Every parent wants their child to become a self-confident, self-aware being that deals well with challenges and can get the most out of life. What if same sex female couples have found the secret? A series of studies in Canada and elsewhere over the past decade has found that the children of lesbians aren't just well-adjusted – they excel. On average, kids with two moms seem to be more confident and less aggressive than those raised by a mom and a dad. They are open-minded, affectionate and less susceptible to anxiety and depression. The research is still very new, and there aren't yet any definitive long-term, single-study comparisons of kids raised by lesbian and heterosexual couples. There is even less data on children of gay dads: In Canada, almost a quarter of married lesbians live with children, while only 9 per cent of married gay men do. But the signs seem to indicate their kids, too, are at least as successful as those with heterosexual parents. It's quite a switch from the many accusations made against gay parents, warnings that their children would be raised in household instability and into gender confusion. Just a few decades ago, a parent who left a heterosexual marriage and came out would most likely lose custody. Legal recognition has been piecemeal by province: It was in 1999 that Alberta courts first agreed to let same sex partners adopt each other's biological children. Gays and lesbians in New Brunswick have been able to adopt legally only since 2004. Considering all that, and the fact that women on average earn lower salaries, one might assume that kids raised by lesbian couples would have tougher lives. And yet it seems it is not so. What do female couples know or do that some others don't? Here, according to The Globe and Mail, are seven lesbian lessons in raising happy, healthy kids.
Are Buddy and Pedro, two African penguins at the Toronto Zoo, gay? The Toronto Star reports that their keepers have noticed the two are inseparable, and perhaps most telling, they’re showing signs of mating behaviours. Sadly, soon, Buddy and Pedro’s relationship, however described, is destined to come to an end because they have a duty. They have top-notch genes, so the zoo intends to separate them from each other and pair them with females for breeding. Given that African penguins are endangered, the move falls within a species survival plan among zoos. Buddy, 20, and Pedro, 10, are in Toronto as part of the popular African penguin exhibit that opened at the zoo in May. The two, bred in captivity, were part of a group of 12 penguins — six male, six female — that came to Toronto from zoos in the U.S. Buddy and Pedro arrived from Toledo, Ohio, where they formed a connection as members of a bachelor flock. Their relationship, referred to as “pair bonding’’ in zoo speak, continued after they arrived here, say their zoo keepers. Scientists don’t use the words heterosexual or homosexual when it comes to sexual orientation in animals. During the day all 12 penguins generally swim and frolic together in their enclosure, which includes a massive pool with underwater windows for the public to view. But at night Buddy and Pedro pair off together. Every night. “They do courtship and mating behaviours that females and males would do,’’ one keeper said in an interview. Those behaviours include making a “braying’’ sound, almost like a donkey, as a mating call. They defend their territory, preen each other, and are constantly standing alone together. In fact when the Star visited the exhibit this week Buddy emerged from the water, followed a few moments later by Pedro. The two huddled together for quite some time. Their relationship is somewhat of a delicate issue for the keepers to discuss with outsiders. But they have all noticed the pair’s bond, and talk about it among themselves. “This is all new for us,’’ said another keeper, pointing out that the zoo hasn’t had African penguins on display since 1993. “It’s a complicated issue, but they seem to be in a loving relationship of some sort,’’ says Joe Torzsok, chair of the Toronto zoo board. It’s not unusual for some species of animals to exhibit homosexual tendencies. Giraffes, some dolphins and some monkeys are known to form same-sex bonds. The case of the Central Park penguins was similar to one at a zoo in Germany where two male penguins did the same thing. Native to South Africa, the African penguin population has dropped significantly, from millions centuries ago. The animals are declining by a rate of about 2-percent a year, leading to worries about their long-term sustainability on Earth. By the late 1990s their population had recovered slightly, with about 224,000 in existence. Currently the major threats to these penguins include oil pollution and competition from commercial fisheries for their natural food supply.
A new lawsuit suggests that Adam Lambert may have violated the rules of American Idol when he agreed to appear on the eighth season of the hit reality competition show. The singer is now facing a lawsuit that alleges that he's still under a Music Services Agreement and a Co-publishing Agreement from a company he worked with prior to hitting it big on Idol, and that he has violated the company's rights in his mega-selling post-Idol career, according to an exclusive by The Hollywood Reporter. The claims come from Colwel Platinum Entertainment, which has been marketing a new Lambert album entitled Beg For Mercy. The appearance of the new album has generated such discussion among Lambert fans that on October 6, Lambert felt the need to tweet: "Beg For Mercy project is same as ‘Take One’. some songs I worked on 5 yrs ago and never finished. This release comes as a surprise to me…” Lambert's reps sent takedown notices to Amazon.com, which had the album up for sale, and on October 14, the album was removed for sale. Now Colwel Platinum is striking back in a lawsuit filed in California federal court on Tuesday.
The revival of the musical Funny Girl that was set to open in early 2012 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles before transferring to Broadway in April has been put on indefinite hold, organizers announced late Thursday. The Los Angeles Time reports that the weak economy has made it difficult to raise money for the show, lead producer Bob Boyett said in a statement. The production would have required $12 million, he said, "making it one of the most expensive revivals in Broadway history." A spokesperson for the production said the decision to pull the plug was made Thursday afternoon by the show's New York producers. They alerted Michael Ritchie, the artistic director of L.A.'s Center Theatre Group, about the decision. The spokesperson said that rehearsals had not begun for Funny Girl and that the cast, including Lauren Ambrose and Bobby Cannavale, was alerted Thursday. Ambrose was cast as Fanny Brice and Cannavale as Nick Arnstein. Ritchie was traveling Thursday, but Center Theatre Group, which runs the Ahmanson, issued a statement from him. "We're obviously disappointed by this news, but we're already hard at work to find a replacement for Funny Girl," he said. Funny Girl was supposed to begin previews at the Ahmanson on January 15, with an official opening scheduled for February 1. Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher (South Pacific) was slated to stage the production.
Patrick Schwarzenegger in Interview magazine.
A portfolio of work by the perfectly pretty Patrick “Paddy” Mitchell, an 18-year-old model.
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