Families of Value: Personal Profiles of Pioneering Lesbian and Gay Parents - Softcover

Bernstein, Robert A.

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9781560256380: Families of Value: Personal Profiles of Pioneering Lesbian and Gay Parents

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1560256389 ISBN 13: 9781560256380

Publisher: Da Capo Press, 2005

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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.

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About the Author:

ROBERT A. BERNSTEIN, MA, JD, has served as a supervisory trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice and as associate professor of law at Southern Methodist University School of Law. From 1988 to 1995 he was national vice president of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). His previous book, Straight Parents, Gay Children, won the Award for Best Scholarship on the Subject of Intolerance, awarded by the Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Human Rights in America. He and his wife divide their time between Bethesda, Maryland and Portland, Oregon.

From Publishers Weekly:

Families comprised of same-sex parents are examples of "the ultimate triumph of courage and integrity," argues Bernstein, author of Straight Parents, Gay Children. To demonstrate this courage, he assembles a collection of real-life stories of gay parents' struggles to raise their children in a society hostile to their lifestyle. From a gay Protestant minister to two lesbian police officers hoping to extend death benefits to each other, these narratives offer insight into what motivates same-sex parents in their fight for legitimacy and acceptance-namely, the wellbeing of their children. For example, Bernstein chronicles the plight of Steven and Roger, foster parents to five children born with HIV, who are fighting against the state's attempts to remove one of the boys from their care. One of the most enlightening chapters, "Cherry-Picking the Truth," debunks many of the myths about children of gay parents and reveals the particular hardships that they endure. Unfortunately, however, the book focuses too much on the parents' struggles for social change and not enough on their family relationships. Thus, while this is an intriguing study of those leading the movement for same-sex parenting, it lacks the passion and emotional depth that would make these profiles truly resonate with readers.
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