Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology

Book Description

RACE, CLASS, AND, GENDER, includes many interdisciplinary readings. The author's selection of very accessible articles show how race, class, and gender shape people's experiences, and help students to see the issues in an analytic, as well as descriptive way. The book also provides conceptual grounding in understanding race, class, and gender; has a strong historical and sociological perspective; and is further strengthened by conceptual introductions by the authors. Students will find the readings engaging and accessible, but may gain the most from the introduction sections that highlight key points and relate the essential concepts. Included in the collection of readings are narratives aimed at building empathy, and articles on important social issues such as prison, affirmative action, poverty, immigration, and racism, among other topics.

Customer Reviews:

An Anthology review.......2007-04-21

I'm not a huge fan of the format. It's a compilation of a whole bunch of different articles. Many are interesting, but some just whine on and on. I thought they could have done a better job for the title, but I guess it did encompass all aspects. It was well written, but just an ok book.

Avoid at all costs!!!!!!.......2005-11-03

This book is chock full of hatred and inaccuracies. I was forced to read this book for a class and was disgusted from page one. How a teacher can assign this horror for a diversity class is beyond me. If you want indoctrination, then by all means read this nonsense.

Race Class and Gender: An Anthology .......2005-09-30

this book had no writting in it if it was not new it was like new

Excellent Reading.......2004-02-20

This book was amazing in its scope and varying perspectives on issues concerning "minority" Americans. Both editors and incredible and I personally am really looking forward to reading Patricia Hill Collins' lastest book, Black Sexual Politics.

a book with historical facts.......2001-06-06

this book covers all the necessary needs for a person to have counseling training to understand people from all different ethnicity background.

GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens

Average customer rating:

Great for teens!
Dealing with Teens? Get this!
wonderful book

GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens
Kelly Huegel
Manufacturer: Free Spirit Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Coming Out | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

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Sexuality | Health, Mind & Body | Teens | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Always My Child: A Parent's Guide to Understanding Your Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered or Questioning Son or Daughter
Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence
Two Teenagers in Twenty: Writings by Gay & Lesbian Youth (Transworld)
Free Your Mind
Growing Up Gay in America: Informative and Practical Advice for Teen Guys Questioning Their Sexuality and Growing Up Gay

ASIN: 1575421267

Book Description

Are you queer or questioning? If you are, this book is for you. Do you know someone who might be queer or questioning? If so, this book is for you, too. Or are you someone who just wants to learn more about what it's like to be queer or questioning? This book is a great place to begin. Discovering that you, or someone you love, might be GLBTQ is a revelation. Accepting it is a process. One thing that can help that process is information. This book can't answer all of your questions or counter all of the misinformation, misconceptions, myths, half-truths, and outright lies you might have heard about being GLBTQ, but it's a start.

Customer Reviews:

Great for teens!.......2007-03-16

This is an awesome book. I bought several that I use with a group of high school students. It's very informative and easy to read. Also has step-by-step suggestions for coping with issues such as homophobia, harassment, and coming out. An invaluable resource.

Dealing with Teens? Get this!.......2004-12-06

This book is a must-have for any Library shelf that serves teens. It is written in a style appealing to teens and includes short, one or two page summaries of ways to cope with the many issues teens face when questioning their sexuality. It also provides excellent, current resources for teens, from crisis lines to 'safe' (moderated) chat sites. I especially enjoyed the section dealing with 'coming out' to parents and family. It provided experiences from other teens who have (the good, the bad, and the ugly), and also possible responses parents might have when a teen tells them he/she is gay. In addition, it listed possible, respectful ways to respond to less-than-accepting parents. A fantastic compilation of stories, insights, and resources for teens.

wonderful book.......2004-05-24

i remember being a pre-teen, leafing through many books written for young women that followed an "our bodies ourselves" format. these books were ok, but never what i was really looking for. i didn't want information on how to ask boys to dance or how to apply lipstick- i wondered where the chapters entitled "when you don't feel like the rest or the girls" or "but what if i don't like boys?" were.

what a great help it would have been to have this book! the format is "hip" but not patronizing. while this book affirms the importance of pride and self-respect in queer or questioning young people, it also devotes pages to the concerns and dangers many queer teens face (safe sex, how to begin dating, facing intolerance). transgender issues and stories have their own chapter, as do homophobia and coming out. descriptive paragraphs are broken up by small autobiographical blurbs by young people describing their experiences with the topic at hand, and by smaller essays.

Book Description

"At its core, the freedom-to-marry movement is about the same thing every civil rights struggle has been about: taking seriously our country's promise to be a nation its citizens can make better, its promise to be a place where people don't have to give up their differences or hide them in order to be treated equally."

Why Marriage Matters offers a compelling, intelligently reasoned discussion of a question at the forefront of our national consciousness. It is the work of one of the most influential attorneys in America, who has dedicated his life to the protection of individuals' rights and our Constitution's commitment to equal justice under the law. Above all, it is a clear, straightforward book that brings into sharp focus the very human significance of the right to marry in America -- not just for some couples, but for all.

Why is the word marriage so important? Will marriage for same-sex couples hurt the "sanctity" of the institution? How can people of different faiths reconcile their beliefs with the idea of marriage for same-sex couples? How will allowing gay couples to marry affect children?

In this quietly powerful volume, the most authoritative and fairly articulated book on the subject, Wolfson demonstrates why the right to marry is important -- indeed necessary -- for all couples and for America's promise of equality.

