Polish Producer Michal Kwiecinsk Is Shameless

So much to blog, so little time. Back in the middle of the month, timesofindia.com had words from the producer of a film of interest to this blog... Film audiences around the world are growing up and getting ready to accept bolder and controversial themes. But there are still areas that remain taboo, felt Polish producer Michal Kwiecinski. It's just as difficult to make a film on a subject like incest in Poland as in India, he said. Kwiecinski's film 'Shameless', directed by Filip Marczweski, revolves around the "sinful love" between a brother and a sister. It has made waves at several festivals around the world and is now being screened at the 18th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF).Sinful?'Shameless' is the story of an 18-year-old boy in love with his 28-year-old sister....

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Posted in: allies,boundaries,brother-sister,consanguineous,Europe,incest,India,love,media,siblings

Frozen Sperm and the Social Security Administration

The Michigan Supreme Court heard oral arguments mid-Month in a very interesting case of first impression involving frozen sperm and Michigan's laws of intestacy.  The certified question before our High Court  is whether frozen sperm equates to "children" under the intestacy statute.In this case, the procedure is as unusual as the fact pattern.  The case comes to the Supreme Court on a certified question from the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan.  The case took more than five-years to get to the state court.The case arose when the Mattisons, a married couple, arranged for Mr. Mattison to bank his frozen sperm in order to preserve it for later impregnation and prior to receiving chemotherapy...

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Posted in: frozen sperm,intestacy,intestate,Justice Robert P. Young,Justice Stephen Markman,Michigan Supreme Court,Pamela Mattison,Social Security,Social Security Administration

The Best Part of Waking Up is Knowing Love Conquers Hate

I am bumping up this entry because the advertisement in question is getting much attention again. The comments expressed below are typical of the attacks popping up on blogs.There was more questioning of the Folgers ad, along the lines of the previous mocking I wrote about here. Kristi Gustafson Barlette asked, “Dear Folgers, What’s With the Incest?”As an adult, I associate Folgers with church basements (they always seem to be cooking up instant coffee at church) — and warm and fuzzy holiday commercials.The one circulating this year, though, is just … icky.R and I were watching TV the other day and it came on. At first, I thought the man was coming home from overseas to see his girlfriend. But, um, no — it’s his sister.Why can’t she be both?There...

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Posted in: brother-sister,consanguineous,incest,love,media,persecution,prejudice,siblings,stigma

The Best Part of Waking Up is Knowing Love Conquers Hate

I am bumping up this entry because the advertisement in question is getting much attention again. The comments expressed below are typical of the attacks popping up on blogs.There was more questioning of the Folgers ad, along the lines of the previous mocking I wrote about here. Kristi Gustafson Barlette asked, “Dear Folgers, What’s With the Incest?”As an adult, I associate Folgers with church basements (they always seem to be cooking up instant coffee at church) — and warm and fuzzy holiday commercials.The one circulating this year, though, is just … icky.R and I were watching TV the other day and it came on. At first, I thought the man was coming home from overseas to see his girlfriend. But, um, no — it’s his sister.Why can’t she be both?There...

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Posted in: brother-sister,consanguineous,incest,love,media,persecution,prejudice,siblings,stigma

Sibling Visitation – Does it Exist?

We have all heard the term “visitation” before, especially if you have been involved in a child custody dispute or divorce.  The term most often used by family law lawyers and professionals is “parenting time”; referring to the legal right [and obligation] of a parent to spend time with one’s child following a divorce. Even grandparents, under limited and specific circumstances, may have a legal right to visit with their grandchildren according to Michigan law.But what about siblings?  Does a brother or sister have the right to visit their sibling, if for some reason they are no longer living within the same household? The short answer is that sibling visitation is not recognized as a legal right in Michigan.  ...

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Posted in: adoption,child custody,Child Custody Act,divorce,family court,family law,family law lawyer,Michigan Court of Appeals,Wayne County Circuit Court

Thanksgiving Day in US

Thanksgiving Day is a huge holiday in the US, centered mainly around a special family meal. In case you haven't noticed, Americans like to eat a lot. It is always on a Thursday, with Friday typically being a holiday as well. It is considered the busiest travel time in the US. I’m not sure why it is busier than Christmas. Probably because a lot of people throw in New Year’s Eve/Day with Christmas and schools are out for at least two weeks (some for over a month.) So, the travel is spread out over a longer period of time when it comes to Christmas. In addition, with Christmas, gift-giving is a central tradition, and it is easier to stay home and ship presents. For Thanksgiving, people just bring themselves, any luggage they need, and perhaps...

