Mary Cheney has her baby

Mary Cheney gave birth to an 8-pound, 6-ounce boy today. Her pregnancy caused a stir when it was announced last December because Ms. Cheney is a lesbian living in a committed same sex partnership. As a daughter of one of the most conservative Vice Presidents in this country’s history the circumstances of her pregnancy raised more than a few eyebrows. Christianist elements active in the Republican Party, who are opposed to any and all gay and lesbian relationships let alone relationships involving the raising of children, were not happy at all.

Mary Cheney and her partner moved a little over a year ago to Northern Virginia where she works as an executive for AOL. Virginians were embroiled in a fight over a state constitutional amendment to restrict marriage to different sex couples. (Coincidently, there was a proposal before the Virginia General Assembly at the same time to prohibit unmarried women from having children through medically assisted means.) Ms. Cheney chose not to speak out publicly in opposition to the amendment that would discriminate against her, her partner and future child. Sadly, the amendment passed.

Andrew Sullivan quotes the Christianist World Net Daily,

According to reports, Mary's homosexual partner of 15 years, Heather Poe, "will have no legal relationship with her child. She can't adopt as a second parent. She won't have her name on the birth certificate."

He adds, “It's such an important Christian value to keep a child vulnerable, isn't it? And to stigmatize and discriminate against one of his moms.”

We wish the family well because in Virginia being a loving family isn’t enough.