Customer Reviews:

expected more.......2006-04-22

I just finished Evan Wolfson's Why Marriage Matters, and although I am salivating at the thought of spending the rest of my night immersed in a tirade that focuses on what this book lacks, I will limit myself to describing one and only one glaring deficiency. Here it is. Come election time much of the hoopla surrounding gay marriage rights stems directly from those Christian conservatives that consider themselves among the moral elite. The self-described Christian "moral majority" is surprisingly effective at turning what is actually a civil rights and anti-discrimination issue into a moral issue. Because this is the nature of the one of the most powerful forces that is against us, if we are to put gay marriage rights on firm footing, the foundation must be a moral one. Granted, there is probably little hope for the hardcore dogmatists, but let's suppose they are all old and on the cusp of a trek through the pearly gates of heaven. Aside from those people, I am convinced that social conservatives can be convinced. Now, it would be nice if we could make all our very well-justified legal arguments in favor of gay marriage, be granted our legal rights, and be done with it. But, if we are going to gain any legal ground in conservative states, we must present damn good arguments that show three things: 1) one's sexual orientation is not a lifestyle choice, 2) same-sex sex is not morally wrong, and 3) same-sex marriage is not morally wrong. Wolfson doesn't do either in Why Marriage Matters. I was hoping he would give a point-by-point rebuttal of all the arguments from moral depravity that are flung like mud on groups of people who express a non-heteronormative sexualty, but I was disappointed. Maybe someday soon somebody will do us this service. But enough of that. On a positive note, Wolfson's book was easy to read. On another positive note, he drew strong analogies between the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s and the gay rights movement of the last two decades. One thing that becomes apparrent as we consider the parallels between these two movements is how badly the gay civil rights movement needs a leader like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Good primer on the next major civil rights issue.......2006-02-07

Do gays have the right to marry? This is emerging as the next civil rights issue to cross the American political scene. Attorney Evan Wolfson answers this question with a resounding yes, and uses this book to back up his answer. His central point is that marriage is a relationship, and being in it can and does bring joy to gay couples just as much as it does to heterosexual couples. And since the Declaration of Independence states that all humans have the right to the pursuit of happiness, government should not prevent two individuals from getting married. The author also examines other issues regarding gay marriage, such as child adoption, insurance benefits, gay divorces, inheritance rights, etc... The author also takes on arguments against gay marriage, and refutes them using historical and legal arguments. All in all, a good book to help understand the current, and growing issue of gay marriage.

The best book there is on why marriage is for ALL Americans.......2005-08-10

Evan Wolfson's book turned me into a believer. Even after seven years of sharing my life with the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, I still didn't think it mattered whether we were married or not. "Why Marriage Matters" changed that -- we had to fly to Canada to get married, but we did what we had to do, and now I've found that marriage has made every facet of our relationship stronger and better. Read this book and you'll begin to see that marriage does matter, and that, frankly, it is un-American to deny any segment of the population basic human rights and priveleges that the United States was created to protect for all its citizens.

Equal Rights, Right On!.......2005-08-02

Jonathan Rauch and Andrew Sullivan have written pro-gay marriage books, but unlike Wolfson's book, they approach the issue from ancillary perspectives (for example, how it will tame the flames of promiscuity among gay men). Whether these ancillary arguments are persuasive or not really does not matter, because they are not the core of the matter.

Wolfson alone accurately makes equal access to marriage for ALL people a civil rights issue, and that is exactly where it belongs. Whether or not it curbs the promiscuity impulses among gays or not is largely irrelevant. If that happens, fine, but if not, so what?

The Fourteenth Amendment and the Declaration of Independence are not heterosexually-specific, but universally-specific. All of us are entitled to the "pursuit of happiness," no matter our color, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation.

Mutatis mutandis, the same is true for equal protection under the law. People may continue to discriminate against minorities, but at least they cannot do so under the color of law. Denying a minority its right to marriage also discriminates, but when it does so, it does so with the color of law. That's wrong.

All people are entitled to the same rights or they aren't. Denying any segment of the population this right because of their difference from the majority is simply unconstitutional and UnAmerican. Canada, Spain, Belgium, and Holland have righted the wrong. It's time the U.S.A. did likewise.

This guy is an attorney?.......2005-03-08

While a previous reviewer calls this work "irrefutable", those with logical minds know better. Obviously, this book is based upon the false premise that homosexuals are denied the right to marry. All homosexuals have the right to marry, so long as their object of matrimony is of the opposite sex. This begs the question...do any of us have the freedom to marry who and/or what we want? Of course not. I can't marry my computer, sister, brother, car, etc. There are restrictions in marriage for everyone.

It doesn't take too much work to see through the author's flawed thinking in this excercise in futility. Hopefully there are enough people who will realize this and send this book to the trash heap of irrelevancy.

Reparative Therapy of Male Homosexuality: A New Clinical Approach

Average customer rating:

excellent summary of facts
Bravo Dr. Nicolosi!
A must buy for someone who dislike's their Homosexuality
This book should be burned
Reparative Therapy is harmful, I've been there

Reparative Therapy of Male Homosexuality: A New Clinical Approach
Joseph Nicolosi
Manufacturer: Jason Aronson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Healing Homosexuality: Case Stories of Reparative Therapy
Coming Out Straight: Understanding and Healing Homosexuality
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A Parent's Guide to Preventing Homosexuality

ASIN: 0765701421

Book Description

This book explores a reparative psychotherapy based on an understanding of the development of gender identity, offering to help the non-gay homosexual, that is, one who is unhappy with his sexual orientation.

Customer Reviews:

excellent summary of facts.......2007-09-18

This book needs to be read slowly. It summarizes
and presents a good foundation to understand
the journey out of a "gay life." If you are not
happy really and don't find what you seeking
in gay life then understand why, you are
seeking something else, deeper.

Bravo Dr. Nicolosi!.......2007-07-15

Thank God for real psychiatrists like Dr. Nicolosi who have true compassion for those who struggle with same sex attractions. This is an excellent resource for those who want to get to the root causes of their same sex attractions. It's obviously not a book for those who identify themselves as "gay" and are entrenched in their mindset that they were born that way. I don't know why they are here bashing Dr. Nicolosi. What are they afraid of? Losing some of their rainbow mafia foot soldiers? Take a hike. Some people want to change and guys like Dr. Nicolosi provide that avenue.

A must buy for someone who dislike's their Homosexuality.......2006-03-12

Im 27 years old and a patient in therapy for almost 1 year now. I found this book useful and encouraging because it supports my thoughts that ( I never accepted nor will i accept being Gay).

For many years i just battered myself for being gay not because i was the so called "Born Gay" but as a 10 year old boy who first experienced (sexual contact) by just being touched by a elder boy in school.As the years went on and when it came to making a choice, i discovered that im emotionally attracted to women but sexually attracted to men and that confused me for so long. I have experienced hetrosexuality for a short period and it worked at times and at times it did not.

