successes (this, despite my being arguably more needy than many of my younger peers) might preclude me from consideration. I was wrong.
I received the following email Friday morning:

Thank you for applying for the Perry Watkins Fellowship. We had a good pool of applicants and I'm pleased to tell you that we've awarded you the fellowship for the summer of 2006. You crafted a great application and the Law School is happy to support you in your summer work. Please let us know by March 15th what LGBT organization you will be working with.

I am pleased, honored and humbled to have been selected.

[review] Brokeback Mountain

We've been getting a lot of hits here at umoutlaws.org over two words on our site: "Brokeback Mountain." So, I asked our good friend William, who braved the cold Michigan night to see the movie, to write a little review.

You might think, "Wait--what does this have to do with being a queer law student?" Queer? Not much. Law student? Everything. It's finals time. Law is the last thing a law student wants to think about when he's studying the law.

And with that: take it away, William...

Because I'm not studying for finals, because Heath Ledger needs to be lauded some more, and because Robert told me to do so, I am writing a little summary of my Brokeback Mountain experience.

Andy (of Cliff and Andy fame [around here]) was kind enough to accompany me to a special advance screening of Brokeback at the Star Southfield, which turned out to be a colorful and monstrous cinema complex that is 45 minutes away when there's no snow and close to 2 hours away when there is snow. But, given that the film is showing in only five theatres in the country at the moment (3 in NYC, 1 at the Grove in LA, and 1 at the
Embarcadero in SF), it was worth the trip.

So of course we were a minute or so late, but we got the drift of the movie within a few seconds. There was going to be tons of beautiful scenery, lots of awkward silences, and repeated usage of a haunting Million Dollar Baby-type thematic score composed by Gustavo Santaolalla. The first quarter of the film was the happy part - the part where you feel all giddy inside because Jake and Heath, aka Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar, are rolling around both on the grass and in the tent when they're supposed to be guarding sheep in the mountains of Wyoming (in reality, Alberta, Canada, to lessen costs of course). But it's all heartbreak after that.

Enter Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway. Unlike the short story, the movie spends a good amount of time on these sad figures whom you watch gradually lose their spunk due to their loveless marriages. Perhaps most significantly, both do superb jobs of blocking Dawson's Creek and The Princess Diaries from your mind. And Michelle does an even better job in landing Heath in real life.

One of the weaker sides of the film is the difficulty it had in convincing us that the actors actually aged. As the movie spans a couple decades or so, all four tried their best to carry off their roles as unsatisfied, middle-aged folk. They get an "A" for effort, but still, no cigar. (This was mitigated by a brief glimpse of
1970s-era figure skating in one scene. Thank you, Ang Lee!)

But the highlight of the film was Heath Ledger of course. I never saw A Knight's Tale or The Brothers Grimm, so I wasn't as caught off guard as others by his disturbingly hot portrayal of closetedness. But he really pulled it off. He definitely took advantage of the juiciness of his role, and left poor Jake in the dust. The NYTimes compared Heath's performance to those of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn. I wouldn't argue with that. Though he spoke few words in the film, his haunting voice continues to give me chills.

After arriving home, I told one Tim C___ that the film was good but not amazing and that it was very sappy, which for me, is a good thing. I also informed one Bayrex M____ that the film was a high-brow chick flick, akin to a gay cowboy rendition of The Bridges of Madison County, which for me, is also a good thing.

Although I still stand by those words, after a couple of days have passed, the imagery and sounds of the film remain with me and have convinced me that it deserves higher praise than that. So for those whom find sappy, Bridges of Madison County-type films to be a bad thing for them, give the film a chance. Once you get past the tear-jerking nature of the film, you'll realize that the film is anything but cheesy, but rather transcends both the novel, sexy concept of gay cowboys and the chick flick genre to become a film as deserving of accolades as its short story counterpart. In other words, it's neither Bareback Mountain nor Heartbreak Mountain; it's Brokeback Mountain - an eerily stunning commentary on the human condition.

~William.

[plug] The Second Annual Sexual Orientation Moot Court Competition (UCLA)

Don't you like to win?

Open registration begins Monday, 11/14 and ends Friday, 1/6. The problem will be made available to those teams who have registered and paid on Monday, 12/5. Those teams who register after 12/5 will receive the problem once they register.

