Families' and Children's

All in God's Family: Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families

All in God's Family: Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families

Giving you opportunities to gather with other members of your congregation to pray, to learn, to share, and to work together to transform your lives, your congregation, and your world into a loving place in which God's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families can thrive.

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Two Dads, Two Moms, Twelve Books: A Children's Library

As GLBT parents, it's always tough to find good books to read to your children. We've rounded up our favorite gay kids' books here. Many of these can be hard to find at your local bookstore, but are available through special ordering or online bookstores. Enjoy!

print Aarons Leroy Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son PrayersBobby.jpg San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco 1995 288 pp. 0062511238 Bobby Griffith was an all-American boy... and he was gay. Faced with an irresolvable conflict - for both his family and his religion taught him that being gay was "wrong" - Bobby chose to take his own life. Prayers for Bobby, nominated for a 1996 Lambda Literary Award, is the story of the emotional journey that led Bobby to this tragic conclusion. But it is also the story of Bobby's mother, a fearful churchgoer who first prayed that her son would be "healed," then anguished over his suicide, and ultimately transformed herself into a national crusader for gay and lesbian youth. As told through Bobby's poignant journal entries and his mother's reminiscences, Prayers for Bobby is at once a moving personal story, a true profile in courage, and a call to arms to parents everywhere. http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0062511238 _blank print Bernstein Robert Families of Value: Personal Profiles of Pioneering Lesbian and Gay Parents New York Marlowe & Co. 2005 288 pp. 1560256389 Millions of children in the United States have gay or lesbian parents, and the number of same-sex parents is increasing at an ever-expanding rate. But although many attitudes are changing, gay and lesbian parents and their children need protection and support as the heated cultural battle over same-sex unions continues to escalate. Families of Value offers a poignant defense of families with same-sex parents, and it does so primarily through the powerful use of real-life examples. Robert Bernstein, author of the acclaimed Straight Parents, Gay Children, presents intimate portraits of pioneer families with gay and lesbian parents who are leading the charge in the struggle to bring about social change. Their unique stories, in turn hard-hitting and affecting, portray the resistance these brave parents have faced, their views of the current cultural climate and, most importantly, the intense passion and dedication that they have devoted to raising sound, healthy, and well-adjusted children. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560256389/qid=1133478799/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Bernstein Robert Straight Parents, Gay Children: Keeping Families Together straightparents.jpg New York Thunder's Mouth Press 2003 208 pp. 1-56025-452-1 Straight Parents, Gay Children is Robert Bernstein's moving account of how he came to terms with his daughter's homosexuality and how the experience has enriched his life. Bernstein - winner of the 1996 Award for Best Scholarship on the Subject of Intolerance, awarded by the Gustaves Myers Center for the Study of Human Rights in North America - discusses the myths surrounding homosexuality, accepting the news, parents who speak out, public figures who have gay children, and more. Straight Parents, Gay Children is a survival guide for all parents who wish to help their gay children cope with the inevitable cruelty from which they cannot hide. This revised and updated edition includes an introduction by Robert MacNeil of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions and a foreword by Betty DeGeneres. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560254521/qid=1133483050/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Bernstein Robert A. Candace Gingrich Straight Parents, Gay Children: Inspiring Families to Live Honestly and With Greater Understanding 2nd New York Thunder's Mouth Press 2003 203 pp. 1560252294 Written by the former national vice-president of P-FLAG. With an introduction by PBS' Robert MacNeil, and a forward by Candace Gingrich. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560252294/qid=1133468481/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/002-8017367-5735232?n=283155 _blank print Boenke Mary editor Trans Forming Families: Real Stories About Transgender Loved Ones 2nd New Castle, Delaware Oak Knoll Press 2003 192 pp. 0615123074 This new edition features forty authors who share their personal journeys from the initial shock or resistance when first learning their loved ones (or they, themselves) were struggling with gender problems, through the various feelings, to final acceptance. The first of its kind, Trans Forming Families has become a best seller among transgendered persons and their allies. Arlene Ishtar Lev, noted trans-therapist, has written a lucid Foreword and Jessica Xavier's Introduction documents the constant public interest in trans-family relationships. Boenke is the mother of an adult MTF son, chair of P-FLAG's Transgender Network, a trans activist, and a retired psychotherapist. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615123074/qid=1133468897/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Bono Chastity Billie Fitzpatrick Family Outing familyouting.gif Boston Back Bay Books 1999 272 pp. 0316115967 In Family Outing Chastity, daughter of Sonny and Cher, weaves her own dramatic story into those of other gays and lesbians to illustrate the phases, pitfalls, and rewards of coming out. We hear how gays and lesbians often feel indescribably "different" when they are quite young, how they come to recognize and explore that difference in themselves and then deal, in various ways, with parents' reactions, those of friends and coworkers, and their own unearthed homophobia. Ultimately, we learn how enormously empowering the whole process can be. While Family Outing provides sensible, helpful advice to gays and lesbians who are thinking about coming out, it is also an important primer for parents. We hear parents talk about their difficult - but ultimately successful and satisfying - journey through their part of the coming-out experience. And in her own voice, Cher tells her side of Chastity's story, relating her suspicion, denial, confrontation, and eventual acceptance of her daughter's sexual orientation. For, as Chastity says, "Parents come out too." Practical, cogent, and personally revealing, Family Outing is a guide like no other, necessary for anyone who's ever been involved in any aspect of the coming-out process. http://www.twbookmark.com/books/5/0316115967/ _blank print Borhek Mary V. Coming Out to Parents: A Two-Way Survival Guide for Lesbians and Gay Men and Their Parents revised BorhekCOtP.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 1993 320 pp. 0829809570 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0829809570/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Borhek Mary V. My Son Eric Cleveland Pilgrim Press 1984 160 pp. 0829807292 A classic, the story of a mother's love and journey, My Son Eric has been and continues to be an invaluable insight into how a child's coming out as a gay man (or lesbian) affects the family. Particularly useful for those parents whose religious backgrounds condemn homosexuality, Mary Borhek faces bigotry and misinformation head-on and discovers not only herself but also that love does indeed conquer all. http://thepilgrimpress.com/product_detail.taf?site_uid1=9&hallway_uid1=100&search_id=&catalog_uid1=787&link_type_uid1=&person_id=&u_currency_id=190&_UserReference=C9042A8E4F93D4EB438F62B6 _blank print Clunis D. Merilee G. Dorsey Green The Lesbian Parenting Book: A Guide to Creating Families and Raising Children 2nd Emeryville, CA Seal Press 2003 403 pp. 1580050905 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580050905/qid=1133472014/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Dew Robb Forman The Family Heart: A Memoir of When Our Son Came Out New York Ballantine Books 1995 240 pp. 0345394089 The American Book Award-winning author of Dale Loves Sophie to Death now recounts the true story of her son's coming out and of the subsequent journey she makes with her family from confusion to powerful commitment. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345394089/qid=1133483216/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Drucker Jane Families of Value: Gay and Lesbian Parents and Their Children Speak Out familiesofvalue.jpg New York Plenum Publishing 1998 283 pp. 0306458632 This is a remarkably candid and honest book on the ups and downs of gays and lesbians raising children. Whether the parent is gay or not is essentially unimportant, it is the commitment to caring and providing the best home possible that is the author's extraordinary message. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0306458632/qid=1133479509/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Fairchild Betty Nancy Hayward Now That You Know: A Parents' Guide to Understanding Their Gay & Lesbian Children updated nowthayouknow.jpg New York Harvest/Harcourt Brace 1998 281 pp. 0156006057 Now updated with new material on AIDS and support groups, this completely non-judgmental, very informative, and extremely effective book is a standard reference for parents of gays and lesbians. http://www.harcourtbooks.com/bookcatalogs/bookpages/0156006057.asp _blank print Fumia Molly Honor Thy Children: One Family's Journey to Wholeness Boston Conari Press 2000 336 pp. 1-57324-198-9 The brave and inspirational story of a Japanese-American family's triumph in the face of the death of their three children, two to AIDS and a third the victim of a tragic drive-by shooting. Honor Thy Children chronicles the creation, devastation, and remarkable resurrections of the Nakatanis, a family that journeys from unimaginable grief to healing. "A story that will break your heart and make it whole again. It will bring you into realms of humanness and compassion you didn't know you had. It might even set you free to love in ways you've never loved before." - Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking http://www.conari.com/estore/product_detail.jsp?product_cat_id=0&product_group_id=21 _blank print Garner Abigail Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is familieslikemine.jpg New York Harper Collins 2004 272 pp. 0060527579 Based on eight years of activism, combined with interviews with more than fifty sons and daughters, Families Like Mine debunks the anti-gay myth that these children grow up damaged and confused. At the same time, Garner's book refutes the popular pro-gay sentiment that these children turn out "just like everyone else." In addition to the typical stresses of growing up, the unique pressures these children face are not due to their parents' sexuality, but rather to homophobia and prejudice. Using a rich blend of journalism and memoir, Garner offers empathetic yet unapologetic opinions about the gifts and challenges of being raised in families that are often labeled "controversial." http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060527579 _blank print Goss Robert Amy Adams Squire Strongheart editors Our Families, Our Values: Snapshots of Queer Kinship Binghamton, NY Haworth Press 1997 390 pp. 1560239107 Our Families, Our Values challenges both the gay community and American society to examine carefully the meaning of family values and the nature of social institutions such as marriage and the family. It asks you provoking, even disturbing, questions such as: "Is it prudent for members of the Lavender community to mimic heterosexual marriage or define personal relations networks as families, when these institutions are rapidly collapsing?" "Are we attempting to mainstream American society into accepting different views of marriage and families?" "Are we subscribing to notions of sexual property that are inherent to the marriage ceremony and the institution of marriage, when we choose to be married?" Despite the complexities of this issue, marriage constitutes a privileged position in western society, and, as this book shows you, without the legal recognition of same-sex marriages, there are many fundamental rights, as well as privileges, denied to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons. http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp?sid=75GJ562HTKJC9PTVLJCJ7XLPU8SHFAM9&sku=1571&AuthType=4 _blank print Griffin Carolyn Welch Marian J. Wirth, and Arthur G. Wirth Beyond Acceptance, Parents of Lesbians and Gays Talk About Their Experiences revised New York St. Martin's Press 1997 256 pp. 0312167814 "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. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312167814/qid=1133480439/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Gunderson Steve Rob Morris House and Home: the Political and Personal Journey of a Gay Republican Congressman and the Man with Whom He Created a Family gunderson.jpg New York Dutton 1996 327 pp. 0525941975 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525941975/qid=1133480826/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Kaeser Gigi, photos Peggy Gillespie editor Love Makes a Family: Portraits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Parents and Their Families Amherst University of Massachusetts Press 1999 208 pp. 1558491619 This handsome volume combines interviews and photographs to document the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered parents and their children. It allows all of the family members to speak candidly about their lives, their relationships, and the ways in which they have dealt with the pressures of homophobia. Included in the book are people from a diverse array of racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, representing a wide range of family structures. Together, they provide clear evidence that family roles and responsibilities need not be based on gender, and that children thrive in an atmosphere in which understanding, respect, and love transcend the prejudices of the day. http://www.umass.edu/umpress/fall_98/gillespieF98.html _blank print McDougall Bryce editor My Child Is Gay: How Parents React When They Hear the News McDougallMCIG.jpg Australia Allen & Unwin 1998 193 pp. 1864486589 Parents' honest and revealing responses to the news their child is gay. A must for any parent who is struggling with their feelings. http://www.allenandunwin.com/Shopping/SearchResults.aspx?search=my+child+is+gay _blank print McNeill John J. Taking a Chance on God: Liberating Theology for Gays, Lesbians, and their Lovers, Families, and Friends Boston Beacon Press 1988 213 pp. 0807079456 Father John J. McNeill thoughtfully explains how both tradition and Scripture support the love between people of the same sex and shows that a positive gay identity is compatible with Christian faith. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807079456/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print MacPike Loralee editor There's Something I've Been Meaning to Tell You Tallahassee Naiad Press 1989 288 pp. 0941483444 How do people come out of the closet to their families and their own children? These true stories of Lesbian and Gay parents opening up with their children are both heartbreaking and heartwarming, but above all, they are honest. The stories explore such questions as How does one begin? Why do some children react well while others never accept the truth? Why do these parents feel they must risk changing their child's world by telling them? For anyone sensitive to the dilemma of explaining a socially difficult subject to a child, this is an excellent book. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0941483444/qid=1133481942/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Owens Robert E. Queer Kids: The Challenges and Promise for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth queerkids.jpg Binghamton, NY Haworth Press 1998 355 pp. 1560239298 Packed to the hilt with living narratives, scholarly research, and problem-solution scenarios, Queer Kids examines the unique challenges faced by today's homosexual young adults. You'll learn what modern-day queer kids do to cope, survive, and find understanding in a world riddled with homophobic intolerance. Queer Kids is a lens of clarity that will help the average straight adult-and maybe even the average gay adult-see things from a kid's point of view. Its detail-oriented, well-wrought chapters will provide you with literally hundreds of stories of young people who are trying to define themselves sexually and emotionally in a society of criss-crossing judgment, stereotyping, anger, and expectation. Aimed at three target groups-counselors, parents, and youth-this book introduces you to a variety of interesting kids, offers you a look at the process of coming out, and helps you grasp the experience of queer identification. http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp?sid=75GJ562HTKJC9PTVLJCJ7XLPU8SHFAM9&sku=1671&AuthType=4 _blank print Silverstein Charles A Family Matter: A Parents' Guide to Homosexuality New York McGraw-Hill 1977 214 pp. 0070574294 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0070574294/qid=1133482527/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Slater Suzanne The Lesbian Family Life Cycle Champaign, IL University of Illinois Press 1999 272 pp. 0252067835 This is the first book to examine the special bonds and stresses common to lesbian families and to provide a five-stage working model for the development of lesbian couple relationships. Drawing on more than sixteen years of clinical experience and research, Suzanne Slater explores the coping mechanisms lesbian families have developed in order to interact with their families of origin, with the straight world, and with the lesbian communities of which they are a part. By treating lesbian relationships on their own terms, rather than in terms of heterosexual relationships, Slater provides valuable guidance for friends as well as members of lesbian families. http://www.press.uillinois.edu/s99/slater.html _blank print Thurian Max Norma Emerton translator Marriage and Celibacy: Studies in Ministry and Worship London SCM Press Ltd. 1959 126 pp. B0007IUVPO http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007IUVPO/qid=1133482804/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-8017367-5735232?