After reading this book and reviewing the stories of different cases and understanding the lifestyles of different gay men i have come to understand that each if not all gay men have a separate way of dealing with their Homosexuality. An example of what i feel is "I dont want to be gay but i still do it" or "Why me and not others" and finally "I want my stolen manhood back"

NOTE: My review is very positive because this book supports my goal of changing.I want to change and im not sad about it.I never lost hope of healing homosexuality because i dont fit Homosexuality under (sickness, mental or genetics) Nor do i despise gays.

I just out of free will dont want to be (Gay) and its my right to fight it even if the best professor in the world proves that homoesexuality cant be healed.

For all those men out there who want to change you must make a choice either to live as a gay man and be happy about it because you have chosen it or do something about it. Approach the right books,right people and do what you and only you think is right.

Finally i wish the best for gay men who wish to stay gay and for men who are in a constant struggle with their sexual identity

Thank you Joseph Nicolosi!

This book should be burned.......2005-11-17

The people who write this sort of gay-bashing stuff under the guise of clinical therapy should lose thier credentials. This is damaging. Go buy last season's DVD of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and tell your mom you'll be her fashion consultant forever. Don't buy this book.

Reparative Therapy is harmful, I've been there.......2005-06-23

I was heavily involved in reparative therapy for many years. I was their perfect candidate (virgin, "straight-acting", etc). No one wanted to change more than me, and no one worked harder than me.

Conclusion: Not only does this "therapy" not work, it leaves a wake of misery and self-hatred in its path. For those stuggling out there, God made you gay and that is OK. Love yourself.

Don't believe me? Read what the professionals have to say about it.

AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION

· "The potential risks of 'reparative therapy' are great, including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior, since therapist alignment with societal prejudices against homosexuality may reinforce self-hatred already experienced by the patient. Many patients who have undergone "reparative therapy" relate that they were inaccurately told that homosexuals are lonely, unhappy individuals who never achieve acceptance or satisfaction. The possibility that the person might achieve happiness and satisfying interpersonal relationships as a gay man or lesbian is not presented, nor are alternative approaches to dealing with the effects of societal stigmatization discussed ... the APA opposes any psychiatric treatment, such as 'reparative' or 'conversion' therapy which is based on the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or based on a prior assumption that the patient should change his/her sexual orientation.

· "There is no published scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of 'reparative therapy' as a treatment to change one's sexual orientation. It is not described in the scientific literature, nor is it mentioned in the APA's latest comprehensive Task Force Report, Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders (1989).

· "Clinical experience suggests that any person who seeks conversion therapy may be doing so because of social bias that has resulted in internalized homophobia, and that gay men and lesbians who have accepted their sexual orientation positively are better adjusted than those who have not done so."

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

· "Even though homosexual orientation is not a mental illness and there is no scientific reason to attempt conversion of lesbians or gays to heterosexual orientation, some individuals may seek to change their sexual orientation or that of another individual (for example, parents seeking therapy for their child). Some therapists who undertake this kind of therapy report that they have changed their clients' sexual orientation (from homosexual to heterosexual) in treatment. Close scrutiny of their reports indicates several factors that cast doubt: Many of the claims come from organizations with an ideological perspective on sexual orientation, rather than from mental health researchers; the treatments and their outcomes are poorly documented; and the length of time that clients are followed up on after treatment is too short.

· "In 1990, the American Psychological Association stated that scientific evidence does not show that conversion therapy works and that it can do more harm than good. Changing one's sexual orientation is not simply a matter of changing one's sexual behavior. It would require altering one's emotional, romantic and sexual feelings and restructuring one's self-concept and social identity.

AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

· "Most of the emotional disturbance experienced by gay men and lesbians around their sexual identity is not based on physiological causes but rather is due more to a sense of alienation in an unaccepting environment. For this reason, aversion therapy (a behavioral or medical intervention which pairs unwanted behavior, in this case, homosexual behavior, with unpleasant sensations or aversive consequences) is no longer recommended for gay men and lesbians. Through psychotherapy, gay men and lesbians can become comfortable with their sexual orientation and understand the societal response to it."

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS

· "The psychosocial problems of gay and lesbian adolescents are primarily the result of societal stigma, hostility, hatred and isolation. The gravity of these stresses is underscored by current data that document that gay youths account for up to 30 percent of all completed adolescent suicides. Approximately 30 percent of a surveyed group of gay and bisexual males have attempted suicide at least once. Adolescents struggling with issues of sexual preference should be reassured that they will gradually form their own identity and that there is no need for premature labeling of one's sexual orientation."

Joseph Nicolosi, shame on you!

Average customer rating:

Dull, Dull and Dreadful
Much Ado about Nothing
By no means a serious study of GayHollywood, but a good read
Beef Jerky for the Brain
Deeper analysis of being gay in Hollywood

Open Secret: Gay Hollywood 1928-1998
David Ehrenstein
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0688153178

Amazon.com

If David Ehrenstein's Open Secret says that somebody is gay, you can safely assume that he or she is (which is why the chapter on Tom Cruise reveals nothing more than reasons why people believe--or want to believe--he might be gay). Interviews with contemporary "out" stars, writers, and studio execs are balanced against the reminiscences of those who spent Tinseltown's golden age in the closet. This reveals how open Hollywood's tolerance of its gay and lesbian members has become, but it also shows the lack of similar progress in how the press deals with potential celebrity queerness. There isn't much difference, for example, between the scandal sheet Confidential's 1955 exposé of Tab Hunter's bust at a "pajama party ... for the boys" and the 1997 "Kevin Spacey Has a Secret" cover story in the ostensibly more respectable Esquire.

