Should gay teenagers be able to express their sexuality at school?

“All I want is the same chance to enjoy my prom night like any other student. But my school would rather hurt all the students than treat everyone fairly”. I know a lot of you have seen the story about Constance McMillen. She’s 19 and has been stopped from going to her school prom in Mississippi, USA. The reason is that she wants to go with her girlfriend, something her school was not prepared to allow. As you can see, she’s got plenty of supporters on Facebook. Even Ellen DeGeneres has got involved. Now while the specifics of the case are being played out in the courts, a broader discussion has started about the right and wrongs of gay teenagers expressing their feelings at school.

On air: Does a child need a father?

This is how The Times reported a vote this week in the British parliament that means fertility clinics no longer need to consider a child’s need for a father. The new law has given new impetus to an issue that’s been burning for years.

Are children brought up lesbian couples or single mothers necessarily worse off? Is the presence of a father always desirable? What can a man bring to a child’s life that a woman can’t?