FAMILY SUPPORT (Parents of LGBT Kids, LGBT Parenting)
Parents of LGBT Kids (PLAG FCA, NYC brochures, Booklets from PFLAG and other organizations, Testimonies, Support groups, Books and DVD´s)
PFLAG FCA, NYC brochues:
Answers to Parents` Questions about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans* Persons
Answers to Common Questions About Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Trans Youth
Answers to Questions about Trans Persons
Answers to Questions About Religion and Homosexuality
Other PFLAG booklets and from sister organizations:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About LGBT People. Want to get answers to many of your questions? Here’s where to start.
http://www.pflag.org/Frequently_Asked_Questions.comingout_faq.0.html
Our Daughters and Sons: Questions and Answers for Parents of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual People.
https://www.pflag.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/Daughters_Sons.pdf
Our Trans Children
http://www.pflag.org/Support_for_Transpeople.1082.0.html
Information on children’s gender behavior for parents of small children:
If you are you concerned about your child’s gender behaviors: A Guide for Parents
http://www.dcchildrens.com/dcchildrens/about/subclinical/subneuroscience/subgender/guide.aspx
Testimonies and interviews:
Best Gift from God
A Hard Lesson Learned
Support groups:
PFLAG chapters in New York and Westchester:
PFLAG NYC
http://www.pflagnyc.org/
212 - 463 - 0629
PFLAG Queens
http://www.pflag-queens.org/
pflag@pflag-queens.org
718 - 271 - 6663
PFLAG Rockland County
845 - 268 - 2379
jergood@optonline.net
mimigood@optonline.net
PFLAG Staten Island
718 - 987 - 6747
waynenyc@gmail.com
PFLAG Westchester
http://www.pflagwestchester.org/
Other PFLAG chapters in the U.S.:
PFLAG National: PFLAG has more than 500 chapters that are located in all 50 states.
http://www.pflag.org/189.html
PFLAG sister organizations abroad:
http://www.pflag.org/International_PFLAG_Groups.international.0.html
Books:
PFLAG Hartford, Library: You will find an extensive list of books on LGBT issues.
http://www.pflaghartford.org/library.html
A FAMILY AND FRIEND'S GUIDE TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION: BRIDGING THE DIVIDE BETWEEN GAY AND STRAIGHT: Power and Ellis' book is a great next step for families and friends in various stages of coming to terms with a lvoed one being out. A Family and Freind's Guide to Sexual Orientation is rich in emotional depth....The book seems to ofer something for everyone, whether dealing with these issues in personal or professional life, from a spiritual place or some other perspective. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
A JOURNEY TO MORIAH: When her gay, teen-age son was outed in their community by the pastor of her church, Rhea Murray believed life was about to cave in on her. Instead, the event turned out to be the harbinger of a brave new beginning. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
ALWAYS MY CHILD: A PARENT'S GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING YOUR GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDERED OR QUESTIONING SON OR DAUGHTER: This book is primarily targeted toward parents struggling to help and deal with their questioning or coming out teenage child. So what is the secret? The title says it best - "Always My Child." Your child's needs come first, no matter what. Love your child; don't pressure them, but encourage them to discus their feelings, fears, and problems. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/ , click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
BEYOND ACCEPTANCE: PARENTS OF LESBIANS AND GAYS TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES: When a parent or friend hears for the first time that someone they love is gay, the feelings can range from bewilderment and confusion to fear and anger. Based upon discussions and interviews with parents of gays and lesbians, "Beyond Acceptance" provides knowledge and information that will help parents come to understand their children and build stronger relationships with them. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
COMING OUT AS PARENTS: YOU AND YOUR HOMOSEXUAL CHILD: This book helps parents of homosexuals understand their feeling and reactions to that knowledge and clarifies what it means to be homosexual. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
COMING OUT TO PARENTS: A TWO-WAY SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR LESBIANS AND GAY MEN AND THEIR PARENTS: Listed by American Bookseller as "among the most important gay and lesbian books that should be represented in any general bookstore," Borhek's original edition of this book (1983) has also been praised as "sound, sympathetic, and helpful" (St. Luke's Journal of Theology). In this thorough revision, Borhek brings an additional decade of personal knowledge and experience to bear on the subject of coming out. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR DE COLORES. The extensive Guide of De Colores, addresses homophobia in the Latino community. It shows how Latino families and communities are breaking the roots of homophobia with the stronger roots of love and tolerance. Within the Latino culture and community, multiple factors (including machismo, Catholicism, etc.) have created an environment of fear, intimidation and strong homophobia in which the topic of homosexuality is a distinct taboo never to be discussed. The Guide is designed to break this silence and commence a dialogue directed to unlearning homophobia. (download guide)