Open Secret flits from a visit to the set of the Ian McKellen-Brendan Fraser film Father of Frankenstein (based on the novel by Christopher Bram) to an analysis of Ellen DeGeneres's protracted coming-out process, from an overview of the impact of AIDS on the entertainment industry to the story of how Gus Van Sant almost made a movie of Randy Shilts's The Mayor of Castro Street. But the intersection of queer sexuality and Hollywood admittedly covers a lot of territory, and Ehrenstein does an admirable job of providing an overview. One bit of advice: skip over the very brief prologue, which tries a bit too hard to convince readers of the book's seriousness, and allow the informative and entertaining stories here to speak for themselves. --Ron Hogan

Book Description

Hollywood isn't just a place or an industry -- it's a fantasy that unfolds in the minds of moviegoers the world over. And talking about "who's gay in Hollywood" has always been the most socially acceptable way of talking about homosexuality period.But times have changed for gays and lesbians inside Hollywood and in the culture at large. Ellen DeGeneres "came out" to a world quite different from the one that allowed Marlene Dietrich to "stay in." And while Rupert Everett may be called "the gay Cary Grant," the real Cary Grant would never have described himself as gay -- even though he was.So what has it meant to be gay in Hollywood, not just as a star but behind the scenes as well? How homosexual actors and actresses came to define straight America's sexual self-image is only one of the paradoxical and provocative questions explored in Open Secret, a revealing cultural chronicle of gay Hollywood. From the silent era to the age of the multiplex and beyond, homosexuality has been a fact of life in the film industry, and scores of important personalities -- stars, writers, directors, producers -- have enjoyed long and spectacular careers on both sides of the camera, despite mainstream America's professed bias against gays.

Part social history and part Tinseltown expose, this entertaining book spans seventy years, painting knowing and vivid portraits of many of Hollywood's foremost gays and lesbians, often in the words of eyewitnesses or the principals themselves. Veteran entertainment journalist David Ehrenstein traces the gradual transformation from an era when gays and lesbians had no public profile in "polite" society to the modern era when many top entertainment figures are not merely comfortable with their sexuality but actually celebrate it -- and are in turn celebrated for it. In the process, he presents a unique reflection of American society as a whole and its ever-changing attitudes and values.

Customer Reviews:

Dull, Dull and Dreadful.......2005-11-12

This book has no life to it---I mean the writing--it is redundant, heavy, lackluster. Reads like a boring college research textbook. The author repeats and repeats and is consumed and obsessed with Ellen Degeneres over and over again. It is not like a book, but an overblown article. There is nothing new in the book--it is a historical account of gay and lesbians in Hollywood and boring as can be. Sorry I bought it but am thankful I got a used copy and did not pay much. I could hardly wait to finish it to throw it out as I did not even want to keep it. Forget this dull and dreadful book!

Much Ado about Nothing.......2003-03-05

It seems odd that this book, with its good intentions, would just be so unsatisfying as a read. You almost get the feeling that the author is on the outside of Hollywood looking in. He seems to be obsessed with Ellen. The book has a certain bitterness to it that doesn't play well.

I couldn't in all honesty recommend purchasing this book. Though if you find it at a public library, might be worth flipping through- but not checking out.

By no means a serious study of GayHollywood, but a good read.......2000-03-25

...nonetheless. This book is not a distasteful one unlike a vast majority of books about gays in Hollywood. It is also quite entertaining and should be regarded only as such: an entertaining book on a summer's day... In this case it does not really matter, whether the material is credible or not. If you do not take what you read TOO SERIOUSLY, then you will enjoy this book. If you want some serious study about gay actors, then look some place else for it.

Beef Jerky for the Brain.......1999-07-13

As one reader comments, this book is "a must for any serious Hollywood History library." Yes--in the same sense that the complete works of Ed Wood belong in every comprehensive home video collection.

Deeper analysis of being gay in Hollywood.......1999-06-18

If you want gossip, get a tabloid. If you'd rather read a thoughtful analysis of "gay Hollywood" in a social/historical context, get this book. This is not a list of who's gay and who isn't; Ehrenstein has chosen to write about what happened (and happens) to gays who are part of the Hollywood machine. He demonstrates, through first-person interviews and anecdotal accounts, in what ways Hollywood--the studios, the executives, the media, the audience--is and is not accepting of homosexuals. Not everyone in his book is famous, or a big time movie star, but they all have something to say or show about the difference between the gay Hollywood of the Cary Grant and Rock Hudson era and the gay Hollywood of the Ellen Degeneres and Tom Cruise era.

Ehrenstein's skill is in keeping the history together, so that James Whale's story is appropriately connected to the "Gods and Monsters" story, but each stands on its own as well. He has also taken care in choosing what to cover in this book. It would be impossible to write the entire history of Gay Hollywood in one book; and Ehrenstein has selected only certain aspects of that history and examined them in depth rather than touch only the surface of too many things.

The Children Are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same-sex Relationships
Average customer rating:

Simple book delivers profound insight

A book that answers the question it asks.

This book doesn't leave you with a cloud of suspicion over your head

The Children Are Free

if only...

The Children Are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same-sex Relationships
Jeff Miner , and John Tyler Connoley
Manufacturer: Jesus Metropolitan Community Church
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Bisexuality | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
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What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality

Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church

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ASIN: 0971929602

Book Description

In The Children Are Free, Rev. Jeff Miner and John Tyler Connoley offer a comprehensive yet easy-to-read examination of the biblical evidence regarding loving same-sex relationships and God's attitude toward them.

In Chapter One, the authors lead the reader through a discussion of each of the six passages traditionally used against gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. In their friendly and authoritative style, they demonstrate how an anti-gay interpretation is a misapplication of these scriptures.

Then, in Chapter Two, Miner and Connoley turn our attention to the biblical stories and passages that affirm loving same-sex relationships. Did you know Jesus once met a gay person? Jesus' loving response is just one of the well-researched stories presented in this chapter.

Chapter Three asks readers to take seriously the call of Jesus to think more deeply about biblical rules. And Chapter Four calls Christians to action, making a connection between the conflicts in the early Church and those occurring within the Church today.

This book belongs in the library of any Christian questioning the role of Scripture in the lives of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people, or the role of GLB people in the Church.

Customer Reviews:

Simple book delivers profound insight.......2007-09-01

This book is for those who wish to find out the truth about what the Bible REALLY says about homosexuality. It isn't for those who want to read it in order to disprove it. It is for those who need a clear, concise and Biblically sound response to the major scriptural passages concerning homosexual expression. Approach the book with an open mind and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Don't come to it with your preconceived ideas, even if you're supportive of gay people. Let something fresh come to you from this book, because it has the power to do that. It is infused with God's character - love, humility, sound reasoning and clarity. It has something to say to the church if only the church would open their ears to listen.

A book that answers the question it asks........2007-08-05

This book is biblically sound and addresses both the clobber passages so often misquoted on same-sex relationships and other passages not normally considered as speaking to this topic. I have recommended this book to many of my friends.