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 _blank print Tigert Leanne McCall Timothy Brown editors Coming Out Young and Faithful comingoutyoung.jpg Cleveland Pilgrim Press 2001 148pp. 0829814140 Winner of the 2003 Mayflower Award for Church and Society. This groundbreaking collection comes from gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning teens whose stories describe their church experiences. "One morning, while walking through the living room, I noticed a magazine laying on top of the coffee table. The lead article was printed in bold across the cover - "Coming to Terms with My Lesbian Daughter: A Mother's Story." I was struck frozen, unable to move or breathe, afraid Alice or her grandmother would march out of the kitchen to catch me in my fascination, shame, and secret. Then my life would be ruined forever. Quickly and quietly, I tiptoed over to the table, picked up the magazine, rolled it up under my shirt, and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. Trying to breathe normally, I sat down on the edge of the tub and opened the magazine. Hearing my own heart pound out loud I first skimmed it, and then slowly and carefully digested every single word. I sneaked the magazine upstairs and into my suitcase. I went back home a transformed person." - Leanne, 13, with her best friend Alice, when they visited her grandmother http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0829814140/102-5522310-2838527?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance _blank print Wright Janet M. Lesbian Step Families: An Ethnography of Love Binghamton, NY Haworth Press 1998 242 pp. 156023928X Lesbian Step Families explores five lesbian step families' definitions of the step parent role and how they accomplish parenting tasks, cope with homophobia, and define and interpret their experiences. An intensive feminist qualitative study, the book offers guidelines for counselors and lesbian step families for creating healthy, functioning family structures and environments. It is the first book to concentrate exclusively on lesbian step families rather than on lesbian mothering in general. http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp?sid=75GJ562HTKJC9PTVLJCJ7XLPU8SHFAM9&sku=1706&AuthType=4 _blank kids Combs Bobbie Desiree Keane and Brian Rappa illustrators ABC - A Family Alphabet Book 4906447.gif Ridley Park, PA Two Lives Publishing 2001 32 pp. 0967446813 Have fun with the kids, moms, dads and pets in this delightful book that celebrates LGBT families as it teaches young children the alphabet. (Ages 2-6) https://id304.securedata.net/twolives.com/merchantmanager/product_info.php?products_id=1 _blank kids Combs Bobbie Danamarie Hosler illustrator 123 A Family Counting Book 123.gif Ridley Park, PA Two Lives Publishing 2001 32 pp. 0967446805 This counting companion to ABC - A Family Alphabet Book lets your kids count from one to twenty with pictures of families just like theirs. (Ages 2-6) https://id304.securedata.net/twolives.com/merchantmanager/product_info.php?products_id=3&mmsid=3d6ea9077da6ec9fa463ebbb8b759bba _blank kids dePaola Tomie Oliver Button Is a Sissy oliverbutton.jpg San Diego Harcourt Children’s Books 1979 48 pp. 0152578528 A little boy must come to terms with being teased and ostracized because he'd rather read books, paint pictures, and tap-dance than participate in sports. http://www.harcourtbooks.com/bookcatalogs/bookpages/0152578528.asp _blank kids Gordon Sol Vivien Cohen illustrator All Families Are Different allfamilies.jpg Amherst, NY Prometheus Books 2000 50 pp. 1573927651 Is there such a thing as a "normal" family? Is one family better than another? Of course the answer to these questions is no, but children are often led to believe otherwise. Young people need to understand and appreciate that when it comes to families, they are all different! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1573927651/sr=1-1/qid=1154121253/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-9227884-1998507?ie=UTF8&s=books _blank kids Greenberg Keith Elliot Carol Halebian photographer Zack's Story: Growing Up with Same-Sex Parents 1566499.gif Minneapolis Lerner Publishing Group 1996 40 pp. 082252581X An 11-year-old boy describes life as part of a family made up of himself, his mother and her lesbian partner. (Ages 7-9) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/082252581X/sr=1-1/qid=1154121136/ref=sr_1_1/102-9227884-1998507?ie=UTF8&s=books _blank kids Kennedy Joseph John Canemaker illustrator Lucy Goes to the Country 1779217.gif Los Angeles Alyson Publications 1998 32 pp. 1555834280 Lucy is a cat who lives in the city with her two "Big Guys." When they take Lucy to the country, she gets in all kinds of trouble. (Ages 3 and up) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1555834280/sr=1-1/qid=1154119687/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-9227884-1998507?ie=UTF8&s=books _blank kids Leaf Munro Robert Lawson illustrator The Story of Ferdinand 1127786.gif New York Viking Children's 1936 72 pp. 0670674249 This may well be the first gay children's book ever written. Munro Leaf's 1936 story of a flower-loving bull still rings true as a symbolic portrayal of growing up as a sensitive boy. (Ages 4-8) http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780670674244,00.html _blank kids Newman Leslea Diana Souza illustrator Heather Has Two Mommies Tenth Anniversary 1008703.gif Los Angeles Alyson Publications 2000 32 pp. 1555835430 It's the classic of the genre and still as powerful as it was 10 years ago. Heather's favorite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears, two hands and two feet. She also has two mommies, Mama Jane and Mamma Kate. (Ages 4-8) http://alysonbooks.stores.yahoo.net/hehastwomo1a.html _blank kids Skutch Robert Laura Nienhaus illustrator Who's in a Family? 