(link to more information)

[note] Last General Meeting of the Semester

Attendance: ~15 (first day of finals crunch, and a snowstorm)

Main Points:


(1) Thank you card for UMLS's support in sending us to Lavender Law in San Diego this year.

(2) The Second Annual Sexual Orientation Moot Court Competition. We sent Bob last year and he did pretty well, considering his mono. We have funding to send a team this year. More information to come.

(3) Collin's last meeting as Co-Chair. Two good years. He will be sorely missed. There was clapping and there were gifts and speeches. And then we moved on to...

(4) Electing a new Co-Chair. Steve, our current PAC Chair, ran unopposed, but we voted anyway because we're law students and that's what our constitution told us to do. Congratulations, Steve. We plan to fill his PAC spot (and Denise's Treasurer position) at the beginning of next year. And, we hope to change the constitution to do all the electing then, because nobody comes at the end of the semester.

(5) We then watched Paris is Burning.

The end.

[notes] A letter from our reader

Dear Outlaws,

I've been having a number of discussions with a colleague of mine who thinks that gay couples shouldn't be allowed to raise children. I debated about whether to try to have this discussion with him at all, considering that it makes me frustrated and upset...but it's good for me. And he's from a different country and I feel like it's a missed opportunity if I say nothing....

Anyway - his whole argument revolves around a study that he read (from his home country) that children grow up with "models" of males and females, and they need that diversity (presumably from the parents only - I tried to get him to admit the existence of friends and other family members in children's lives but he wouldn't go there) in order to develop normally. (Again, I asked him what his definition of "normally" was and he didn't give me a good answer on that either).

Anyway, apparently what speaks to this guy are studies and reports and statistics, rather than my usual combination of logic and counter-examples. Normally this would involve an enlightening and time-consuming search of the available material on the web, but I just don't have time at the moment...can anyone give me any suggestions? That would be lovely.

Sorry for the long-winded-ness, anything would be appreciated,

[signed: arguing in ann arbor]

Dear [Arguing]:

It's really hard to debate statistics and studies because, quite frankly, you can find one that will prove anything you want. And worse still, if you don't like the results, you can attack the method without ever having to discuss your underlying difficulties with or feelings on the topic. Personally, I don't trust people who trust statistics.

Nevertheless, if you're going to fight fire, you're going to need some fire; and the good folks at Outlaws would like to throw you a match. Steve, our PAC Chair, has compiled this wonderful list of links; and Emma, our well-read member has compiled a list of scholarly reports. Now, you can give statisticians a taste of their own medicine.

Personally, I find the following approach to be much more effective:

Stats man: "Well, children are 64 times more likely to have social development difficulties in same-sex households."

Me: "Oh really? Did you also know that 83% of all statistics are made up on the spot?"

Done.
--robert.

Same-sex family information.

• What to Say: Arguments Against Gay Families, and Why They're Wrong (link) (lethimstay.com is produced by the ACLU lesbian and gay rights project, it breaks the arguments down pretty well)
  
  
• a chart of studies from the above website (link)
  
  
• PFLAG resources (link)
  
  
• American Academy of Pediatrics (link)
  
  
• Gay and Lesbian Parenting, an overview from the American Psychological
  Association (link)
  
  
• Empirical studies on gay and lesbian parenting (link)
  
  
• Family Pride Coalition (link)
  
  
• APA Public Interest Directorate (link)
  

Same-sex Adoption Information

• MI Second parent adoption stuff (link)
  
  
• Coalition for Adoption Rights Equality (CARE) (link)
  
  
• follow the bill's progress here: (link)
  
  
• HRC Info on Michigan Adoption Laws (link)
  

(And if you like to cite to things actually written on paper)
Summaries of Leading Research on Gay Parents

These summaries provide the main findings of the leading social science
studies focused on gay parents and their children.

• Parenting Behaviors of Homosexual and Heterosexual Fathers
  Jerry J. Bigner and R. Brooke Jacobsen
  This study investigated parenting behaviors in heterosexual and gay fathers. Gay fathers did not differ significantly from heterosexual fathers in terms of overall parental involvement, intimacy, and parenting skills. There were some differences between the groups in approaches to parenting; for example, gay fathers tended to be more communicative with their children and to enforce rules more strictly.
  1989. Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 18, pp. 173-186.
  