This book doesn't leave you with a cloud of suspicion over your head.......2007-05-20

I have read over 20 books on the subject of homosexuality and every one of them left me feeling they weren't being completely honest or they were relying on speculative historical data. Many books on this subject are looking for loopholes or excuses. This book is so straight forward and honest. The authors remind us over and over again that we need to be careful what questions we bring to the bible: in this case "Is a relationship of two people of the same sex possible and can it be blessed by God?" The Children are Free is very simple and very clear.

This book, as well as "Calling the Rainbow Nation Home" and "A Time to Embrace Same Gender Relationships in Religion, Law and Politics" are the 3 essential books that I would recommend to any person of the Christian faith who is truly struggling with the issue of homosexuality.

The Children Are Free.......2007-05-16

What a great book!
Just the thing I have been trying to find!
Both solid scholarship, faith-insight and wrestling,
but also timely and provocative.
Thank you, Amazon, for making this book so readily available
to the interested public.
I sincerely hope more people will get this book
and study it, inch by inch, line by line.
I did not realize how un-faithful I have become concerning
this topic.......needed to have my biases challenged by one
who really cares deeply about this subject.

if only..........2007-05-13

The first half of this book should be available as a pamphlet! It was a wonderfully done examination and explanation of how one can read the Bible, believe in it, and still not condemn homosexuals.

But the second half ruins the whole thing. In the second half, they spout Spong-ian anti-theology that attempts (and fails) to undermine not only traditional Christianity as a whole, but also their own argument in the first half. If the first half were there all alone, it could be a book to present to conservatives to show how the traditional understanding of the key passages is in error. But the second half undermines that usage, as it claims that the Bible is just a set of myths and legends, that it doesn't really matter what it says, only what you get out of it: UU uselessness. And for this reason, no conservative will be convinced of anything but their own fears that all the people who support homosexuality are hopeless liberals who don't believe in Biblical authority.

I am deeply disappointed, and I plan on looking elsewhere for help in presenting the *good* arguments to those of us who believe in the Bible. I strongly recommend that a person buy the book, and read only the first half, and tear out the second half and burn it.

Average customer rating:

Gay studies essential #1
More than a Coffee Table Book
A Visual Feast, An Incredible Read
Crompton's book is much better
A mixed bag

Gay Life & Culture: A World History

Manufacturer: Universe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

History | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Gay Art: A Historic Collection
Homosexuality and Civilization
Gay L. A.: A History of Sexual Outlaws, Power Politics, And Lipstick Lesbians
Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East
Colonialism and Homosexuality

ASIN: 0789315114
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

In the years since Stonewall, the world has witnessed an outpouring of research, critical inquiry, and re-interpretation of gay life and culture. This book draws on groundbreaking new material to present a comprehensive survey of all things gay, stretching back to ancient Sumeria and ranging to the present day. Critically acclaimed historian Robert Aldrich and ten leading scholars juxtapose thought-provoking essays with an extensive selection of images, many never before seen. This masterful combination reveals the story behind gay culture from the industrialized world to the remotest corners of tribal New Guinea. Among the contributors are noted names in GLBT studies such as Brett Beemyn (author of Bisexuality in the Lives of Men), Charles Hupperts (expert on classical antiquity at the University of Amsterdam), Helmut Puff (University of Michigan expert on the medieval world), and Florence Temagne (author of A History of Homosexuality in Europe). The book covers such topics as the Old Testament relationship between Jonathan and David, the Age of Confucius, Native American berdaches, Polynesian mahus, Berlin in the '20s, Stonewall and the disco-flavored hedonism that followed, and the advent of AIDS, Act Up, and Angels in America. This book is an important contribution to understanding what makes gay life and culture universal throughout human culture and across time.

Customer Reviews:

Gay studies essential #1.......2007-09-30

This collection of intriguing articles by highly reputable academics is an seminal work, essential to anyone with an interest with identity formation or gender studies. I have used it in the field of health policy. However, there is no need to have a professional background or tertiary degree, or to be gay, to enjoy this intriguing guide through eras and societies. A great book to be enjoyed on many levels.

Buy it.

More than a Coffee Table Book.......2007-09-06

An excellent pictorial tour through the centuries on fine paper, with easy top understand prose, and plenty of references for further research and reading.

However, I am not sure that averything should be looked at from our contemporary narrow view of what constitutes 'gay'. The term is a dis-service for men who (occasionally) like men - appreciating the beauty or the person they see. Which has nothing to do with sexual orinetation. In those terms the gay label has put everyone either in or out of a new closet.

Former centuries did not have such terms and sexual behaviour was in many ways freer and less bound to convention. it used to be the that the upper and working classes were far more libertine in their approach to personal relationships. Some of this comes though inthis tome. A laudable effort.

A Visual Feast, An Incredible Read.......2007-01-27

A Visual Feast, An Incredible Read

Aldrich, Robert, editor. "Gay Life and Culture". Universe Publishing, 2006.

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

I received a book today that is one of the most beautifully laid out books I have ever seen, "Gay Life and Culture" edited by Robert Aldrich. If you are looking for the perfect holiday gift for someone special, look no further. This is it. It is a big coffee table book with a big price, $49.95, but worth every penny.
"Gay Life and Culture" is a world history of people like us. That is to say that is our story. It is lavishly illustrated with photographs and art work that reflect our history and is stunning just to browse through. Here is a one volume, contemporary history of not just gay life but Gay culture as well. It is heavily researched, having drawn on new scholarship to give us a contemporary look at all things gay going as far back as ancient Sumeria and coming as far present as the day it was published. Aldrich leaves virtually no stone unturned in his rendition of our history. He combines all of the new research, critical inquiry and reinterpretation there is on the subject and turns it all into readable prose.
Aldrich used nine different historians from nine different countries in his exploration of same sex history and the book studies relationships through the centuries while charting shifting attitudes toward homosexuality and the gradual emergence of a self identity for a homosexual community. It deals with AIDS, with same sex marriage, gay rights and civil partnerships beginning with Greece and Rome and following them to the present. The book also includes non Western cultures and gives an insight into same-sex relationships throughout history and around the globe.
We get a good look at the homoerotic poetry of Persia and learn of cross dressing women in Italy in the eighteenth century and learn of the hedonism of Berlin between-the-wars as well as the third gender concept in Asia and among native North Americans. The research comes from heretofore unlooked at letters and diaries, archives and works of art and literature.
The book also covers topics from the Old Testament--the story of David and Jonathan, the age of Confucius, the legends of Amerinds and Polynesian mahus as well as Stonewall and the golden age of American promiscuity which followed the riots, In American history there is detailed discussions of the advent of AIDS, the power of "Act Up" and the influence of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America".
This is a major contribution to understanding what makes gay life and culture so universal throughout culture and across timelines. Divided into fourteen chapters, each section deals with a particular time and place. The women are included throughout the book and the introduction by the editor lets the reader know how the book came to be and by which processes it was researched and written. Fifty bucks is a small price to pay for what you get here. Even if you just read the final chapter about "The Gay World: 1980 to the Present" you will be amazed at how much there is to learn. This book is a must have in every thinking gay man's library and a wonderful addition to our lives. Remember it when you are making up your holiday gift list. The person you give it to will be your friend forever after he receives this book.

