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Links to Articles:
A gay man reflects on his decision to become a known donor
Lesbian parents raise children despite controversial approach
Young men with gay moms
Growing Up with Gay Parents
Custody and Conduct: How the Law Fails Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children
Kids of gay parents are different
California Grants Historic Tax Benefit to Gay Parents
Gay Parents: Nobody Does it Better
JCEF fund helps send kids of gay parents to college
Books on Lesbian & Gay Parenting:
Achtenberg, R. (1990). Preserving and protecting the families of lesbians and gay men. San Francisco, CA: National Center for Lesbian Rights.
In its second edition, addresses the lesbian and gay family with an emphasis on creating and protecting those families. A good, concise review of issues of gay and lesbian parenting from the perspective of family law. The National Center for Lesbian Rights, publisher, is a nonprofit, public interest law firm dedicated to preserving and increasing the legal rights of lesbians and gay men. Addresses child custody and visitation, adoption and foster parenting, rights of coparents, mental health and motivation to become a parent, gender identity of children raised by a lesbian women or gay man, stigma and harassment of children of lesbian women and gay men, and protection for lesbian and gay couples. Also has extensive footnotes providing relevant legal citations and statistics.
Barret, R. L., & Robinson, B.E. (1990). Gay fathers. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. Benkov, L. (1994). Reinventing the family: The emerging story of lesbian and gay parents. New York: Crown.
Addresses the complexity of gay and lesbian families using narratives reported by gay and lesbian parents and their children. Discusses research into case law and psychological literature and chronicles the legal and social history of lesbian and gay parenting. A useful resource with information of value not only for gay men and lesbian women but also for judges, lawyers, therapists, and medical personnel.
Bozett, F. W. (1987). Gay and lesbian parents. New York: Praeger.
A collection of articles on the topic of gay and lesbian parenting. When first published in 1987, there was no similar book on the market. Various articles are written by individuals who were considered experts and were able to present an inclusive synthesis of the empirical, theoretical, and contemporary literature about gay and lesbian parents in multiple contexts. Purpose is to broaden the reader's thinking to include the dimension of children and parenting within the context of gay and lesbian families and to provide the reader with specific information about this topic. Discusses gay fathers and lesbian mothers, children of gay and lesbian parents, psychosocial issues for gay men and lesbian women considering alternative fertilization, and legal issues in gay and lesbian parenting.
Bozett, F. W. (1989). Homosexuality and the Family, New York: Haworth. Originally published as the Journal of Homosexuality, Volume 18(1/2).
Addresses the topic of homosexuality in the family. Chapters address gay fathers and lesbian mothers and their children. Nine articles are arranged in a life-history sequence that moves from adolescence to adulthood, demonstrating the scope of homosexuality in the family. The editor points out that in spite of the diversity of the articles, almost all have been funded by the authors themselves and because of that the scope of their findings might be limited.
Gil de Lamadrid, M. (Ed.). (1991). Lesbians choosing motherhood: Legal implications of donor insemination and co-parenting. San Francisco: National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Based on the National Center for Lesbian Rights' extensive legal research and experience with lesbians who are choosing motherhood through donor insemination and adoption. Not intended to substitute for a personal consultation with a lawyer, but offers helpful information to consider about this issue. Topics addressed are: artificial insemination by donor (using a known donor, using multiple known donors, using a sperm bank, health risks with donor insemination, cultural and racial considerations of donor selection, and agreements between the donor and the mother) and protecting the rights of the nonbiological or nonadoptive mother (coparenting agreements, nomination of guardianship, lesbian coparent visitation and custody disputes, and second parent adoption). Also presents samples of legal agreements (donor-recipient, coparenting, nomination of guardian, and consent for medical treatment) and provides extensive footnotes providing relevant legal citations and precedents.
Martin, A. (1993). The lesbian and gay parenting handbook. New York: Harper Collins.