1899300.gif Berkeley, CA Ten Speed Press 1997 32 pp. 188367266X This is another nice story about the variety of family structures (single moms, divorced parents, gay dads, etc.), with an excellent reflection of racial diversity as well. (Ages 4-8) http://www.tenspeed.com/store/index.php?main_page=pubs_product_book_jph1_info&products_id=818 _blank kids Valentine Johnny Melody Sarecky illustrator One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads first paperback 1779121.gif Los Angeles Alyson Publications 2004 32 pp. 1555838480 This Dr. Seuss-like story is one of our favorites. A rhymed parable with a message of racial and sexual tolerance. (Ages 4-8) http://alysonbooks.stores.yahoo.net/1555838480.html _blank kids Wickens Elaine Anna Day and the O-Ring 1779120.gif Los Angeles Alyson Publications 1994 24 pp. 1555832520 A simple story about a boy named Evan and his two moms. (Ages 2-7) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1555832520/sr=8-1/qid=1154118672/ref=sr_1_1/102-9227884-1998507?ie=UTF8 _blank kids Willhoite Michael Daddy's Roommate 1779081.gif Los Angeles Alyson Publications 1991 32 pp. 1555831184 It may seem a bit dated, but it's still extremely powerful and validating to see a kid and his two dads going about their daily lives. (Ages 4-7) http://alysonbooks.stores.yahoo.net/1555831184.html _blank print Siegel Laura Nancy Lamkin Olson editors Out of the Closet into Our Hearts: Celebrating Our Gay/Lesbian Family Members outofthecloset.jpg San Francisco Leyland Publications 2001 160 pp. 0-943595-84-3 A beautiful book filled with honest heart warming stories. It was so refreshing to read about people that not only accept their gay family members but celebrate and cherish them. Highly recommended for all people that have a gay or lesbian loved one. http://www.amazon.com/Out-Closet-Into-Our-Hearts/dp/0943595843 _blank online editors Parenting Issues Prepared by the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce, this web site features reports and research, tools and issue maps covering LGBT adoption issues and anti-gay parenting laws http://www.thetaskforce.org/theissues/issue.cfm?issueID=30 _blank multimedia Scagliotti John editors Oliver Button is a STAR! oliverbutton-vid.jpg Public Broadcasting Station 2001 56 min. "Oliver Button is a STAR!" is a story of bullying, embracing difference and striving to achieve one's dreams. Tomie dePaola's classic children's story is retold in this innovative, moving and educational PBS special. This hour-long video features the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus and braids animation, music, archival film, home movies, classroom activities and childhood memories from arctic explorer Ann Bancroft, dancer Bill T. Jones, makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin and author Tomie dePaola. VHS http://www.tcgmc.org/music_merchandise/vid_oliver_button.php _blank multimedia editors Postcards from Buster: Buster's Outdoor Journeys postcards.jpg Paramount Home Video 2004 88 mins. This includes the episode in which Buster, an animated rabbit, visits Vermont, where he learns how maple sugar is made and visits the home of real-life children who invite him in for dinner and introduce him to their "mom and Gillian." PBS pulled the episode the same day that they received a letter from new Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings condemning the episode and asking PBS to "strongly consider" returning the federal money that went toward its production. See what all the fuss was about. DVD http://www.amazon.com/Postcards-Buster-Busters-Outdoor-Journeys/dp/B000A6T26W _blank multimedia editors What Do You Say When Someone You Love Says: I'm Gay? Saint Paul Lutherans Concerned/North America 2001 23 MIN. A video for Lutheran family and friends featuring Bishop Emeritus Paul W. Egertson, Southwest California Synod, ELCA. Bishop Egertson reveals the journey he and his wife Shirley have taken to understand what it means to have a gay son. VHS http://infox.lcna.org/ _blank print Curoe Carol Robert Curoe editors Are There Closets in Heaven?: A Catholic Father and Lesbian Daughter Share Their Story arethereclosets.jpg Minneapolis, MN Syren Book Company 2007 196 pp. 978-0-929636-79-5 It’s always difficult for a child to tell her parents she is gay, regardless of how liberal or conservative her family might be. When the daughter is part of a devout Catholic family living in a small rural community, the parent-child relationship is exposed to even greater risk. Are There Closets in Heaven? is a revealing first-person dialogue between a lesbian daughter, who had always dutifully tried to please her parents, and her Catholic father, an eighty-one-year-old farmer from Iowa. Through their letters and reflections, we see how courage and love made it possible for Bob and Carol Curoe to navigate the twists and turns of such a dramatic shift in their lives. This highly personal and often emotional exchange offers a gift of hope and inspiration to families who struggle with learning their child is not what they expected – regardless of what that surprise might be. Are There Closets in Heaven? lets us experience the real lives behind debates taking place in today’s media on same-sex marriage, constitutional amendments, gays and lesbians raising children, and religion. http://www.itascabooks.com/index.cfm?page=Detail&isbn=978-0-929636-79-5 _blank online editors Always Our Children A Pastoral Message to Parents of Homosexual Children and Suggestions for Pastoral Ministers from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops http://www.usccb.org/laity/always.shtml _blank online editors Rainbow Rumpus The online magazine for kids with GLBT parents. http://www.rainbowrumpus.org/ _blank multimedia Karslake Daniel For the Bible Tells Me So forthebibletellsmeso.jpg First Run Features 2007 97 min Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate?

