you can't tell

The front page of the Metro section in today's Post has an article about the gay and lesbian parents who have come to town to participate in the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House. They have been planning their participation in the event since at least as far back as January.

The message that these parent are trying to send is something along the lines of "We're just like you." They have kids, whom they love and who like to eat chocolate bunnies. Those who have expressed concern that the gay parents were "politicizing" the event have come across as the same folks who say things like, "I wish they wouldn't flaunt their sexuality," when they see two men walking down the street holding hands. Really. It seemed like the perfect plan: bring your kids to an All-American (I won't go into the church and state issue here) event, let them have fun, be a good parent, go home. It's very middle of the road HRC assimilationist politics.

So, I have to say I'm a little disappointed with the organizers' decision to have the gay parents wear rainbow colored leis to enable others to identify them. It's not that I think they should hide. It's more that I think it diminishes the message. "We're just like you except we wear Hawaiian neck garlands at an Easter Egg Roll in Washington DC." And it gives those who say stupid things about politicizing the event ammunition for the poorly-formed argument (everything is political, folks).

How can you tell which parent is the gay parent at the Easter Egg Roll? How can you tell which kid at the Easter Egg Roll has a gay parent? Maybe the answer (beyond the obvious sight of two women or two men walking in with the kids) should be, "You can't, because they're just like everyone else."