Product Description
With candor and sensitivity, thirty-nine young people write frankly about their own homosexuality. Told with honesty and courage, their words express the fundamental need all people share for acceptance and respect.

Published in collaboration with the adult division of William Morrow.Amazon.com Review
Adam Mastoon's beautifully reproduced photographs of gay,lesbian, and bisexual young people are a revelation: each subject,posed yet casual, looks directly into the camera and invites us intohis or her life. But the book is more than a photo gallery, and thepersonal statements written by each young person brings a sense ofwhat it means to be a gay youth today. In a world in which gay teensare told that they either don't exist or should change their sexualorientation, The Shared Heart is a beacon of hope, clarity, andjoy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

The Most Powerful Account I've Ever Read
This was the first book I found when I started accepting my sexuality, and I have to say I was so moved by what I read here that I found the courage to come out myself.What makes this book so much more different from other accounts of GLBTQ youth is that this book also comes with a photo of each teen, so we have faces to match the stories with.And it's not all "boo-hoo, we're unaccepted gays", though we do have a few stories like that.But we also have tons of stories that cover all possible societal reactions, and each story provides a ray of hope for any GLBTQ person.A classic that must be on the shelf of every GLBTQ person's library.

Shared Heart, Shared Story
I found this book in the local libary and I automatically sat down and read it from cover to cover. This is the book that every young lonely GLBT youth needs. It shows that we are not alone and that there are other teens out there just like us. It is a fabulos book and it is the best thinh that has happened to me!

Courageous life stories, personality-filled photos
These beautiful and complex photographs depict humor, integrity, joy, pain, and courage. The photographer's technical expertise is matched and perhaps even surpassed by his eye for the "soul" of his subjects. The photos are complemented by first-person stories that reveal the journeys and challenges these young people have faced and overcome. It sounds corny, but this book made me proud of both the photographer and his subjects. This book does what great art and literature are supposed to do. It is uplifting and inspiring, and it lights the path toward a brighter future.

Beautiful, moving book.
This is a beautiful book that I received as a gift from my boyfriend. Anyone will profit from reading it. The stories in it, written by a number of lesbian,gay,and bisexual youth, are honest and very moving. It says toall the people who are still in the closet: wherever you are, you're notalone!And it also shows how gay people are just as diverse, talented, andlovable as straight people anywhere.

Excellent
A beautiful and moving book. Had there been a book like this available when I was coming out, I would have felt less terrified and alone. Congratulations to the brave youth represented in this book, and thank youto Adam Mastoon for providing such a valuable resource. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines depression, substance abuse, race, the role of religious beliefs, and identity in the lives of gay men, lesbians, and bisexual people. ... Read more

Product Description

This is the first concise handbook on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) health in the past few years. It breaks the myths, breaks the silence, and breaks new ground on this subject. This resource offers a multidimensional picture of LGBT health across clinical and social disciplines to give readers a full and nuanced understanding of these diverse populations. It contains real-world matters of definition and self-definition, meticulous analyses of stressor and health outcomes, a extensive coverage of research methodology concerns, and critical insights into the sociopolitical context of LGBT individuals’ health and lives.

Product Description
With this inspiring book of meditations, every day brings a reminder of "the wholeness and beauty of our nature, of the glad spirit that dances in each one of us."

Addressing the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, Glad Day speaks to the issues that touch everyone, regardless of sexual orientation: change, fear, self-disclosure, faith in a power greater than ourselves, success and failure, and openness to ourselves and others. Written with a poet's grace, these daily meditations are interwoven with reference to the transforming experiences of coming out and of recovery. As the meditations foster a "daily conversation with the Spirit," they lovingly conjure the mutual trust and compassion that lead to a rich, fulfilling life.

Customer Reviews (3)

Something I need daily...
Glad Day helped me through the early days of my recovery and is helping me again when everything is so much different - and better.

