Q: Dear Mom,

For those of us spending the holidays alone this year, what’s your advice for combating those pesky “holiday blues”?

Now talking politics with your family can be hard no matter who you are or the issue at hand, but sometimes things get even dicier when discussing LGBT issues. This week, Zack’s mom, Gaga, counsels a reader who’s trying to bridge the gap between politics and family.

Q: Dear Mom,

So I met this this really cute, nice, funny guy a few weeks ago. We’ve hung out once or twice since then, and, lo and behold, there seemed to actually be some chemistry there. So much so, that I’ve pursued it a bit more aggressively than I would normally (which is to say I’ve pursued it at all). But he has this nasty habit of falling off the planet for long stretches of time, and I’m guessing that means he’s not too terribly into me.

Now that I’m officially pushing 30, I’m feeling this societal pressure to settle down. Everything in me wants to resist and keep partying and having fun with my friends, but there’s this nagging voice (which sounds a lot like my Dad and all my married/coupled friends) in my head saying “You should get a dog and a boyfriend and a mortgage,” and I don’t know how to reconcile those two things. Any thoughts?

How should I bring up the issue of bringing someone home with my parents, specifically my father who still doesn’t recognize my sexuality?

Welcome to TNG’s new motherly advice column, The Mother Lode! This week, Zack’s mom, Gaga, is here to answer you pressing questions!

Q: Dear Mom,

I wonder if you would have had a different experience if it were your daughter who was gay. Does Rocky have siblings? If you had a lesbian daughter what, if anything would have been different for you?

-J

Q: Dear Moms,

Despite us all being adults, my family situation is often very tense. I think a lot of it is due to my mom’s hyper-idealized image of our family which we never live up to. The older she gets, the more she gets disappointed by how little we resemble a Norman Rockwell family portrait. What can I do to help my mom realize that she needs to love and appreciate what she has instead of pining for what will never be? At this rate, she’ll lose what she has altogether.

Q: Dear Mom,

When your child first comes out, there are a lot of things a parent could be wary or scared of. But now that your son is out, have you discovered any specific advantages to having a gay child?

-R

Q: Dear Moms,

During your 20’s did you have any gay friends or know any openly gay
people? What did it mean to be “openly gay” in your youth? Did you
know people who were involved in activism for equal rights (women’s
rights/minority rights/gay rights?) Were you?