Crompton's book is much better.......2007-01-17

I am assuming that most readers do not have infinite space on their bookshelves. If you want an excellent one-volume overview, the place to get it is Crompton's "Homosexuality and Civilization" -- not here.

If you want a volume filled with sumptuous pictures, may I suggest "L'Amour Bleu," a supposedly "out-of-print" book which keeps being continually reprinted?

The book under review is much weaker, in all respects.

A mixed bag.......2007-01-17

Many books purporting to offer a history of homosexuality concentrate mainly on the last two centuries in Europe and North America. Since many readers of such books are interested in self-understanding, this bias is understandable. Unfortunately, it is supported by a mistaken theory known as Social Construction which holds, in essence, that there was no homosexuality before ca. 1870 and then only in European countries. In his introduction Robert Aldrich rightly eschews this error. His book includes important material on classical antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and non-Western civilizations.

Unfortunately, some of his authors do not follow this principle, and regurgitate the old Social Constructionist platitudes. There is also a discord concerning levels of accessibility, as some contributions are technical while others border on the simplistic.

Physically, the book is sumptious, with over 250 splendid illustrations gathered by the picture editor, the late Wendy Gay. Unfortunately, the illustrations seem to have been gathered independently of the texts, whose authors hardly ever refer to them.

In short, this book has much to offer. However, it would have benefited from a firmer editorial hand, so as to shape the contributions into a more organic whole.

Desires in Conflict: Hope for Men Who Struggle with Sexual Identity

Average customer rating:

Desires in Conflict: I highly recommend the book
This book is not about who can and can't be a Christian!
Joe Dallas's long, sad journey
Great Book
Dallas book an excellent resource

Desires in Conflict: Hope for Men Who Struggle with Sexual Identity
Joe Dallas
Manufacturer: Harvest House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Gender & Sexuality | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

You Don't Have to Be Gay: Hope and Freedom for Males Struggling With Homosexuality or for Those Who Know of Someone Who Is
When Homosexuality Hits Home: What to Do When a Loved One Says They're Gay
Coming Out of Homosexuality: New Freedom for Men & Women
The Game Plan by Joe Dallas
Someone I Love Is Gay: How Family & Friends Can Respond

ASIN: 0736912118

Book Description

For more than a decade, Desires in Conflict has been the definitive â€œmustâ€“readâ€ for those who wonder â€œCan a homosexual change?â€ This new edition with updated information offers more compelling reasons why the answer is â€œyes!â€

â€œI read Desires in Conflict for the first time when I was 19...More than a decade later, I am free of desires that once held me captive, strong in my faith, married to my amazing wife, Leslie, and currently the Executive Director of Exodus International, North America. The Lord used Desires in Conflict to help guide me out of homosexuality. Joe Dallas has eternally impacted a generation of young people like me.â€

Alan Chambers
Executive Director
Exodus International

Customer Reviews:

Desires in Conflict: I highly recommend the book.......2007-02-11

"Desires in Conflict..." by Joe Dallas, is a manual for Christian men striving to be Godly while dealing with their homosexual temptations. The book deals with the topic honestly and sympathetically but remains grounded in scripture. I highly recommend the book to any man struggling with homosexuality, and to any minister who may be counseling such men.

This book is not about who can and can't be a Christian!.......2007-01-23

This is an excellent book and a great help for anyone who is struggling with or trying to leave the homosexual lifestyle. This book is loving in tone and not hateful at all. It is full of encouragement and will be a real asset to anyone wanting to leave that life behind. This book is not about trying as hard as you can to suppress your desires and behavior. It is about dealing with and allowing God to bring healing to the root causes which will bring about change.
The review titled "you cannot be homosexual and be a Christian" (or something to that effect) sort of misses the point of the book. That's like saying "you cannot be greedy and be a Christian!" Both are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6 as those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. It isn't God's plan for Christians to be greedy, but they are sometimes. Hopefully, they deal with it and move on. But while they are dealing with it, they may still be Christians. Christ's sacrifice is sufficient. His blood is enough. The requirement for being right with God is accepting and putting your faith in what Jesus did and that alone. It isn't Jesus plus not sinning ever again. It's Jesus PERIOD. This book is for those who want to live more in line with the teachings of the Bible. Wanting to save oneself by being good or remaining sinless is off the mark. If, however, you want to live in a more mature way as a Christian, this book can help. I highly recommend it.

Joe Dallas's long, sad journey.......2007-01-05

I am a 23-year old gay man, and this book was given to me by a probably well-meaning relative. Joe Dallas falls into the same trap of attempted extrapolation that most exgay testimony books do: "My homosexuality makes me miserable and self-loathing, and your homosexuality should make you miserable too." He also blames his problems on homosexuality where the actual issues probably lay elsewhere. He admits in the later edition of his book that his sexual partners numbered in the hundreds(!) prior to 1984 (another common extrapolation in exgay testimonies - "I had hundreds of anonymous sex partners, so all gay men must.") and details his considerations and plans for suicide in the mid 80's. This sounds like a maladjusted or profoundly disturbed individual, perhaps sexually-addicted person who happens to be gay, not an accurate profile of how a gay man is. Many exgay books seem to fall into this unfortunate trap of trying denigrate all gay men to make their point.

