Even with Father's and Mother's Day coming up (or the fact that my wonderful mom texts, IMs or calls at least once a day), I don't typically focus on parenting or parent issues as a single, 25-year-old practitioner in the city. However, single or married with six kids, it is common knowledge that Chicago Parent is one of the biggest publications in the Windy City for families, providing parenting and education advice to Chicagoland's extremely diverse communities.
Yesterday, I literally stopped in front of the Borders windows because this month's Chicago Parent, which profiles different families, proudly featured Robert Pooley and Howard Wax with their two children Sarah and Marcus. Entitled "Two dads, two kids, one happy family," Wax and Pooley's story and decisions to have children via a surrogate is a quick read here on the Chicago Parent site.
Chicago Parent didn't just stop, though, with telling the story of how these two men created a family. Instead, they addressed the uncertain road ahead, noting the couple's concern for their children's emotional and physical protection. Pooley, who is a local physician, said in the piece, "It's up to us, society as a whole, to always support parents because in the end, what we want to do is raise good, decent children."
Falling during Census Month and the many debates around how Americans classify themselves, their marriage and their family, Chicago Parent's bold move uses a story to bring humanity and purpose to same-sex families and adoptions. All parents want to raise good children, even if it is the toughest job in the world AND doesn't come with an instruction manual. It requires sacrifice and is a big decision for many.
Yet, it is something others try to discuss as an "issue." Case in point is the current coverage of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's comments on the topic during an interview with the College of New Jersey's news magazine The Perspective. You can actually check out the interview tape over at Queerty.
I'll end by thanking Chicago Parent for introducing its readers to just one of the many same-sex families around the world. What are your thoughts on the story or same-sex families? Share them with us, or your greatest parenting advice, in the comments below.
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