The result of 12 years of clinical and community work, includes interview material from 57 families in a variety of circumstances and locations. While addressed primarily to parents themselves, also written to aid professionals in mental health field and in the courts. Contains in-depth discussions of the specific psychological, relational, and social concerns of lesbian- and gay-parented families formed by adoption, insemination, or surrogacy. Focuses on the many decisions facing such families, including how to define parental relationships when they may have no correlation with biological relatedness. Discusses the challenges posed by extended families, school systems, and a generally uninformed and homophobic society. The author addresses how children can talk about sperm-donor fathers, surrogate mothers, having more than one parent of the same gender, etc. Includes a comprehensive overview of the legal issues, extensive information on medical and adoption issues, and a resource section.
Pies, C. (1985). Considering parenthood: A workbook for lesbians. San Francisco: Spinsters Ink.
Addresses the choices that lesbian women have in deciding whether or not to become a parent. Presents a workbook format, offering text and exercises to serve as a guide to help individuals make informed decisions. Issues covered in this book are: becoming a nonbiological mother, coparenting, single parenting, adoption, foster care, and alternative fertilization. As the basis for the book, uses author's experience since 1978 in leading groups for lesbian women considering parenthood and author's conversations with hundreds of lesbian women. Also contains an annotated bibliography on lesbian parenting issues, sample parenting agreements, and a guide for groups for lesbian women considering parenthood.
Schulenberg, J. (1985). Gay parenting: A complete guide for gay men and lesbians with children. New York: Anchor.
A guide to help gay men and lesbian women with issues of being gay or lesbian and a parent. Draws from interviews with lesbian and gay parents and their families. Issues covered are: coming out to your children, coparenting, artificial insemination, adoption and foster parenting, and custody and visitation. Also includes listing of other resources: support groups, legal, counseling and health services, religious organizations, gay/lesbian hotlines, and an extensive bibliography on lesbian and gay parenting.
Weston, K. (1991). Families we choose: Lesbians, gays, kinship. New York: Columbia University.
Draws upon fieldwork, stories of coming out, and interviews to explore how gay men and lesbian women are constructing their own notions of kinship and families. Discusses changes in the gay and lesbian communities that have helped shape new visions of the gay family and the political implications of chosen families. Chapters include: building gay families, parenting in the age of AIDS, the politics of gay families, and coming out to blood relatives.
Resources for Gay/Lesbian Parents and Their Children:
Gay and Lesbian Parents Coalition International.(1991). Books for children of lesbian and gay parents. GLPCI, P. O. Box 50360, Washington, D.C. 20091; (202) 583-8029.
Gay and Lesbian Parents Coalition International.(1992). A bibliography on gays and lesbians and their families. GLPCI, P. O. Box 50360, Washington, D.C. 20091; (202) 583-8029.
Gordon, L. (1994). What do we say when we hear "faggot"? In Rethinking our classrooms: Teaching for equity and justice (pp. 86-87).
Martin, A. (1993). The lesbian and gay parenting handbook: Creating and raising our families. New York: HarperCollins.
Equity Institute: 6400 Hollis St. Suite 15, Emeryville, CA 94608 (510) 658-4577. Equity Institute is an internationally recognized consulting agency that assists organizations in becoming fully multicultural. Equity's projects includes Sticks, Stones, and Stereotypes, a highly acclaimed video documentary curriculum module designed especially for high school students. The module focuses on homophobic, racial, ethnic and anti-Jewish slurs, the anguish caused by such remarks, the reasons people participate in name-calling, and what can be done to stop it.
Lesbian and Gay Parents Association: 260 Tingley Street, San Francisco, CA 94112 (415) 522-8773; e-mail (best): lgpasf@aol.com. This is an organization that offers workshops on "Overcoming Homophobia in the Elementary Classroom." They have produced a 10-minute video, "Both My Moms' Names Are Judy," featuring interviews with school-aged children in gay and lesbian families. Although it targets elementary schools, this video and workshop can be used for all age levels.
COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere): 2300 Market St. #165, San Francisco, CA 94114 (415) 861-KIDS.This organization issues a newsletter and organizes social activities and support groups for Bay Area school-aged children and youth.
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD): P. O. Box 931763, Hollywood, CA 90093; (213) 463-3632. GLAAD has developed a curriculum to help teach students about homophobia.
These resources were gathered from various websites. If you'd like to add a resource, please contact us.