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Posted in: allies,family reaction

Thanksgiving Day in US

Thanksgiving Day is a huge holiday in the US, centered mainly around a special family meal. In case you haven't noticed, Americans like to eat a lot. It is always on a Thursday, with Friday typically being a holiday as well. It is considered the busiest travel time in the US. I’m not sure why it is busier than Christmas. Probably because a lot of people throw in New Year’s Eve/Day with Christmas and schools are out for at least two weeks (some for over a month.) So, the travel is spread out over a longer period of time when it comes to Christmas. In addition, with Christmas, gift-giving is a central tradition, and it is easier to stay home and ship presents. For Thanksgiving, people just bring themselves, any luggage they need, and perhaps...

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Posted in: allies,family reaction

Women Often Lose Health Insurance Coverage After Divorce

Long-term marriage has been an endangered species for some time in our society.  Couples in the United States divorce at the rate of approximately one million times each year.Divorce is Hell for both men and women.  Even in our post-modern society, however, women still seem to get the brunt of the pain. According to a recent study published by the University of Michigan, approximately 115,000 women nationwide lose their health insurance coverage as a direct result of the divorce process.  Of these, some 65,000 never re-gain coverage.The study was conducted by Bridget Lavelle, a UM sociology doctoral candidate.  Ms. Lavelle examined literature and data from survey respondents who divorced between the years 1996...

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Posted in: Affordable Care Act,alimony,Bridget Lavelle,COBRA,divorce,health insurance,Obamacare,sociology,University of Michigan

A Picture of GSA

One is not going to get a good idea of what Genetic Sexual Attraction is from a few minutes of a television interview show sensationalizing the topic with woman, promoting a book and subscription website, with a limited, brief, doubtful experience with a long-lost relative.The Lioness just posted something that is much better at giving a glimpse of GSA (as do her other blog postings.) She has experienced GSA with her genetic father, and it appears her brother is experiencing it, too. From her recent posting...My brother spent the night at my apartment about a month ago. We were working with me on something to earn money and we didn’t get complete with our project until one o’clock a.m. I didn’t sleep with him. We mostly kissed. He held me, looked into my eyes, and I felt uncontrollably high....

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Posted in: brother-sister,consanguineous,father-daughter,grandmother-grandson,siblings

A Picture of GSA

One is not going to get a good idea of what Genetic Sexual Attraction is from a few minutes of a television interview show sensationalizing the topic with woman, promoting a book and subscription website, with a limited, brief, doubtful experience with a long-lost relative.The Lioness just posted something that is much better at giving a glimpse of GSA (as do her other blog postings.) She has experienced GSA with her genetic father, and it appears her brother is experiencing it, too. From her recent posting...My brother spent the night at my apartment about a month ago. We were working with me on something to earn money and we didn’t get complete with our project until one o’clock a.m. I didn’t sleep with him. We mostly kissed. He held me, looked into my eyes, and I felt uncontrollably high....

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Posted in: brother-sister,consanguineous,father-daughter,grandmother-grandson,siblings

A Closer Look at GSA on Dr. Drew

Now is as good of a time as any other to take a look at the transcript from the Dr. Drew show that supposedly discussed Genetic Sexual Attraction.J. DENEEN: Well, I reunited with my father in February of 2011. That means that, even if this is GSA, she had well under two years of experience before she put together a book. There are people who've dealt with GSA, including the good, bad, ugly, beautiful, bitter, and joyous, for many, many years.And then when we were on vacation about two months after our reunion, he said to me that he had an e-mail that he wanted me to read. And on that e-mail, it said that he wanted to kiss me. And I was shocked and nervous and embarrassed and scared.But at the same time I had been struggling with my own feelings of wanting to be connected with my...