  
• Adult Responses to Child Behavior and Attitudes Toward Fathering: Gay and Non-Gay Fathers
  Jerry J. Bigner, R. Brooke Jacobsen
  This study found no differences between parenting behaviors and attitudes about fathering between gay and heterosexual fathers. 1992. Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 99-112.
  
  
• Donor Insemination: Child Development and Family Functioning in Lesbian Mother Families
  A. Brewaeys, I. Ponjaert, E.V. Van Hall, and S. Golombok
  This study found that children in lesbian mother homes were as positive and healthy as children in homes headed by a mother and a father. Researchers compared children of lesbian couples conceived via donor insemination, children of heterosexual couples conceived via donor insemination, and children of heterosexual couples who conceived conventionally. Overall, lesbian non-biological mothers were found to have better relationships with their children than the heterosexual fathers. No differences were found between the three groups of children. 1997. Human Reproduction, Vol. 12, No. 6, pp. 1349-1359.
  
  
• Division of Labor Among Lesbian and Heterosexual Parents: Associations with Children's Adjustment
  Raymond W. Chan, Risa C. Brooks, Barbara Raboy, and Charlotte J. Patterson This study found that lesbian couples and heterosexual couples reported even splits of household labor and decision-making. In the area of childcare, the heterosexual couples had a less equal distribution of responsibilities, with the mothers generally taking a larger role. There were no differences between the groups of children in their social adjustment with peers. 1998. Journal of Family Psychology, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 402-419.
  
  
• Psychosocial Adjustment among Children Conceived via Donor Insemination by Lesbian and Heterosexual Mothers
  Raymond W. Chan, Barbara Raboy, and Charlotte Patterson
  This study found that the sexual orientation and relationship status of parents had no significant impact on the psychological well being of their children. Rather, children were impacted by other factors, such as parents' psychological well being and parenting stress-neither of which had anything to do with sexual orientation. 1998 (April). Child Development, Vol. 69, No. 2, pages 443-457.
  
  
• Lesbians Choosing Motherhood: A Comparative Study of Lesbian and Heterosexual Parents and Their Children
  David K. Flaks, Ilda Ficher, Frank Masterpasqua, Gregory Joseph
  This study found that children of lesbians and children of heterosexuals were equally healthy in terms of psychological well-being and social adjustment. The lesbian mothers were found to have more developed parenting awareness skills than the heterosexual parents. 1995. Developmental Psychology, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 105-114.
  
  
• Children in Lesbian and Single-Parent Households: Psychosexual and Psychiatric Appraisal
  Susan Golombok, Ann Spencer, and Michael Rutter
  This study found no significant differences between children raised by lesbians and children raised by single heterosexual mothers on measures of emotions, behavior, and relationships with peers. Also, no differences were found in terms of their gender identity or gender behavior. 1983. Journal of Child Psychology, Vol. 24, No. 4, pp.
  551-572.
  
  
• Adults Raised as Children in Lesbian Families
  Fiona Tasker and Susan Golombok
  This study found no significant difference between children raised by lesbian parents and those raised by heterosexual parents in the quality of the young adults' relationships with their mothers, in incidences of teasing or bullying in high school, or in their emotional well-being. No differences were found in the proportion of each group that reported experiencing sexual attraction to someone of the same sex, though the children of lesbians were more likely to act, or consider acting, on those attractions. 1995. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Vol. 65, No.2, pp.203-215.
  
  
• Do Parents Influence the Sexual Orientation of Their Children? Findings From a Longitudinal Study of Lesbian Families
  Susan Golombok and Fiona Tasker
  This study found that there was no significant difference in the number of self-identified lesbian and gay young adults from lesbian-headed families and from heterosexual-headed families. Similarly, no significant difference was found between the two groups in those who reported experiencing same-sex attraction. Daughters of lesbians, however, were significantly more likely to report being open to same-sex attractions or relationships. Children of lesbians were significantly more likely to have had a same-sex sexual experience. 1996. Developmental Psychology, Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 3-11.
  