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival, Dan Karslake's provocative, entertaining documentary brilliantly reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture, and in the process reveals that Church-sanctioned anti-gay bias is based almost solely upon a significant (and often malicious) misinterpretation of the Bible. As the film notes, most Christians live their lives today without feeling obliged to kill anyone who works on the Sabbath or eats shrimp (as a literal reading of scripture dictates).

Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families -- including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson -- we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.

Now available on DVD! Purchase at 25% off through the Human Rights Campaign's Religion and Faith Program

The much anticipated For the Bible Tells Me So: A Study Guide and Advocacy Training Curriculum by Rev. Chris Glaser is now available through HRC's Religion and Faith Program online and free of charge.

 DVD http://forthebibletellsmeso.org _blank multimedia Polis Schutz Susan Anyone and Everyone anyoneandeveryone.jpg Iron Zeal Films 2007 57 min.

Connected by having a son or daughter who is gay, parents across the country discuss their experiences in the documentary Anyone and Everyone. In it, filmmaker Susan Polis Schutz, depicts families from all walks of life. Individuals from such diverse backgrounds as Japanese, Bolivian, and Cherokee, as well as from various religious denominations such as Mormon, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Hindu, and Southern Baptist, share intimate accounts of how their children revealed their sexual orientation and discuss their responses. The parents also talk about struggling with the pain of their sons and daughters dealing with not being accepted by relatives or friends, and being ostracized by religious congregations. The film also depicts meetings of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) where people get support and help.

 DVD http://www.anyoneandeveryone.com _blank print Haffner Debra W. What Every 21st-Century Parent Needs to Know: Facing Today's Challenges with Wisdom and Heart whatevery.gif New York Newmarket 2008 224 pp. 1557047871 A provocative new book that debunks the myths, validates the concerns, and advises parents on how to keep their children safe and healthy in a world so different from the one in which they grew up. Has raising children become more difficult, or are parents unnecessarily alarmed by the constant stream of stories and statistics in the media? How do those reports relate to their children? What's fact? What's exaggeration, or misinterpretation? These are some of the questions that parenting expert Debra Haffner, author of the award-winning books From Diapers to Dating and Beyond the Big Talk, answers in her new book. She addresses head-on the good and bad news about 21st-century parents' concerns: stress, self-esteem, drinking, achievement, drugs, Internet safety, cell phones, Facebook, depression, sports, nutrition, bullying, faith, abstinence, and sex. With compassion and clarity, backed by extensive research, Haffner provides invaluable insight into the world of children today, along with practical and reassuring tips for parents on how to tackle many of the day-to-day challenges. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1557047871?ie=UTF8&tag=therelinsonse-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1557047871 _blank print Bayly Michael J. editor Creating Safe Environments for LGBT Students: A Catholic Schools Perspective creatingsafe.jpg Binghamton, NY Harrington Park Press 2007 172 pp. 156023606X A comprehensive training guidebook for educators who are committed to diversity and the full inclusion of LGBT students in every aspect of the Catholic high school experience. Based on five years of pilot testing in Catholic schools, this unique book emphasizes safe-staff training in integrating the Church's pastoral, social, and moral dimensions with the special needs of LGBT students. The book presents strategies and resources for building safer schools, helpful materials for communicating with parents, and general guidelines for developing and maintaining professional helping relationships with LGBT students. http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Safe-Environments-Lgbt-Students/dp/156023606X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211216081&sr=8-1 _blank multimedia Wang Janice and Harry editors Open Heart, Open Hand openheart.jpg Tillamook, OR SDA Kinship International 2006 0:32 min.

This touching video contains three conversations about homosexuality and the family—a life and death matter. Introduced by Dr. David Larson, a professor with the Faculty of Religion at Loma Linda University, this resource features interviews with prominent Seventh Day Adventist parents of gay and lesbian children: Dr. Walt and Virginia Cason (physician and daughter of Elder H.M.S. Richards), Dr. George P. Babcock (educator) and Mrs. Carrol Grady (minister's wife).

