Five things every parent should do when their kid comes out — Before I begin, I have a quick quiz for you, dear reader: Are you a Don’t-Say-Gay Floridian? Do you support blocking access to gender-affirming care for kids? Are you one of the seven Kappa Kappa Gamma members suing their transgendered sister? If you’re answered “yes” to any of these — or if you identify as any flavor of right-wing nutjob nonsense —…

So you just like… parts??!? — My favorite place to talk to my teen is the car It’s late afternoon, it’s sunny, and I’m driving across town with my then 14-year-old. She’s picking the tunes (Mitski and Taylor Swift, our favorites) and we’re rocking out. She loves DJing on long drives. I love it too. Because driving time is the very best time to connect with my…

Happy Father’s Day to my Dad, who has no idea what day it is. — Every childhood friend of mine is terrified of my Dad, to this day. Standing over six feet tall and barrel-chested — and as verbally aggressive as any type-A Boomer from the Bronx could be — my Dad reigned over my childhood home, a tyrant in his own domain. A classic (though not isolated) example: my tenth birthday party. I had a gaggle of…

Why GenX women are happy to chat perimenopause — but still avoid the “M” word — Peri: Not Our Mother’s Menopause As I approach menopause, I’ve never been more grateful to be GenX. I see GenX women showing up to destigmatize menopause. I see an emerging willingness in my GenX peers to openly discuss their symptoms and experiences that I find heartening — and educational. I only know about Estradiol because…

And I’m pretty okay with it. — I live in a liberal blue dot 🔵 of a city. It’s by design. I wouldn’t want to live (or raise my children) in a community that doesn’t align with my values. As a mama of two daughters — one gender nonconforming — I sure as shit don’t want to live anywhere that would limit their freedom of sexual or gender…

It’s Yom Kippur. It’s time to seal the damn thing. — I was raised Jewish. Jewish people, while culturally known for being big on guilt, don’t have religious mechanisms for airing their dirty deeds. Catholics have weekly confessions, where a hushed word through a phone booth with a Father Figure and a few Hail Marys make things all better. Jews need to bottle it up…

Our magical, impromptu low-tide wedding day — My phone rang on Sunday. I was surprised to see a call from Lawrence — my best friend for decades, who never calls— so I answered it, happy and curious. “Got plans for Saturday?” he asked. “None yet, why?” I replied. “You don’t happen to be ordained, do you?” he…

Remembering Amy on what would’ve been her 40th birthday — She left no time to regret Oh, Amy. So many words have already been written about her life and demise, without any true answers or solace. A dozen years have passed since her untimely death in 2011 at just 27 years old. I feel like her loss came with no closure. She was here and she…

Seattle needed a big win for music and arts. We got it and more at Bumbershoot 2023. — Happy 50th anniversary to Bumbershoot Music & Arts Fest! Seattle almost didn’t get to celebrate the half-centennial of our beloved festival. Because Bumbershoot nearly disappeared, until a band of like-minded show and art promoters who believed in its mission jumped in to save it. This is a joyous story for my city — and for me as a music…