and her partner Heather Poe are expecting their first child? Let me
say first and foremost as a parent that I couldn’t be more happy
for the two of them. As we all know, being a parent is an amazing
experience that challenges us, fulfills us and makes our world
bigger and smaller all at the same time.
But I also can’t help but note the irony of this situation. That
this child will be born into a largely political family and into a
society that has for the last 6 years endured the unending attacks
of fundamentalists, the conservative right, many factions of the
Republican party and largely under the leadership of our current
President and his administration, of which Grandpa Cheney is second
in command. And I am sure that it is this juxtaposition that is
catching the media’s attention as it reports on the Mary Cheney
pregnancy story.
Today I’ve already taped segments for CNN’s Situation Room and Good
Morning America. I’ve spoken to reporters at the Wall Street
Journal and LA Times and all of them are transfixed by whether this
addition to the Cheney clan will somehow move Vice-President Cheney
to speak out about the very anti-LGBTQ family policies he has
complicity supported. Because the reality is that he’s not only
hurt the millions of children already being raised by one or more
LGBT parents in this country – he’s actually hurt his own
soon-to-be-born grandchild.
Hopefully, having this conversation will give us an opportunity to
educate people about the unique challenges we face as LGBTQ parents
and that even the Vice-President’s daughter won’t be immune from
those challenges. In the meantime, I’ll give the Cheney-Poe family
the same advice I give to all expectant LGBTQ parents. Get lots of
sleep, go on lots of dates together, see a good movie, draw up your
wills, powers of attorney, and health care proxies, drive the route
to the hospital where you will deliver and, most of all, get ready
for the biggest joy of your life.
Jennifer Chrisler,
Executive Director, Family Pride