LGBT parents--and any others who have ever struggled to explain reproduction to their young children in a way relevant to their families--will rejoice at the new picture book What Makes a Baby. In 32 vibrant pages, Toronto-based author Cory Silverberg explains how babies are made--in a way that works for all family structures, ways of family creation, and parents' gender identity.

I never thought I'd be writing about tragedy again so soon.

My spouse Helen and I recently celebrated our 20th anniversary. Only about six of those years have been as legal spouses--but that just gives us a chance to celebrate both our real anniversary and our Massachusetts "Massaversary" several months from now. (Twice the cake is always a good thing, I say.) Hitting the 20-year milestone has made me reflect on some of the things I've learned about marriage in that time, and some of the things I never expected when we started out.

Not one, but two memoirs by lesbians have come out recently that weave together stories of food, family, and personal growth. Like two dishes at a well-planned meal, each has its own flavor, and they complement each other well. A third new memoir, though not food-related, adds yet another flavor with the tale of a lesbian couple facing the ups and downs of infertility during the height of California?s marriage equality battle.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments at the end of March in two cases challenging the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and both supporters and opponents of the law have recently filed briefs with the court. Issues of parenting are at the heart of the briefs.

It is a truism in the LGBT community to say that we need LGBT-inclusive children's books so that our kids see images of families like theirs.

In his second inaugural speech, President Obama linked "Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall"--the birthplaces of the women?s, Black, and LGBT equality movements--and reminded us of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words that (as Obama paraphrased) "our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth." Two new books about LGBT parents, one a personal memoir and the other a sweeping synthesis, remind us that LGBT equality is indeed bound to the need for racial justice.

My family and I just returned from a week at Disney World. Disney, at its worst, has represented crass commercialism, gender and racial stereotypes, and saccharine melodies. At its best, however, it has represented a world of imagination and wonder, engaging storytelling, catchy music, a stimulus to children's creativity, and an immersive and attentive customer experience.

2012 was in many ways a record year for progress towards LGBT equality--but we still have things to accomplish in 2013. Here are my top 10 wishes for LGBT parents and our children in the year ahead.