The Lesbian Parenting Book: A Guide to Creating Families and Raising Children

Written by two experienced lesbian therapists and parents, this second edition of The Lesbian Parenting Book has been updated to reflect the contemporary cultural and political landscape, as well as current trends in parenting. Drawing on the real-life experiences of lesbian families and the latest information from family specialists, the authors present detailed, chapter-by-chapter information on each stage of parenthood and child development. New material includes information on circumcision, Internet safety, legal hoops for noncustodial parents, the facts about late-in-life pregnancies, moms working inside and outside of the home, and more. An essential text for every lesbian who is involved in -- or considering -- raising a family.

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Always My Child: A Parent's Guide to Understanding Your Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, or Questioning Son or Daughter

Focusing on the day-to-day experiences of adolescents confused about their sexual identities, " Always My Child" provides the psychological insights and practical strategies parents need for supporting their kids and coping themselves, and guides them to understand their gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered son or daughter.

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The Queer Parent's Primer: A Lesbian and Gay Families' Guide to Navigating Through a Straight World

More and more gays and lesbians are choosing to parent, and the challenges that accompany this choice can be difficult. Through examples and interactive exercises, "The Queer Parent's Primer" helps make the endeavor a positive, productive one.

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What About the Children? Sons and Daughters of Lesbian and Gay Parents Talk About Their Lives

What about the children?' - a concern commonly expressed about children raised by lesbian and gay parents - is here addressed through the life stories of twenty sons and daughters of lesbians or gay men. With a combination of humor and serious reflection, they examine the effect of their upbringing on their adult lives and place the sexuality of their parents in perspective. Pejorative and stereotypical representations of lesbian and gay parents are firmly rejected in these stories, while associated problems are realistically and sensitively explored. At the core of the book is the belief that parents cannot be responsible for other people's bigotry, but they must aim to equip their children with the moral fortitude and integrity to deal with the prejudice and injustice that they may encounter in their lives. Some of the interviewees identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, most identify as heterosexual. They are aged from eleven to sixty-six and vary in class and race. Their stories are supported by an analysis of recent research on the children of lesbians and gay men, as well as consideration of the issues raised by the interviewees: living with prejudice, what children need from parents, influences on sexuality and who counts as family. This book is essential reading for lesbian and gay people contemplating parenthood, for children raised in lesbian and gay families, for childcare professionals and anyone who wants to understand the diversity of today's families.

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The Family of Woman: Lesbian Mothers, Their Children, and the Undoing of Gender

Drawing upon interviews with gay families, Sullivan contends that gay families have more equitable social relations and move forward in equalizing gender roles.

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All the Ways Home: Parenting and Children in the Lesbian and Gay Communities: A Collection of Short Fiction

In this unique collection of short fiction, both well-known and budding authors write about their experience being a part of lesbian and gay families.

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Families of Value: Gay and Lesbian Parents and Their Children Speak Out

With an estimated 6 to 14 million children living with a gay or lesbian parent, a new constellation of American families is emerging into our consciousness. Families of Value is a worthwhile collection of stories by and about nearly two dozen families in which gay fathers lesbian mothers are raising children in a wide variety of settings and styles. From its opening discussion, which defines the meaning of "family", the book discusses valid concerns about interpersonal relationships, sexual and psychological development, coming out, facing prejudice, and finding a spiritual foundation. The overriding lesson is that children thrive in an environment of love, regardless of the number, gender, or sexual orientation of the adults providing that love. Families of Value offers a remarkable balance of informational material and personal anecdotes. Anyone who wishes to meet a variety of interesting and courageous families and to open their minds to a thoughtful dialogue of family values will enjoy this book.

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Children of Horizons: How Gay and Lesbian Teens Are Leading a New Way Out of the Closet/With a New Epilogue

At Horizons, a lesbian and gay social service agency in Chicago, teens gather weekly to get support and share experiences as they begin the process of coming out. When they first join the group, they are often tentative, lonely, and even suicidal as they face the threat of rejection by family and friends. Gilbert Herdt, an anthropologist, and Andrew Boxer, a developmental psychologist, spent two years studying a diverse group of teens at Horizons. In both personal portraits and accounts of group meetings and activities, the authors follow the youth along a path that takes them from loneliness and secrecy to active participation in public gay and lesbian culture. The authors found that the majority of the youth attending the group were not confused about their sexuality; rather they were fearful and unsure about how to express themselves in an intensely homophobic society. When they feel free to come out of the closet, they emerge from this process both psychologically healthy and as socially competent as their heterosexual peers. For the first time in history, self-identified gay and lesbian youth are coming out while they are still in their teenage years. Despite this unprecedented cultural development, there is almost no information available on their lives. As an invisible minority, stereotypes about them still abound: they are confused, or mentally ill, or corrupted and seduced by older homosexuals into a secret society. Children of Horizons is a groundbreaking study that confronts these myths about gay and lesbian youth and explores their real experiences of coming out. Herdt and Boxer have uncovered an important generational change as attitudes about sexual identity are beginning to free our youth from a crippling self-doubt. This study of a new generation of courageous teenagers promises to change the way people understand gay men and lesbians in American society today.

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Mid-life Lesbian Relationships: Friends, Lovers, Children, and Parents

Take an informative and insightful look into the unique cultural experiences of lesbians who are now in middle age. Mid-life Lesbian Relationships explores the rich relational world of lesbians at mid-life, from dating through the loss of parents, and describes the central relationship between who we are as adults and our connections with friends, lovers, parents, and children. Mid-life Lesbian Relationships will help lesbians and others navigate and understand the mid-life transition. It discusses the difficulties of stigma and the strengths of female same-sex relationships, providing insight into the challenges lesbians find at middle age.

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Now That You Know: A Parents' Guide to Understanding Their Gay and Lesbian Children

Two mothers of gay children discuss the nature of homosexuality and the need for parents to accept-understand-and support their children-and it includes an updated chapter on AIDS.

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