Must have for G,L,B,T
I have had this book for years and give it as gifts often...

practical and uplifting!
This book is a collection of daily meditations for Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered, and bisexual people.Each day features a very short meditation: about two paragraphs, which gives insight on what it means to be a G/L/T/B person in today's world.Very positive!This book has helped me, as a gay person, examine how I live my life and how I can change for the better.Make it part of your daily ritual!This book sometimes gives a challenge for the day: i.e. one day gives us the challenge that if we hide our sexual identity from others, we are only making things more difficult for us.Others will let us take a break: i.e. today, maybe we shouldn't think about our sexuality at all.Sometimes, this little book asks us to stand up for ourselves, and perhaps confront others who have "pushed us around" in the past because of our sexuality; other times, it suggests perhaps we are not accepting straight people, or making false assumptions about what they are thinking about us.I have to say, this book is definitely encouraging.I only wish I was given this book the first day I knew about my sexuality. ... Read more

Product Description
Publishers' catalogues are full of books on the Church's view of homosexuality; Gary David Comstock here offers gay views of the church. Given the often hostile environment, he asks why gay people stay in religious institutions. Using social scientific methods, he summarizes 36 surveys of gay attitudes toward religious communities, including Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim and Native American traditions. He adds data from his survey of gay people in two mainline Protestant denominations. ... Read more

Product Description
Free Your Mind is the definitive practical guide for gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth -- and their families, teachers, counselors and friends. For too long, gay youth have wanted to be themselves and to feel good about it, but most have been isolated, afraid, harassed, or worse. Their very existence has been ignored, whispered about, or swept under the rug.

But each day more and more lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are standing up, speaking out, breaking down stereotypes, demanding rights and recognition -- shining. In this book, young people share their joy and their pain, their hopes and fears, the formidable obstacles they have faced and overcome, and the exciting opportunities they have discovered.

Free Your Mind speaks to the basic aspects of the lives of gay, lesbian and bisexual youth: Self-Discovery; Friends and Lovers; Family; School; Spirituality; Community. Alive with the voices of more than fifty young people, rich in accurate information and positive practical advice, Free Your Mind talks about how to come out, deal with problems, make healthy choices about relationships and sex, connect with other gay youth and supportive adults, and take pride and participate in the gay and lesbian community. Free Your Mind also presents detailed guidance for adults who want to make the world safer for lesbian, gay and bisexual youth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

if you are confused.. this is your book!
It was really great to read this book.. I was confused, sad, angry.. but this book teached me a lot of things.. To hear other experiences was excellent.. I cried when I saw that other people lived what I lived.. Thank you Ellen and Kate..

Coming Out Aid
I bought this book for my parents and myself shortly after I came out, and I think that it was the best purchase I've made in terms of books regarding gay youth. I've lent it to several of my friends as well, when they've need help in their own coming-out process. It's just enormously comprehensive, and it's extremely interesting and uplifting too. Every gay youth should own this book.

An excellent book for family library
Thisis an excellent resource for the family with gay members, or for those who want to better understand gay teens, such as educators or social workers.It is great for gay teens also.I especially liked the sidebars which mention prominent gay people and their contributions to society.I also very much liked the chapter on community support and their suggestions on making the schools more accepting of gay students.

This book helped me through some tough times,
I'm a gay teen who didn't know anyone who was gay and really needed to know that I was the only guy out there going through this stuff.Free Your Mind is an awesome book in many ways, because it's so full of comments andstuff from other people who share similar experiences, that it's hard tofeel so alone and different after reading the book.The authors, as well,are really nice people, I've e-mailed them several times and they areincredibly friendly, supportive and loving.When I got it, I kinda hopedthat Free Your Mind would provide me with all the answers... it doesn't,nothing can, but it provided me with a sense of hope, pride and one reallyintensely important message : I am not alone.

Simply the BEST book for gay teens and their allies
This is simply the best book resource available for gay and lesbian young people - and those that want to give them support.