He spends chapters on the idea of bad male-male non-sexual relationships (primarily those involving the father) as the primary driver of homosexuality, although he reluctantly admits at a few points that many heterosexual men seem to have the same deficits yet, strangely, aren't gay! His own assessment of father-son relationships is grim, calling them inevitably "doomed" to rages and hatred, more or less, including his own relationship with an adoptive son in the "raging" yet "re-bonded" category. These parts of the book is basically useless if your relationship with your father was not somehow estranged and you turned out to be gay anyway. (I even got the benefit of baseball-in-the-backyard with my dad on a regular basis growing up - sorry Joe, I got all that healthy male socialization and I still prefer men.)

I perhaps had one real argument with my father ever, nearly all my best friends in school were male, and even now I consider my relationship with my father considerably more genial and bearable than the one with my mother, and yet I am still gay. Also, since I am not plagued with guilt and self-loathing about my sexuality, I find little common ground to share with Joe Dallas. Perhaps if you're an evangelical Christian male miserable about your sexuality, you might feel less alone reading this ('uplifting' is not the word I'd use for this book, though), but it's virtually without value for people who don't fall into that narrow category. Two stars.

Great Book.......2006-11-06

This book helped me learn so much for me to be able to turn my life around and change completely for the better. If you're struggling with your sexuality and desperate for answeres and help, this book is a must read. I hope it'll change all your lives for better as it did for me. I literally cried tears of joy as I read this book, and I could never thank the author enough for having taken the time to write it. Thank you, Mr. Dallas from the bottom of my heart.

Dallas book an excellent resource.......2006-02-25

For those interested in understanding the underlying dynamics of homosexual attractions, this book will be a necessary part of your library. The author, Joe Dallas, overcame his homosexual attractions and has been a professional counselor, author and speaker for years on this issue. He is well-educated and compassionate in his approach. No one book explains everything on the issue of homosexuality but I recommend his book first to anyone interested because it gives a great overview in discussion of the general issues. A must read!

Average customer rating:

Always a good read
Super book
A monumental achievement
excellent queer/glbt studies/theory reader

The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader
Henry Abelove
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sex | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Queer Theory: An Introduction
The History of Sexuality: An Introduction
A Critical Introduction to Queer Theory
Epistemology of the Closet (Centennial Books)
Queer Theory, Gender Theory: An Instant Primer

ASIN: 0415905192

Book Description

The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader is the biggest and most comprehensive multi-disciplinary anthology of critical work in lesbian/gay studies.

Comprising scholarship, criticism, commentary, and political analysis, lesbian/gay studies is one of the fastest growing fields in contemporary thought. Its influence is changing the shape of every branch of learning in the humanities and social sciences.

Bringing together forty-two groundbreaking essays--many of them already classics--this collection provides a much-needed introduction to the contemporary state of lesbian/gay studies, extensively illustrating the range, scope, diversity, appeal, and power of the work currently being done in the field. Featuring essays by such prominent scholars as Judith Butler, John D'Emilio, Kobena Mercer, Adrienne Rich, Gayle Rubin, and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader explores a multitude of sexual, ethnic, racial, and socio-economic experiences.

Ranging across disciplines including history, literature, critical theory, cultural studies, African American studies, ethnic studies, sociology, anthropology, psychology, classics, and philosophy, this anthology traces the inscription of sexual meanings in all forms of cultural expression. Representing the best and most significant English language work in the field, The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader addresses topics such as butch-fem roles, the cultural construction of gender, lesbian separatism, feminist theory, AIDS, safe-sex education, colonialism, S/M, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, children's books, black nationalism, popular films, Susan Sontag, the closet, homophobia, Freud, Sappho, the media, the hijras of India, Robert Mapplethorpe, and the politics of representation. It also contains an extensive bibliographical essay which will provide readers with an invaluable guide to further reading.

In the tradition of Routledge's Cultural Studies and Unequal Sisters, The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader marks a critical moment in the development of the field. It will be essential reading for anyone--gay or straight--interested in the history of sexuality, sexual politics, and gender studies.

Contributors: Henry Abelove, Tomas Almaguer, Ana Maria Alonso, Michele Barale, Judith Butler, Sue-Ellen Case, Danae Clark, Douglas Crimp, Teresa de Lauretis, John D'Emilio, Jonathan Dollimore, Lee Edelman, Marilyn Frye, Charlotte Furth, Marjorie Garber, Stuart Hall, David Halperin, Phillip Brian Harper, Gloria T. Hull, Maria Teresa Koreck, Audre Lorde, Biddy Martin, Deborah E. McDowell, Kobena Mercer, Richard Meyer, D. A. Miller, Serena Nanda, Esther Newton, Cindy Patton, Adrienne Rich, Gayle Rubin, Joan W. Scott, Daniel L. Selden, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Barbara Smith, Catharine R. Stimpson, Sasha Torres, Martha Vicinus, Simon Watney, Harriet Whitehead, John J. Winkler, Monique Wittig, and Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano.

Customer Reviews:

Always a good read.......2006-07-29

So many good reviews fo this book already, I will only jump in to say that this book would be awesome for any collection, you can put it ddown for weeks, months, and read it whenever you like.

Super book.......2006-01-30

A well rounded book that should be on your shelf. The author has done made a beautiful compilation of material related to the topic. This is a ground breaking work and strongly recommended.

A monumental achievement.......2000-10-03

This collection was the first of its kind when it came out in 1993. The three editors, all longtime advocates of queer scholarship, put together the Reader as an attempt to encourage new classes in queer studies. It was a resounding success, winning both a Lambda Literary award and notably being banned by Canadian customs.

The contributors to this volume are all well-respected names in their fields: John D'Emilio, Eve Sedgwick, Adrienne Rich, Judith Butler, Audre Lorde, and the editors themselves. There is impressive attention to including both people of color and strong lesbian voices, something many other similar collections have problems with.

