Gay and Lesbian Parenting

By Deborah F. Glazer and Jack Drescher

Book Overview

Find sources of support for raising a nontraditional family in a straight world The experience of parenting is commonly overlooked in psychological theory, and lesbians and gay men are not typically considered as parents or parents to be. Gay and Lesbian Parenting examines the psychological issues related to developing family and becoming parents for gay men and lesbians. Instead of pathologizing gay and lesbian families, it explores the emotional growth and development issues inherent in child-rearing. Traditionally, coming out as gay or lesbian meant abandoning any hope of becoming a parent or keeping your children if you already had them. But with the "gayby boom" in full swing, more and more gay and lesbian couples are having new babies, adopting children, and continuing to raise the offspring of previous heterosexual relationships. Although gay and lesbian parents still face unique challenges in building and rearing a family, as well as the usual problems heterosexual couples encounter, Gay and Lesbian Parenting unflinchingly examines these concerns and offers positive suggestions and ideas for dealing with the difficulties. This life-affirming book takes a look at the practical and emotional realities of raising children in nontraditional family structures, including: issues of kinship, shared motherhood, and possessiveness in lesbian couples legal issues entailed by the lack of marriage and legal kinship parenthood as a powerful force for personal growth and development fatherhood as a process of creating connectedness in the family, community, and place of worship original empirical research on the mental health of lesbians'children the history of the gay and lesbian movement as it relates to child-rearing Gay and Lesbian Parenting affirms the power of gay and lesbian couples to raise healthy, happy children and to change and grow through their experience of parenting. This book is also essential for mental health professionals from psychiatric nurses to psychiatrists who are working with the gay and lesbian community.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0789013509
• ISBN13: 9780789013507
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: CRC Press
• Length: 165 Pages
• Weight: 0.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.5" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Worthwhile contribution to the subject

Gay and lesbian parenting is a firecracker of an issue that won't go away even when gays and lesbians are free to raise children. This book is an intelligent examination of the subject, although as others have mentioned, it's not necessarily intended for the "lay" reader. Nonetheless, it's worth reading for anyone interested in the subject...

mistitled but still informative for the right audience

This book should really be titled "Lesbian and Gay Parenting" because the bulk of the book looks at the lesbian experience and the one chapters dealing with gays are looking at a book of fiction. The book is geared toward therapists I'd say because it talks a lot about cases and approaches for the therapist who is trying to help a lesbian couple decide to bring children into their family. Freud is relied on a bit too heavily for my tastes, but hey, I'm not the intended audience.

An intelligent and valuable collection of essays.

"Gay Parenting" examines the challenges and pleasures of parenting for lesbians and gay men. The essays focus on the psychological, legal, and political implications of gay parenting. A diverse range of contributors makes this a well rounded and thought provoking book.