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Posted in: boundaries,cheating,consanguineous,father-daughter,GSA,media,prejudice

A Closer Look at GSA on Dr. Drew

Now is as good of a time as any other to take a look at the transcript from the Dr. Drew show that supposedly discussed Genetic Sexual Attraction.J. DENEEN: Well, I reunited with my father in February of 2011. That means that, even if this is GSA, she had well under two years of experience before she put together a book. There are people who've dealt with GSA, including the good, bad, ugly, beautiful, bitter, and joyous, for many, many years.And then when we were on vacation about two months after our reunion, he said to me that he had an e-mail that he wanted me to read. And on that e-mail, it said that he wanted to kiss me. And I was shocked and nervous and embarrassed and scared.But at the same time I had been struggling with my own feelings of wanting to be connected with my...

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Posted in: boundaries,cheating,consanguineous,father-daughter,GSA,media,prejudice

An Ally For the Polygamous Freedom to Marry

Margot Harrison at 7dvt.com interviews Professor Janet Bennion about her book Polygamy in Primetime. courtesy of David Ballou Like many examples in Bennion’s illuminating study, they defy the popular perception that the practice of men taking multiple wives is solely about the male libido.You don't say? But whatever we think of polygamy in America, Bennion argues, it’s not going away anytime soon. And she believes it should be legal.Thank you! As you can see, she knows her stuff...Bennion, 48, has been researching polygamy for two decades. As a master’s student in 1989, she moved in with a rural Montana colony of the Apostolic United Brethren, a fundamentalist Mormon sect that still practices plural marriage as instructed by...

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Posted in: academia,allies,FLDS,freedom to marry,lack of equality harms,LDS,LGBT,love,media,polygamy,religion,same-sex

Consanguinamory Between Siblings Prompts a Mother's Call

I always appreciate when readers of this blog refer me to something of relevance I might otherwise miss. A friend who wants to remain anonymous caught something interesting on yesterday's edition of the "The Jesus Christ Show." It's an call-in advice radio show in which the host, in character as a theologically conservative (if somewhat less conservative socially) Jesus Christ, does monologues and answers questions from callers. The calls range from religious questions to problems someone is having in their life.The Jesus Christ show is interactive radio theater designed to teach people about themselves and the historical person of Jesus.Nationally syndicated, the Jesus Christ show can be heard accross the US. The producer of the the Jesus...

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Posted in: boundaries,brother-sister,consanguineous,family reaction,lack of equality harms,love,media,siblings

Consanguinamory Between Siblings Prompts a Mother's Call

I always appreciate when readers of this blog refer me to something of relevance I might otherwise miss. A friend who wants to remain anonymous caught something interesting on yesterday's edition of the "The Jesus Christ Show." It's an call-in advice radio show in which the host, in character as a theologically conservative (if somewhat less conservative socially) Jesus Christ, does monologues and answers questions from callers. The calls range from religious questions to problems someone is having in their life.The Jesus Christ show is interactive radio theater designed to teach people about themselves and the historical person of Jesus.Nationally syndicated, the Jesus Christ show can be heard accross the US. The producer of the the Jesus...

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Posted in: boundaries,brother-sister,consanguineous,family reaction,lack of equality harms,love,media,siblings

Something to See in Santa Cruz

Will you be in near Santa Cruz, California around the end of this month? Wallace Baine at santacruzsentinel.com reports on Chicano Theatreworks presenting "The Hedonists," a play of interest to readers of this blog.Don't look to Manuel Montez for tame theater. The artistic director of Chicano Theatreworks is wading into dangerous waters with the new production of his own play "The Hedonists," which addresses themes of brother/sister incest. Good for him."The Hedonists" is a contemporary drama taking place over the course of three days set in an unnamed "coastal mid-sized California city" (hmmm ...). It is the story of Nico, a musician struggling to emerge from a crippling depression, who happens to be in sexual relationships with...

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Posted in: boundaries,brother-sister,consanguineous,polyamory,siblings

Per Reader Demand, Dear Prudence Revisits ConsanguinamorousTwins

On the heels of Dear Margo's follow-up on fraternal heterosexual twins, Dear Prudence (written by Emily Yoffe) revisits, per reader demand, male twins in a consanguinamorous relationship. We wrote about them before here.We did contact an attorney as you suggested, who told us that while incest is illegal in our state, our situation was unique and unless we paraded down the street engaging in public sex, there was no chance of prosecution.Consulting an attorney is a good idea. As far as prosecution, all it takes is someone in law enforcement to get an itch, or a powerful family member who has a hateful heart. Supportive family can make all of the difference.After that, talking about your column some more sparked a motivation to get the...