It offers practical advise not only for youth, but also gives space to parents, educators, andother adults who want to lend support to bisexual, gay, and lesbian youth.It features personal comments from teens who have been there/done that -including two persons who grew up to be instrumental in the popular XYmagazine for gay teens.

While not a cure-all, this book can help youngpeople accept themselves, make rational decisions on coming out, and dealwith parents, friends,faith and religion, and many other topics... andserve as a primer for those adults who would like to help gay teens, butaren't quite sure how to go about it.

Well researched, well presented,and of all things, still current in terms of content and resources both,this book is the Bible for gayTeenresources.com ... Read more

Product Description
In response to the cultural war declared upon gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people by the radical right, this book gives you an inside look at the gay community’s perspectives on the four major issues of school curricula, workplace protections, legitimization of same-sex relationships, and protections against discrimination. As Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Public Policy Issues examines the role of radical religious thought in American politics, it looks at the development of conflicts on the national level over the four main issues. It also looks at specific examples of the conflicts, such as the “Rainbow Curriculum” battle in New York City and the controversial school board elections in Des Moines.

This insightful and comprehensive book discusses recent successes of the gay and lesbian movement in the development of local public policy as well as setbacks it has experienced. From election year gay-bashing to the persecution of gay and lesbian youth in school environments to lack of protection for gay and lesbian employees in the workplace, it is clear that much work remains to be done before the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons are protected to the same degree as those of heterosexual persons. Gay or straight, you will find your eyes truly opened as you read about:

• discrimination against gay and lesbian people by the American system of justice
• congressional indifference to workplace oppression
• the origins and aims of the religious right
• the development of services to meet the needs of gay youths in the school environment
• the major confrontations administrators face when dealing with sexual orientation issues
• homelessness from a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered point of view
• gay and lesbian role models and multicultural activities for adolescents
  
  Citizens, public administrators, policymakers, educational administrators, social service providers, and teachers need to read Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Public Policy Issues to understand how members of the gay community remain disenfranchised in American society. You may think you are sensitive to the issues, but are you helping to find solutions? Get this book and find out!

Product Description

Here is a long-overdue genre guide to a previously ignored body of literature. The book aims to provide the reader and readers' advisor with an introduction to 20th-century gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered literature. All popular genres of literature are examined, including fiction, drama, and life stories (biography, autobiography, and memoirs), with the main emphasis on current fiction. More than 1,100 titles are organized according to genres, subgenres, and formats. Annotations provide brief, engaging plot summaries, information about awards, indication of which populations are addressed (e.g., gay, lesbian), and often suggestions for read-alikes. Subject terms or keywords accompany each entry to enhance access to more read-alikes. A brief history of the literature, comments on the genres, and tips for working with readers make this an essential guide and reference resource.

Here is a long-overdue genre guide to a previously ignored body of literature. The book aims to provide the reader and readers' advisor with an introduction to 20th-century gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered literature. All popular genres of literature are examined, including fiction, drama, and life stories (biography, autobiography, and memoirs), with the main emphasis on current fiction. More than 1,100 titles are organized according to genres, subgenres, and formats. Annotations provide brief, engaging plot summaries, information about awards, indication of which populations are addressed (e.g., gay, lesbian, teen), and often suggestions for read-alikes. Subject terms or keywords accompany each entry to enhance access to more read-alikes. A brief history of the literature, comments on the genres, and tips for working with readers make this an essential guide and reference resource.

Product Description
Multiple perspectives for more in-depth personal and professional knowledge

Though much literature is devoted to treating GLBTQ individuals, relatively little has focused on working with their family members. Interventions with Families of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People: From the Inside Out presents ten first-hand, in-depth personal and professional perspectives by educators, researchers, administrators, and practitioners discussing various ways of working with families of GLBT individuals. This valuable reference explores the latest research and current innovative therapeutic approaches to work effectively with this unique population.