 DVD/VHS http://www.sdagayperspectives.com/orders.htm _blank print Grady Carrol My Son, Beloved Stranger myson.jpg San Francisco Alamo Square 2005 150 pp. 1886360111

Chronicling the experiences of a Seventh Day Adventist pastor's family in learning their youngest son is gay, this book is even more timely now than when it was first published ten years ago. This new edition includes an epilogue tracing the author's journey since originally telling her story. As loving Christians seek to understand a controversial topic, this gripping story will “put a face” on the issue.

 http://www.sdagayperspectives.com/orders.htm _blank print Gold Mitchell Mindy Drucker Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America crisis.jpg Austin, TX Greenleaf Book Group 2008 416 pp. 1929774109

With a unique blend of up-close and personal stories from some very public individuals, and middle America teens, philanthropist and longtime human rights advocate Mitchell Gold exposes this silent epidemic in Crisis.

"The reality is that Crisis needs to be read by absolutely everyone, not only to recognize what gay people go through in this culture, but to break through the denial of how cruel and insensitive people can be when they are controlled by a belief system that they allow to substitute for the loving human response they would otherwise find automatic." - Dr. Herb Hamsher

 http://www.crisisbook.org/ _blank print Burrill Melany All God's Children: Teaching Children About Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity allgodschildren.jpg Fort Wayne, IN LifeQuest 2009 20 pp. 1-893270-48-0 All God's Children is an essential guide to open and caring conversations with young children about gender and sexual orientation. You'll find that this small, user-friendly book addresses your concerns, your questions, and your search for just the right words; it also suggests ideas for sermons and classroom activities. As you read, you'll learn to model openness, respect, and the affirming belief that everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender difference, is a beloved child of God. Anyone who has a loving relationship with young children—parents, family, friends, pastors, Sunday School teachers—will benefit from reading and discussing All God's Children. http://www.godloveseachone.org/allgodschildren/ _blank online editors Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Adolescent Sexuality From the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing http://www.religiousinstitute.org/publications.html _blank online editors An Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Sex Education A theological framework for comprehensive sexuality education from the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing http://www.religiousinstitute.org/publications.html _blank multimedia Wilson and Dean Hamer Joe Out in the Silence outinthesilence.jpg qWaves 2009 1:06 This inspirational and gripping documentary uses the story of a small American town confronting the firestorm of controversy ignited by a same-sex wedding announcement to illustrate the challenge of being an outsider in a conservative environment and catalyze new ways of making resources and support available for those working for change.

The film and accompanying outreach campaign are supported by grants from the Sundance Documentary Film Program and Pennsylvania Public Television Network.

 DVD http://www.outinthesilence.com _blank online editors Just Say Know: A Faith-Based Advocacy Guide for Sexuality Education An online guide to help clergy and religious leaders advocate for comprehensive sexuality education in public schools. This guide provides background on comprehensive sexuality education, theological and spiritual grounding for advocacy, suggestions for involvement on the congregational, local, state and national levels, worship ideas, fact sheets, bibliographies and more. http://www.religiousinstitute.org/online-guide/just-say-know-a-faith-based-advocacy-guide-for-sexuality-education _blank print Miller Amie Klempnauer She Looks Just Like You: A Memoir of (Nonbiological Lesbian) Motherhood SheLooks.jpg Boston Beacon Press 2010 256 pp. 978-080700469-2 After ten years of talking about children, two years of trying (and failing) to conceive, and one shot of donor sperm for her partner, Amie Miller was about to become a mother. Or something like that. Over the next nine months, as her partner became the biological mom-to-be, Miller became . . . what? Mommy's little helper? A faux dad? As a midwestern, station wagon-driving, stay-at-home mom—and as a nonbiological lesbian mother—Miller both defines and defies the norm. Like new parents everywhere, she wrestled with the anxieties and challenges of first-time parenthood-including neurotic convictions that her child was chronically ill and the muddled confusion of sleeplessness. But unlike most mothers, she experienced pregnancy and birth only vicariously. Unlike biological parents, she had to stand before a judge to adopt her own daughter. And unlike most straight parents, she wondered how to respond when strangers gushed, "I bet Daddy's proud," or "She has your eyes."

Miller began searching for a role that would fit her experience, somewhere in the unexplored zone between mother and father, gay and straight. Sometimes she felt like a dad in drag, other times like a lesbian June Cleaver. Through it all, she and her partner became something new—even as the presence of a baby rattled the bones of their eighteen-year relationship.

Part love story, part comedy, part quest, Miller's candid and often humorous memoir is a much-needed cultural roadmap to what it means to become a parent, even when the usual categories do not fit. http://www.beacon.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=2127 _blank online editors The Family Acceptance Project- A Study from San Francisco State University The Family Acceptance Project(TM) is a community research, intervention and education initiative to study the impact of family acceptance and rejection on the health, mental health and well-being of lesbian, gay and bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. Results will be used to help families provide support for LGBT youth, to develop appropriate interventions, programs and policies, and to train providers to improve the quality of services and care they receive. http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/ _blank print Gillespie Peggy editor Love Makes a Family: Portraits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Parents and Their Families lovemakesafamily.jpg Boston University of Massachusetts 1999 208 pp. 978-1558491618 This collection of informal family portraits and interviews with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) parents and their children grew out of a photo exhibit created by photographer Kaeser. Myriad family configurations are presented: gay and lesbian couples, divorced lesbians coparenting, single parents, transgendered parents, and stepparents and their children. From text accompanying the photographs, we learn who these people consider family and why as they speak about their feelings and experiences as part of an LGBT family. The interviews reveal many of the same joys and struggles as found in other families in addition to the challenges of being an LGBT family in a predominantly heterosexual world. Most enlightening are the children's words; some tell of teasing and hostility directed toward them because of their family, while others simply state that they have two moms or two dads and a family is the people who love you. http://www.amazon.com/Love-Makes-Family-Portraits-Transgender/dp/1558491619 _blank multimedia Gillespie Peggy editors Love Makes a Family: Portraits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Parents and Their Families lovemakesafamily3.jpg Family Diversity Projects Approximately 20 photographs

