How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages
Sometimes I fantasize about having a magic wand. How awesome it would be to wave it and completely eliminate prejudice, hate, and ignorance. Just imagine what it would be like to live in a world like that.

How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages gives voice to the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of children, adolescents, and young adults who have a gay or lesbian parent. In their own words, they talk openly and candidly about how and when they learned of their parent’s sexual orientation and the effect it had on them—and their families. Their stories echo themes of prejudice and harassment, conflict and confusion, adaptation and adjustment, and hope for tolerance and a family that can exist in harmony.

"Because it’s an issue for other people, it becomes an issue for me. I’m angry about the way it works against me."

The stories told in How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent not only reflect the day-to-day struggle of children with a GLBT parent, they also reveal the pain inherent in high-conflict divorce and child custody cases. Children of gay/lesbian parents ranging in age from seven to 31 recall the confusion and grief created when the disclosure of their parent’s true sexual orientation ended a marriage and divided a family. The "straight" parent’s resentment can lead to angry remarks that—intentionally or unintentionally—disparage the gay/lesbian parent and threaten the natural love and affection the child feels for both.

"I guess the hardest part about having a gay dad is that no matter how okay you are with it, there’s always going to be someone who will dislike you because of it."

The one-on-one interviews presented in How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent document first-hand the effects of homophobia on family life. Children struggle with the choice between living in a closet, shamed by peers and family members, or dealing with discrimination as a parent’s sexual orientation is used against them. Taken together, these stories make a statement for acceptance, understanding, and tolerance as children do their best to make the transition from a traditional family to a nontraditional lifestyle.

"My mom is a normal person just like everyone else. The only thing that’s different about her is that she’s gay and if you can’t deal with it, you’re just going to have to live with it."

How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages offers comfort and support to children from those who share their journey. The book is a valuable aid for practitioners working with children of GLBT parents and an educational tool for GLBT adults considering children.
1101752153
How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages
Sometimes I fantasize about having a magic wand. How awesome it would be to wave it and completely eliminate prejudice, hate, and ignorance. Just imagine what it would be like to live in a world like that.

How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages gives voice to the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of children, adolescents, and young adults who have a gay or lesbian parent. In their own words, they talk openly and candidly about how and when they learned of their parent’s sexual orientation and the effect it had on them—and their families. Their stories echo themes of prejudice and harassment, conflict and confusion, adaptation and adjustment, and hope for tolerance and a family that can exist in harmony.

"Because it’s an issue for other people, it becomes an issue for me. I’m angry about the way it works against me."

The stories told in How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent not only reflect the day-to-day struggle of children with a GLBT parent, they also reveal the pain inherent in high-conflict divorce and child custody cases. Children of gay/lesbian parents ranging in age from seven to 31 recall the confusion and grief created when the disclosure of their parent’s true sexual orientation ended a marriage and divided a family. The "straight" parent’s resentment can lead to angry remarks that—intentionally or unintentionally—disparage the gay/lesbian parent and threaten the natural love and affection the child feels for both.

"I guess the hardest part about having a gay dad is that no matter how okay you are with it, there’s always going to be someone who will dislike you because of it."

The one-on-one interviews presented in How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent document first-hand the effects of homophobia on family life. Children struggle with the choice between living in a closet, shamed by peers and family members, or dealing with discrimination as a parent’s sexual orientation is used against them. Taken together, these stories make a statement for acceptance, understanding, and tolerance as children do their best to make the transition from a traditional family to a nontraditional lifestyle.

"My mom is a normal person just like everyone else. The only thing that’s different about her is that she’s gay and if you can’t deal with it, you’re just going to have to live with it."

How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages offers comfort and support to children from those who share their journey. The book is a valuable aid for practitioners working with children of GLBT parents and an educational tool for GLBT adults considering children.
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How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages

How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages

by Judith E. Snow
How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages

How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages

by Judith E. Snow

Hardcover

$180.00 
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Overview

Sometimes I fantasize about having a magic wand. How awesome it would be to wave it and completely eliminate prejudice, hate, and ignorance. Just imagine what it would be like to live in a world like that.