Interventions with Families of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People: From the Inside Out relies on the "inside out" experiences of professionals from multiple disciplines, showing us different ways of addressing their very special needs. The text focuses on working deeply with people through understanding their very particular situations and building whatever help they want around them. Broadly, the articles highlight the origins of our national family support groups, research, supervision, and the different models of treatment--individual, couple, and family. More specifically, discussions explore therapist training, effective resolution of conflict, loss for those mothers whose daughters now identify as transgender, the adoption of an ally identity, heterosexual bias in treatment, and various approaches for transgender clients, their partners and family members.

Specific topics in Interventions with Families of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People: From the Inside Out include:

systemic therapeutic approaches
the beginnings and growth of support groups
a qualitative study on mothers of transgender sons
research on gay and lesbian stepparenting--highlighting the need to view the relationships beyond a heterosexist focus
Sexual Orientation Matrix for Supervision (SOMS) as a starting point to begin examining attitudes, beliefs, skills and behaviors of both supervisor and trainee
an interview with two sexologists, who insist that treatment with trans children and adolescents must be both family- and community-focused
historical and therapeutic perspectives on working with transgender people, including the development of therapeutic models
a moving personal account of a clinician grappling with her own uncertainties as she journeys her way through treatment with a young transgender client

Interventions with Families of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People: From the Inside Out is a flexible and useful classroom text and reference for educators and students at every level, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers ... Read more

Product Description

A wake-up call to all of us who work with college-aged and college-bound students.For teachers like me, it is a forceful reminder of how we have failed to be effective role models for our sexually diverse student bodies.For administrators it will serve as an alarm on how hate and violence persist on campuses and on how little has been done to serve lesbian, gay, and bisexual students.But mostly it is a welcomed note of change.No longer will gay, lesbian, and bisexual students have to trust to chance or the local grapevine for information about the sexual atmospheres of colleges.Now they can finally vote with their pocketbooks on what kind of school they wish to attend.I applaud Sherrill and Hardesty on filling this long-standing need.

Product Description
Twenty-six couples share their personal stories of faithfulness to God and to each other. The book challenges the premise that these people are living in sin and are a menace to society. It also challenges the myth that being gay is all about promiscuous sex. One of the couples has celebrated over 40 years of life together.

Also included are stories and poems by parents, spouses, and friends of GLBT persons. The authors come from a wide variety of religious denominations and from locations in the U.S. and Canada. The book is an invitation to take a serious look at what it is like to grow up gay or transgender in a society that scorns and rejects people of diverse sexual orientation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

together in Love
After Roberta Kreider's first book, "From Wounded Hearts" this second
book "Together in Love" was eagerly awaited and it does not disappoint.
Gay or straight you will find couples stories that will surprise and touch you.Even a heterosexual couple who got back together after agender change in the husband.Truly love conquers all!

Healing stories of Love and Faith for GLBT
Together in Love is an amazing and totally unique book.In it I found dozens of stories that break all the stereotypes, and reveal in true beauty, the faith stories of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender couples.The stories are unforgettable.This is a valuable reference for people who are going through the coming out process, and want to know how other people did it.It is also very helpful to parents and families of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals, to show them that normal lives full of joy and love can be theirs.The love so clearly evident in these stories provides compelling proof that love and happiness can abound in these relationships. Thank you Roberta for providing us with this inspirational, insightful, and useful book!

Roberta Kreider's life could be a book in itself!She is the wife of a retired Mennonite minister (who with Roberta is a leader in working to make the Mennonite church welcoming to GLBT), and her journey from her Mennonite upbringing to becoming a GLBT rights activist in her 70's is a fascinating one.I think the last paragraph in her introduction will give you an idea of who she is:

"To truly embrace all of God's creation as good and worthy of respect and love is the most freeing experience I know.Never again do I want to judge another person by skin color, status in life, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or by what thosein authority determine for me.I am experiencing in a much deeper way than ever before God's unfathomable heart of love for me.May this also be true in your experience."Thank you so much Roberta!!! ... Read more