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Posted in: allies,brother-brother,consanguineous,family reaction,LGBT,love,media,same-sex,siblings

Per Reader Demand, Dear Prudence Revisits ConsanguinamorousTwins

On the heels of Dear Margo's follow-up on fraternal heterosexual twins, Dear Prudence (written by Emily Yoffe) revisits, per reader demand, male twins in a consanguinamorous relationship. We wrote about them before here.We did contact an attorney as you suggested, who told us that while incest is illegal in our state, our situation was unique and unless we paraded down the street engaging in public sex, there was no chance of prosecution.Consulting an attorney is a good idea. As far as prosecution, all it takes is someone in law enforcement to get an itch, or a powerful family member who has a hateful heart. Supportive family can make all of the difference.After that, talking about your column some more sparked a motivation to get the...

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Posted in: allies,brother-brother,consanguineous,family reaction,LGBT,love,media,same-sex,siblings

Needing a Loveline From Dr. Drew

Television show host Dr. Drew again put a one-sided presentation of Genetic Sexual Attraction on the air. See this previous coverage for background on this. With awareness of GSA still barely emerging in the general public and with so few resources, it is a shame that such a limited view of GSA is presented, promoting a book and a subscription service that usurped an established, free discussion forum, narrowing the discussion both in availability and tone. Instead, as always, I recommend www.gsaforums.com for help, understanding, and meeting others involved. Notice that gsaforums.com is not about one, two, or three people who are trying to make a name for themselves but about and for people who have been touched by GSA, whether they are the person experiencing GSA is dealing with someone...

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Posted in: boundaries,coming out,consanguineous,family reaction,father-daughter,GSA,media,reunion

Needing a Loveline From Dr. Drew

Television show host Dr. Drew again put a one-sided presentation of Genetic Sexual Attraction on the air. See this previous coverage for background on this. With awareness of GSA still barely emerging in the general public and with so few resources, it is a shame that such a limited view of GSA is presented, promoting a book and a subscription service that usurped an established, free discussion forum, narrowing the discussion both in availability and tone. Instead, as always, I recommend www.gsaforums.com for help, understanding, and meeting others involved. Notice that gsaforums.com is not about one, two, or three people who are trying to make a name for themselves but about and for people who have been touched by GSA, whether they are the person experiencing GSA is dealing with someone...

Read more »

Posted in: boundaries,coming out,consanguineous,family reaction,father-daughter,GSA,media,reunion

Katrina Yates is Still an Attention Hog

Katrina Yates still finds it necessary to blab to the media about the love lives of other consenting adults. We wrote about her media appearances before. Now thesun.co.uk has run an article rehashing her despair that other people may have found lover and happiness with each other. Jane Atkinson reports. The subheadline says this is "One of the most disturbing stories you'll ever read." I agree, but not for the same reason an editor chose those words.Disgusted by the discovery, Katrina turned her daughter in to the police. It is disturbing to me that someone would use unjust laws to interfere with the love life of consenting adults, especially when she's supposed to love and support one of them.And last year, after 47-year-old Butler was jailed...

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Posted in: breaking up homes,consanguineous,courts,family reaction,father-daughter,GSA,incest,lack of equality harms,love,media,persecution,prejudice,prosecution,UK

Katrina Yates is Still an Attention Hog

Katrina Yates still finds it necessary to blab to the media about the love lives of other consenting adults. We wrote about her media appearances before. Now thesun.co.uk has run an article rehashing her despair that other people may have found lover and happiness with each other. Jane Atkinson reports. The subheadline says this is "One of the most disturbing stories you'll ever read." I agree, but not for the same reason an editor chose those words.Disgusted by the discovery, Katrina turned her daughter in to the police. It is disturbing to me that someone would use unjust laws to interfere with the love life of consenting adults, especially when she's supposed to love and support one of them.And last year, after 47-year-old Butler was jailed...

Read more »

Posted in: breaking up homes,consanguineous,courts,family reaction,father-daughter,GSA,incest,lack of equality harms,love,media,persecution,prejudice,prosecution,UK