How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages gives voice to the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of children, adolescents, and young adults who have a gay or lesbian parent. In their own words, they talk openly and candidly about how and when they learned of their parent’s sexual orientation and the effect it had on them—and their families. Their stories echo themes of prejudice and harassment, conflict and confusion, adaptation and adjustment, and hope for tolerance and a family that can exist in harmony.

"Because it’s an issue for other people, it becomes an issue for me. I’m angry about the way it works against me."

The stories told in How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent not only reflect the day-to-day struggle of children with a GLBT parent, they also reveal the pain inherent in high-conflict divorce and child custody cases. Children of gay/lesbian parents ranging in age from seven to 31 recall the confusion and grief created when the disclosure of their parent’s true sexual orientation ended a marriage and divided a family. The "straight" parent’s resentment can lead to angry remarks that—intentionally or unintentionally—disparage the gay/lesbian parent and threaten the natural love and affection the child feels for both.

"I guess the hardest part about having a gay dad is that no matter how okay you are with it, there’s always going to be someone who will dislike you because of it."

The one-on-one interviews presented in How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent document first-hand the effects of homophobia on family life. Children struggle with the choice between living in a closet, shamed by peers and family members, or dealing with discrimination as a parent’s sexual orientation is used against them. Taken together, these stories make a statement for acceptance, understanding, and tolerance as children do their best to make the transition from a traditional family to a nontraditional lifestyle.

"My mom is a normal person just like everyone else. The only thing that’s different about her is that she’s gay and if you can’t deal with it, you’re just going to have to live with it."

How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages offers comfort and support to children from those who share their journey. The book is a valuable aid for practitioners working with children of GLBT parents and an educational tool for GLBT adults considering children.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781560234197
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Publication date: 07/28/2004
Pages: 130
Product dimensions: 6.12(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Age Range: 10 - 17 Years

Table of Contents

  • Foreword (Felicia Park-Rogers)
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • 1. Chris, Age Seventeen
  • 2. Keila, Age Seven
  • 3. Meredith, Age Twenty
  • 4. Trisha, Age Twelve
  • 5. Sister and Brother: Taylor, Age Eight; Justin, Age Ten
  • 6. Ruth, Age Twenty
  • 7. Angel, Age Seven
  • 8. Sophia, Age Thirteen
  • 9. Jarod, Age Twenty-Six
  • 10. Three Sisters: Miranda, Age Seven; Lilly, Age Nine; and Avery, Age Eleven
  • 11. Erin, Age Fourteen
  • 12. Stacey, Age Eighteen
  • 13. Tara, Age Thirteen
  • 14. Kelly, Age Twenty
  • 15. Ally, Age Ten
  • 16. Nicole, Age Thirty-One
  • 17. Alanna, Age Eight
  • 18. Lydia, Age Twenty-Five
  • 19. Andrew, Age Thirteen
  • 20. Chloe, Age Ten
  • 21. Clara, Age Twenty
  • 22. Ricky, Age Fourteen
  • 23. Brother and Sister: Nathan, Age Sixteen; Rachel, Age Eighteen
  • 24. Renee, Age Twenty-Eight
  • 25. Brian, Age Eighteen
  • 26. Bernadette, Age Fifteen
  • 27. Jaime, Age Eighteen
  • 28. Alicia, Age Sixteen
  • Summary
  • Resource Guide
  • Index

What People are Saying About This

Amity Pierce Buxton

INVALUABLE for anyone wanting to know what happens to children of parents who come out as gay, lesbian, or bisexual—and the complex context in which their dealing with this challenge takes place. THE VALUE OF THIS BOOK IS ITS SPOTLIGHT ON THE CHILDREN, often forgotten in the crisis of a married or divorced parent's coming out.
PhD, Executive Director, Straight Spouse Network

Julie Kunce Field

TIMELY, NECESSARY. . . . A USEFUL SOURCE OF INSIGHT for parents, children, judges, lawyers, and child custody evaluators. . . . By telling the stories of dozens of children of different ages, Judith Snow has presented a tableau of simple tales that can help different professionals understand the lives and needs of children who have GLBT parents.
JD, Attorney and Mediator, Office of Dispute Resolution, Colorado

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