Love Makes a Family is a museum-quality traveling exhibit including photographs and interviews with families that have lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) members. Through first-person accounts and positive images, this exhibit seeks to challenge and change damaging myths and stereotypes about LGBT people and their families. At the most basic level, Love Makes A Family combats homophobia by breaking silence and making the invisible visible. By encouraging people of all ages - beginning in early childhood - to affirm and appreciate diversity, this traveling rental exhibit contributes to the process of dismantling the destructive power of prejudice and intolerance, thereby making the world a safer place for all families.

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 Photo Exhibit http://www.familydiv.org/lovemakesafamily.php _blank multimedia Tolerance Teaching editors Bullied: A Student, a School and a Cast that Made History bullied_kit.jpg Montgomery, AL Teaching Tolerance: A Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center 2010 40 min. Bullied is a documentary film that chronicles one student's ordeal at the hands of anti-gay bullies and offers an inspiring message of hope to those fighting harassment today. It can become a cornerstone of anti-bullying efforts in middle and high schools. Bullied includes:
  • A 40-minute documentary film (DVD), with closed captioning and with Spanish subtitles
  • A two-part viewer's guide with standards-aligned lesson plans and activities for use in staff development
  • Additional materials online

Bullied is designed to help administrators, teachers and counselors create a safer school environment for all students, not just those who are gay and lesbian. It is also intended to help all students understand the terrible toll bullying can take on its victims, and to encourage students to stand up for their classmates who are being harassed. DVD and study guide http://www.tolerance.org/bullied _blank print Kilodavis Cheryl My Princess Boy: A Mom's Story About a Young Boy Who Loves to Dress Up MyPrincessBoy.jpg Fullerton, CA Aladdin Books 2010 36 pages 1442429887 Dyson loves pink, sparkly things. Sometimes he wears dresses. Sometimes he wears jeans. He likes to wear his princess tiara, even when climbing trees. He's a Princess Boy.

Inspired by the author's son, and by her own initial struggles to understand, this is a heart-warming book about unconditional love and one remarkable family. It is also a call for tolerance and an end to bullying and judgments. The world is a brighter place when we accept everyone for who they are. Ages 4-8. http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=4400186897 _blank online editors Where All Can Safely Live WhereAllCanSafelyLive.jpg Where All May Safely Live

A guide to understanding bullying in our communities, how to talk about it, and how to prevent it.

This anti-bullying curriculum is an introduction to what bullying is, how it functions, and why we as Christians are called to prevent it from happening in our communities. It was developed by Lutherans Concerned/North America with the help of the staff at the Pacific Violence Prevention Institute, from the pioneering research on bullying by Dan Olweus, and materials created by the United States government.

This curriculum is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to stopping bullying. However, this guide provides a basic understanding of how bullying works and offers suggestions for steps in creating a congregational bullying prevention plan.

Available for free download

 PDF http://www.lcna.org/images/stories/downloads/resources/048_whereallcansafelylive_aug2011.pdf _blank print Poorman J. Kelly And a Child... AndaChild.gif Bloomington iUniverse 2011 148 pages 9781462010769 FICTION: Knowing that the time has come to take a stand against bullying in school, two brave and compassionate high school students form a gay/straight alliance to protect their friends. And just as they expect, they encounter resistance, intolerance, and ignorance. The strength of their friendship gives them the courage they need to see their plans realized, so that every student—gay, straight, bisexual, transgendered, and those disenfranchised in any way—can enjoy a safe, caring environment. That is what every student, every person deserves. http://no-urnotalone.com/books_236.html _blank print Johnston Mark C. What Do I Do Now? When a Child Comes Out as Lesbian or Gay WhatDoIDoNow.jpg Atlanta Chalice Press 2012 e-book 9780827261297 Few parents are prepared for the moment when a child comes out as lesbian or gay. What Do I Do Now? gives loving reassurance and theological guidance towards maintaining a loving relationship with your son or daughter. Rev. Dr. Johnston, a Pastoral Psychologist with 25 years of experience working with gay men and women and their families, encourages parents towards understanding, open communication, and self-care in this practical guide. e-book http://www.chalicepress.com/What-Do-I-Do-Now-When-a-Child-Comes-Out-as-Lesbian-or-Gay-EPDF-P1197.aspx _blank