Greg Knotts: This abstract was culled from the back of the book and table of contents.
Even now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, many people still have difficulty standing up and saying, "I am a parent of a gay child." "Something To Tell You" recounts the stories of families whose lives have been touched by the discovery that a child is lesbian or gay — how it affects and influences people's perceptions of their children and even changes the self-image of parents themselves.
Focusing on fifty average families — not people seen in clinics or therapy — the authors found a consistent pattern of change: loss, blame, and guilt followed by acceptance and integration. Sometimes the news led parents and siblings to form stronger bonds with the child, with each other, and with other relatives and friends. In many cases, their child's partner and partner's family grew to assume an important role in their own lives. In some cases, parents and siblings discovered new meaning in their lives through speaking out or joining PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and becoming part of the struggle for lesbian and gay rights. The authors found that families committed to staying together are typically able to overcome the powerful obstacles imposed by society. The authors also show the lasting and sometimes tragic consequences for families who falter in the process of integration.
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