The Reader is an excellent introduction to the field, although it is an academic text and can be a bit daunting for some. It works wonderfully for the purpose it was designed for, as a text for introductory classes. For those already immersed in the field, you obviously already own the book.

excellent queer/glbt studies/theory reader.......1998-11-07

For an excellent compilation of essays, papers, and writings on what we now call "Queer/Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Studies," this is your book. It has practically everything, including works by people of color. If you want to get academic and intellectual, here's where you might start. If you are already academic and intellectual, this book will be a welcome addition to your library. I read many of the pieces in this book for a class in college, and they were all highly thought-provoking and important. I consider this book to be one of the basic, necessary groundstones in my library of queer/lgbt studies books and readings. Thank god for Henry Abelove for putting this together!

Beyond Acceptance: Parents of Lesbians & Gays Talk About Their Experiences

Average customer rating:

A most important book.
Read this book before you come out to your parents.
An Excellent Coming Out Tool
Great review of coming-out issues from a parent's perspectiv

Beyond Acceptance: Parents of Lesbians & Gays Talk About Their Experiences
Carolyn W. Griffin , and Marian J. Wirth
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books

General | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Straight Parents, Gay Children: Keeping Families Together
Always My Child: A Parent's Guide to Understanding Your Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered or Questioning Son or Daughter
Now That You Know: A Parents' Guide to Understanding Their Gay and Lesbian Children, Updated Edition
Coming Out to Parents: A Two-Way Survival Guide for Lesbians and Gay Men and Their Parents
My Child Is Gay: How Parents React When They Hear the News

Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 0312167814

Amazon.com

"Every happy family is alike, and every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," wrote Leo Tolstoy. Families dealing with a child's homosexuality are certainly forced by a homophobic culture to experience a whole range of unhappiness. Beyond Acceptance deals with a variety of issues facing heterosexual parents of gay children, from facing what the neighbors will say to worrying about AIDS and social ostracism to feeling angry and guilt-ridden.

Various people speak about how they came to their misinformed views about gayness, their religious beliefs, their fears that friends will abandon them after finding out about their child's homosexuality, and their anxieties about AIDS. Often people find similar solutions to their problems, and sometimes different ones, but in all cases the message is that understanding, love, and a need to own up to, and dispense with, ignorant homophobic attitudes can bring families back together in a wholesome and nurturing manner. Frank, informed, and filled with insights and practical suggestions, Beyond Acceptance is a fine addition to the literature on homophobia and families. --Michael Bronski

Book Description

"Mom, Dad, I'm gay." When a parent hears these words, the initial shock is often followed by feelings ranging from anger and denial to fear and guilt. It's also the beginning of a difficult journey that, with understanding and emotional support, can lead to acceptance and beyond.Now fully revised and updated, Beyond Acceptance is a ground-breaking book that provides parents the comfort and knowledge they need to accept the gay children and build stronger family relationships. Based on the experiences of other parents, this book lets them know they are not alone and helps them through the emotional stages leading to reconciliation with their children.

Customer Reviews:

A most important book........2000-11-07

Beyond good, this book is important. A book from the voices of parents who have lesbian and/or gay children. We have "heard" plenty from lesbians and gays, pleading for understanding and acceptance, so this book gives the readers a voice from "the other" side.

With frank interviews and conversations, we are let in on the angst, the suffering, the fears and disappointments from parents. It covers many aspects of our lives. Most often, the burning question from parents is "what did I do wrong?" Religion, health, acceptance etc....all the way to "should the neighbours know?

This book is honestly written from the hearts of the writers, parents who have been through all of that and more. We learn of how they cope or didn't. The journeys they have taken and what the effects are with a lesbian/gay in the family unit. A must read, not just for parents, but also for lesbians and gays, and their siblings. And for everyone else too - I recommend this book. It creates understanding, not answers, through the conversations with various people. In all, it is almost like sitting in a crowd and listening in on an interesting discussion or conversation and gleaning knowledge and understanding!!

There is an earlier editon from 1990. Try to get the lastest one, I think 1996/7, with updates on issues like AIDS etc...

Buy or borrow this book, read it again and again. Pass it on. For everyone.

Read this book before you come out to your parents........2000-05-31

I told my parents I'm gay this past weekend. It went much better than expected. Friends said that there were books on the market that could help. I checked out Amazon's selection and found _Beyond Acceptance: Parents of Lesbians and Gays Talk About Their Experiences_ to be the extremely helpful in the coming-out-to-your-parents experience. The book was, for me, accurate in "predicting" my parents' reactions, down to the questions they would ask, the emotions they would go through, etc. It was touching, and inspiring as it brings you from the initial coming out event all the way through to parents who have taken action in their communities against homophobia. The book doesn't pretend that all parents will change so drastically, but it shows what's possible.

Note: While the book draws from the experiences of predominantly caucasian, middle-class families, the parents were from all across the country and from various religious backgrounds, i.e. Jewish, Christian, Catholic, agnostic, etc.

The book covers an amazing array of subjects including: Issues regarding your partner and the difficulties and triumphs in bringing partners into the family, the grandparents and extended family, the church, the sense of loss experienced by parents when their expectations for their gay child changes, the paradox of the general acceptance of married heterosexuals who don't have children versus gay committed, monogamous relationships, the fact gays can lead happy and full lives, gays in the military, about whether gayness is caused by nature or nurture or both, about whether being gay is a mental illness, about the removal of homosexuality from the APA's list of mental illnesses, about the failure of all forms of "treatment," and the list goes on . . .

I also enjoyed and drew wisdom from the Bernstein book, _Straight Parents, Gay Children: Inspiring Families to Live Honestly and With Greater Understanding_, but found _Beyond Acceptance_ to be better organized.

An Excellent Coming Out Tool.......1999-09-11

This book is written as a resource for parents. I bought and read it before coming out to my parents. Insightful and careful writing to help you understand what your parents might feel when you tell them. Then give them a copy when you have the big discussion. The authors use loads of real-life examples from many different people and situations to help parents understand and relate.

Great review of coming-out issues from a parent's perspectiv.......1997-08-19

This book is like having someone hold your hand as you accept the news that someone you love is gay. It is written by parents who share what were their reactions, questions and fears upon learning that their son or daughter is gay. Is is my fault? What will the neighbors think? What will my church think? The book presents parent's own answers to these questions and refers to current outside writing on the subjects addressed. It's "must read" for anyone trying to understand homosexuality, coming-out and how to best understand and love someone who is gay

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