  
• Lesbian Mothers and Their Children: A Comparison with Solo Parent Heterosexual Mothers and Their Children
  Richard Green, Jane Barclay Mandel, Mary E. Hotvedt, James Gray, Laurel Smith
  This study found that children of lesbians and children of heterosexual single mothers show no differences in gender identity and social adjustment with peers. Some differences were detected in gender behavior: daughters of lesbians were found to be less confined in their choices by stereotypical notions of feminine- and masculine-appropriate behavior. Some significant differences were detected between the mothers themselves. Lesbian mothers had higher levels of self-confidence and sought more leadership roles, while the heterosexual mothers had lower self-confidence and sought subordinate roles. 1986. Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 167-185.
  
  
• Gay and Lesbian Parents
  Mary B. Harris and Pauline H. Turner
  This study found no significant parenting differences between gay and lesbian parents and their heterosexual counterparts. 1985-86. Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 101-113.
  
  
• Children's Acquisition of Sex-Role Behavior in Lesbian-Mother Families
  Beverly Hoeffer
  This study found no significant differences between the gender behavior of children of lesbian and heterosexual mothers. It also found that lesbian mothers were significantly more likely to prefer that their kids play with a more equal mix of masculine and feminine toys, while heterosexual mothers tended to prefer that girls play with stereotypically feminine toys and boys play with stereotypically masculine toys. 1981. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Vol. 51, No. 3. pp. 536-544.
  
  
• Children of Lesbian Mothers
  Mary E. Hotvedt and Jane Barclay Mandel
  No significant differences were found between children of divorced lesbian and heterosexual mothers in terms of general well being and relationships with peers. There were no differences between boys in terms of gender behavior, but daughters of lesbians tended to have preferences in play and career choice that were not confined by traditional notions of female toys and occupations. 1982. Homosexuality, Social, Psychological, and Biological Issues, edited by W. Paul. Sage: Beverly Hills, CA.
  
  
• A Comparative Study of Self-Esteem of Adolescent Children of Divorced Lesbian Mothers and Divorced Heterosexual Mothers
  Sharon L. Huggins
  This study found no significant difference between the self-esteem of children with heterosexual mothers and children with lesbian mothers. 1989. Homosexuality and the Family, edited by F.W. Bozett. Haworth: New York.
  
  
• The Children of Homosexual and Heterosexual Single Mothers
  Ghazala Afzal Javaid
  Significantly more lesbian mothers than heterosexual mothers expressed willingness to accept their child if he or she later came out as gay. No differences were found between children in terms of gender identity or sexual orientation. 1993. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 235-248.
  
  
• Lesbian Mothers and Their Children: A Comparative Survey
  Martha Kirkpatrick, Catherine Smith, and Ron Roy
  This study found no difference between children of lesbian mothers and children of single heterosexual mothers in psychological well-being or gender behavior. 1981 (July). American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 545-551.
  
  
• Heterosexual and Homosexual Mothers' Self Described Sex-Role Behavior and Ideal Sex-Role Behavior in Children
  Sally L. Kweskin and Alicia S. Cook
  This study found that a mother's gender behavior-not her sexual orientation-may be a more important influence on her children's gender identity. 1982. Sex Roles, Vol 8., No. 9, pp. 967-975.
  
  
• Families and Parenting: A Comparison of Lesbian and Heterosexual Mothers
  Kevin F. McNeill, Beth M. Rienzi, and Augustine Kposowa
  This study found that lesbian and heterosexual mother groups did not differ significantly in relationships with their children, parenting practices, and overall family stress. 1998. Psychological Reports, Vol. 82, pp. 59-62.
  
  
• The Child's Home Environment for Lesbian vs. Heterosexual Mother: A Neglected Area of Research
  Judith Ann Miller, R. Brooke Jacobsen, Jerry J. Bigner
  This study measured the way lesbian and heterosexual mothers responded to a variety of situations involving their children. It found that lesbian mothers were significantly more likely to respond in a child-oriented way (oriented more towards helping the child understand the situation) than the heterosexual mothers who responded in more task-oriented ways (simply disciplining the children without explaining why). 1981 (Fall). Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 49-56.
  