FAMILY OUTING: A smart, sensible, and supportive guide for parents who learn that their child is gay, lesbian, or bisexual, based on letters written by British parents of gay, lesbian, and bisexual children. Distributed in the US by Dufour. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
MOM, DAD, I'M GAY: HOW FAMILIES NEGOTIATE COMING OUT, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
MY CHILD IS GAY: HOW PARENTS REACT WHEN THEY HEAR THE NEWS: My Child is Gay is fift parents sharing how they coped and in some cases did not cope with news that their son or daughter is gay. Parents discuss how they felt when they first found out, what they found helpful, who they could talk to, and how they feel today. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW: A PARENTS' GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THEIR GAY AND LESBIAN CHILDREN: If the coming out process is difficult for gay people, it is often equally difficult for their parents. Confusion, anger, and fear frequently cause fathers and mothers of gay men and lesbians to disavow, strike out against, and even resent their children. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
QUEER FAMILY VALUES: DEBUNKING THE MYTH OF THE NUCLEAR FAMILY, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
STRAIGHT PARENTS, GAY CHILDREN: KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER: Bernstein, father of a lesbian daughter, writes of parents' pain and confusion when they learn their children are gay. He realistically describes the initial feelings of grief and disgust almost universal among such parents, who, after all, have always considered homosexuality to be wrong and alien. In specific chapters, he also addresses the experiences of growing up gay in a straight world, the movement toward gay rights, the fight by accepting parents for tolerance for their children, celebrities with gay children, and myths about homosexuality, and he offers a survival guide for parents who have just learned they have a gay child. Especially valuable is the chapter "Parents Speak Out," which tells the personal stories of families who are incorporating gay children into their familial identity. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/ click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
THE FAMILY OF HEART: A MEMOIR WHEN OUR SON CAME OUT: Most books about parents dealing with their child's announcement of his or her homosexuality are cast as "self-help" or educational. In the absence of informed, nonjudgmental material, these books are important, but more personal stories are also important. Novelist Robb Forman Dew tells the story of what happen to her--and her family--after her son Stephen came out. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Parents of LGBT Kids.
DVD’s:
ALL GOD’S CHILDREN:
http://www.unlearninghomophobia.com/unlearning.htm
ANYONE AND EVERYONE: Connected by having a son or a daughter who is gay, parents across the country discuss their experiences in this documentary. In it, filmmaker Susan Polis Schutz depicts families from all walks of life. Individuals with such diverse backgrounds as Japanese, Bolivian, and Cherokee, as well as from various religious denominations such as Mormons, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Hindu and Southern Baptist, share intimate accounts of how their children revealed their sexual orientation and discuss their responses. http://www.anyoneandeveryone.com/
DE COLORES (a 27 minutes documentary): Lesbian and Gay Latinos and their families: Stories of strength, family and love.
http://www.unlearninghomophobia.com/decolores.htm
DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR DE COLORES. The extensive Guide of De Colores, addresses homophobia in the Latino community. It shows how Latino families and communities are breaking the roots of homophobia with the stronger roots of love and tolerance. Within the Latino culture and community, multiple factors (including machismo, Catholicism, etc.) have created an environment of fear, intimidation and strong homophobia in which the topic of homosexuality is a distinct taboo never to be discussed. The Guide is designed to break this silence and commence a dialogue directed to unlearning homophobia. (download guide)
I EXIST: Voices from the Lesbian and Gay Middle Eastern Communities in the United States (a 56 minute documentary).
http://www.unlearninghomophobia.com/exist.htm
STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART
http://www.unlearninghomophobia.com/unlearning.htm
LGBT Parenting (LGBT Parenting, CHILDREN of LGBT Parents, Children’s Literature)
LGBT Parenting (Support, Books, DVD’s)
Support:
Center Kids
http://www.gaycenter.org/program_folders/Families/program_view
True Colors: Sexual Minority Youth and Family Services of Connecticut http://www.ourtruecolors.org/
Books
Coming Out to Children
The final Closet: The Gay Parents´ Guide for Coming Out to Their Children:
http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Coming Out.
There's Something I've Been Meaning to Tell You: 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.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Coming Out.
