About the Book

Abigail Garner was five years old when her mother and father divorced and her dad came out as gay. As a child, she often found herself in the middle of the political and moral debates surrounding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) parenting. At the age of twenty-two, she began to speak publicly about her family and has since become a nationally recognized advocate for the estimated 10 million children growing up with LGBT parents. Families Like Mine is a deeply personal, timely, and much-needed book about gay parenting, from the seldom-heard perspective of grown children raised in these increasingly common families.

Based on eight years of activism, combined with interviews with more than fifty sons and daughters, Families Like Mine debunks the anti-gay myth that these children grow up damaged and confused. At the same time, Garner’s book refutes the popular pro-gay sentiment that these children turn out “just like everyone else.” In addition to the typical stresses of growing up, the unique pressures these children face are not due to their parents’ sexuality, but rather to homophobia and prejudice. In Families Like Mine Abigail Garner offers eloquent, emphatic, and yet unapologetic opinions about the gifts and challenges of being raised in families that are often labeled “controversial.”

Critical Praise

“Families Like Mine [is] a sort of Feminine Mystique about the children of gay parents, articulating their pride and their struggles with homophobia but also the grievances they have with their families.” — New York Times Magazine

“An instant classic.” — Time Out New York

“Garner offers insight into the gifts and challenges of being raised in families that are often labeled ‘controversial.’“ — Library Journal

“A profound book that captures many aspects of gay parenting that I have experienced personally. I strongly recommend Families Like Mine to any gay person with children and those who are considering parenthood.” — Melissa Etheridge

“For those who champion 'family values,' here is an amazing woman who not only values her own gay family, but also emphasizes the value of all LGBT families. Abigail Garner convincingly establishes these families as vital, vibrant parts of our society. ” — Candace Gingrich, author of Accidental Activist, Manager of HRC's National Coming Out Project

“In this warm, insightful book, Abigail Garner addresses the most challenging issues that arise among gay parents and their families.” — Noelle Howey, author of Dress Codes and editor of Out of the Ordinary: Essays on Growing Up With Gay, Lesbian, and Transgendered Parents

“Families Like Mine does for LGBT families what And the Band Played On did for AIDS.” — Esera Tualo, retired NFL star linebacker

“Children of gay parents shoot from the hip in Abigail Garner’s indispensable Families Like Mine.” — Vanity Fair

“Compellingly written, this should quickly become a mainstay resource.” — Booklist

“Perhaps the highest praise a book such as this can receive is to be called honest. And it is. The courageous author…paint[s] a realistic portrait of the triumphs and difficulties these kinships experience.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Smart and impassioned... this is the new essential reading for LGBT families.” — The Advocate

“Garner moves the LGBT parenting dialogue into new territory.... Compassionate and insight[ful], a valuable resource for parents.” — In the Family magazine

“Garner is savvy and thorough…Families Like Mine has enough heart…to make it a must-read.” — Bitch Magazine

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Product Details

• ISBN: 9780060527587
• ISBN 10: 0060527587
• Imprint: Harper Perennial
• On Sale: 04/05/2005
• Trimsize: 5.310 in (w) x 8.000 in (h) x 0.650 in (d)
• Pages: 288
• List Price: $16.99
• BISAC1 : FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Alternative Family
• BISAC2 : FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / LGBT
• BISAC3 : SOCIAL SCIENCE / LGBT Studies / Gay Studies