  
• Children of the Lesbian Baby Boom: Behavioral Adjustment, Self-Concepts, and Sex Role Identity
  Charlotte Patterson
  This study found that children of lesbian mothers did not differ from other children in the areas of psychological well-being, social adjustment with peers, and gender behavior. The children of lesbian mothers had two differences: they tended to have both a higher stress level and a higher sense of well being. 1994. Lesbian & Gay Psychology: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications, edited by B. Green and G.M. Herek. SAGE: Thousand Oaks, California.
  
  
• Psychological Health and Factors: The Court Seeks to Control in Lesbian Mother Custody Trials
  Catherine Rand, Dee L. R. Graham, and Edna I. Rawlings
  This study found no significant differences between lesbian mothers and other mothers in psychological health. It also found that divorced lesbians tend to have a better level of mental health if they are open about their sexuality to their children and former husband. 1982 (Fall). Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 27-39.
  
  
• Rozzie and Harriet? Gender and Family Patterns of Lesbian Coparents
  Maureen Sullivan
  This study investigated the relationships of lesbian couples who have children and the way these women share responsibilities. The study found that most of the couples share responsibility in more egalitarian ways than the stereotypical, nuclear family model, but the author did not study any heterosexual parents. 1996 (December). Gender & Society, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 747-767.
  

[news] It's Showtime

Get your popcorn: it's time for the Rumsfeld v. FAIR show. Since it's an expressive association case, I expect at least some time to be spent expounding the relative virtues of (a) the military and (b) law schools. So, if you were sitting on the fence and couldn't decide exactly how you wanted to sacrifice your own life and emotional well-being by devoting it to someone else's battles, this is the perfect opportunity to get all the information in one place.

Predictions:

• Scalia will link this case to gay marriage and parade his horribles.
  
• Thomas will find no standing and be omitted in most case books.
  
• Stevens will say there's some "intangible dimension" to the military and no burden to the law schools' expression.
  
• Kennedy will write an opinion, but it won't make any sense.
  
• Breyer will join with Souter and go to the movies afterwards.
  
• O'Connor will develop an incredibly delicate balancing test that nobody will ever use again, unless she's a concurring opinion, in which case it will be law forever.
  
• Robert's every question will be reported out of context on Fox News.
  

(link to washington post editorial)
(link to fox news story)

EDIT: 8:07pm.

(link to AP feed of oral args (realmedia format))

[plug] Holiday Dykefest (12/8 @ 8pm, Full Moon Saloon)

around town...

Queer Cheer
-a holiday dykefest-

Saturday, December 3rd, 8pm
Full Moon Saloon: 207 S. Main, Ann Arbor, 21+ (map)


The Full Moon has booze, good food, and lots of pool tables. Come out and mingle at this pre-holiday bash.

Bring your girl, bring your friends, bring your exes, bring yourself.



We'll provide the mistletoe!
http://www.myspace.com/hottnott

[note] Competitive? Sure.

A lot of prospective students ask this relatively nonsensical question: Is Michigan competitive? I still, to this day, don't know what kind of information a person wants when they ask that. If they want anecdotes about anonymous students ripping pages out of books in the library, they won't get them from me. I don't go to the library.

I can offer this anecdote, however. Over the Thanksgiving holidays, my grandmother passed away. I left on Friday and tried to get back to class on Monday, but--by the time I had flown from Texas--was too tired to do anything but lay in bed and shiver. It's cold here.

The next day, I showed up to First Amendment, and the fellow who sits next to me said, "Good morning," and slid a piece of paper my way. It was the handout from the day before. I was really thankful.

Today, a girl walked up to me and said, "I was going to put these in your pendaflex [a bunch of folders in the basement with our names on them], but I found you. I'm really sorry about your grandmother." And with that, she slipped two packets of instant cider in my hands. It's very Michigan, and I gave her a big hug.

Truth is, I know both of these people, but we're not close friends. We don't drink together, or call each other to gossip, or even eat dinner together in the dining hall. But, that didn't matter, because we're all students and we know that--as much as you want to hide away while at school--life still goes on. It's nice, in moments like that, to know that the people around you are human too.

So, is it competitive? Sure, but that doesn't mean it's every man for himself--especially when you stop talking about law and start talking about life.