Creating Families
Helping the Stork: The Choices and Challenges of Donor Insemination: Childless couples and single women are in greater need than ever of an informative, complete, and supportive book on the subject of donor insemination. This book provides the information they need when considering this option. http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Lesbian and Gay Fostering and Adoption: Extraordinary Yet Ordinary, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
The Lesbian Parenting Book: A Guide to Creating Families and Raising Children, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/ click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians : Tips and Techniques from Conception to Birth : How to Stay Sane and Care for Yourself: The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians offers a holistic, lesbian-specific approach to pregnancy -- from an explanation of fertility cycles and how to select a sperm donor to a straightforward account of the stages of pregnancy and the body's responses. The book includes advice on the care of a newborn baby and tips for selecting a lesbian-friendly pediatrician, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Raising Children
All the Ways Home: Parenting and Children in the Lesbian and Gay Communities: A Collection of Short Fiction, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
The Lesbian and Gay Parenting Handbook, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Lesbians Raising Sons : An Anthology: Traditional philosophy maintains that women alone raising sons cannot make them into "true men"--that households without men have no true "role model" for sons. Working from this presumption, this book addresses the many challenges faced by lesbians raising sons, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Lesbian Step Families: An Ethnography of Love: Explores five lesbian stepfamilies' definitions of the stepparent 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 stepfamilies for creating healthy, functioning family structures and environments, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
The Velveteen Father: An Unexpected Journey to Parenthood: Journalist Jesse Green's delightful memoir makes it quite clear that the pleasures and perils of parenting are always the same--even for a gay 37-year-old man who stumbles into it by falling in love with a person who has an adopted son, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
LGBT Families in Society
Families: A Celebration of Diversity, Commitment, and Love: Seventeen young people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds briefly describe their lives, which encompass diverse situations. Divorce, foster care, gay and lesbian parents, communal living, step relationships, and adoption are a few of the living situations explored. The author states, our family is the people who take care of you, who care about you, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Families of Value: Gay and Lesbian Parents and Their Children Speak Out, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Gay Parents / Straight Schools: Building Communication and Trust, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Gay and Lesbian Parents: This insightful new work deals with all of the contemporary issues concerning parenting by gay men and lesbians. It is designed to broaden readers' thinking on homosexuality and homosexuals in general; to include the dimension of children and parenting within the context of the homosexual family; and to provide specific information about it, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Growing Up in a Lesbian Family: Effects on Child Development: Presenting a unique longitudinal study of 25 children raised in lesbian mother families, and a comparison group raised by single heterosexual mothers, the book lays out the developmental effects of growing up in a same-sex household - and confronts a range of myths and stereotypes along the way, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
In a Family Way: Straight out of today's headlines, In a Family Way takes a dramatic look at the kinds of moral and legal issues that face lesbian and gay families, and is one of those illuminating 'social issues' novels that are an honored tradition in American literature, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Lesbian Family Relationships in American Society, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Love Makes a Family: Portraits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Parents and Their Families: The newest picture book about human relationships focuses on families in which the parents are lesbians, gay men, or transgendered persons, and the children are either offspring of one of the parents or adopted or foster children of one or both parents,http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Queer Family Values: Debunking the Myth of the Nuclear Family, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
School's Out: The Impact of Gay and Lesbian Issues on America's Schools: America's schools are filled with gay and lesbian students, teachers, coaches, counselors and principals. By telling the true stories of dozens of gay and lesbian educators and students, and their straight allies, School's Out opens an important window on the people, places, and programs that make the 1990s such a crucial decade, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
Zach's Story: Growing Up With Same-Sex Parents: Eleven-year-old Zack talks about his life with his lesbian mother and his "second mother" in an attractively appointed photo-essay that is part of the Meeting the Challenge series. Pictures catch Zack at home, at school, at the Gay Pride Parade in New York City, and with his dad and his dad's other family, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select LGBT Parenting.
CHILDREN of LGBT Parents
COLAGE: Equality and Justice for People of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and/or Transgender Parents and families.
http://www.colage.org/
Books
COLAGE’s Resources includes many books for people with LGBT parents: http://www.colage.org/resources/colagers.htm
Coping When a Parent is Gay: Examines the impact of a parent's sexual orientation on family relationships, describing the experiences of young people in various types of families, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Children's Literature
Reading Level: To Age 8
All Kinds Of Families: This picture book is an essay on family love and continuity. Many ethnic groups are represented as the author points out that families come in many different packages and in many different forms. The main thing is that all families love one another, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Daddy's Roommate: A book describing the feelings of a boy whose gay father lives with another man presents the facts in a favorable light. Mother is extremely understanding, and Daddy's roommate is a friendly fellow, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Heather Has Two Mommies: Heather's favorite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears, two hands, and two feet. Heather also has two mommies, Mama Jane and Mamma Kate, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
How My Family Came to Be - Daddy, Papa and Me: Narrated from the perspective of a school-aged child, the book shows how his family was created and that families are made up of people who love each other. Told with simple words and playful illustrations, How My Family Came to Be - Daddy, Papa and Me clearly addresses for a young audience the changing makeup of families, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Lucy Goes to the Country: Madcap adventures ensue when a gay couple and their cat spend the weekend in the country, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Two Moms, the Zark, and Me: After becoming separated from his two mothers at the zoo, the narrator of the execrable tale is menaced by bigoted do-gooders before the Zark helps him find his parents, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Uncle What-Is-It is Coming to Visit!!: Tiffany and Igor learn that Uncle Brett is a homosexual and soon realize that the stories and stereotypes the neighborhood kids have told them about gay life are untrue, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
When Grown-Ups Fall in Love-- A Book for Very Young Children and Rush Limbaugh, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Who's In a Family?: This equal opportunity, open-minded picture book has no preconceptions about what makes a family a family. There's even equal time given to some of children's favorite animal families. With warm and inviting illustrations, this is a great book for that long talk with a little person on your lap. Pencil and watercolor illustrations, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
