Mom And Dad Im Gay

As mainstream America becomes more aware of the needs and concerns of the nonheterosexual community, gay, lesbian, transgendered, and bisexual teenagers are revealing their sexual identities to their parents at a younger age than ever before. Drawing from over 150 original interviews with teenagers, the author separates fact from fiction in this survey of coming out experiences. Drawing from existing developmental research, the wide range of family reactions and factors that determine how parents come to terms with the disclosure over time is illustrated. The author reveals that the coming out experience is greatly influenced by gender, and chapters highlight common mother-daughter, mother-son, father-daughter, and father-son dynamics. Tips on how parents can be helped to negotiate the coming out process and learn to support their child's emerging sexual identity are suggested at the end of the book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved).