Adoption by Lesbians and Gay Men is an interdisciplinary examination of the myths, misconceptions, research, and practice literature related to sexual-minority individuals' efforts to adopt and raise children. It also provides a blueprint for research and professional training and highlights best practice standards for working with this group of adoptive parents.

An essential step-by-step guide to adoption for lesbians and gay men, covering both the adoption process and the adoption experiences of several lesbians and gay men. Hill's book contains information that is relevant to both single adopters and same-sex couples and is the first of its kind to be published in the UK.

In Radical Relations, Daniel Winunwe Rivers offers a previously untold story of the American family: the first history of lesbian and gay parents and their children in the United States. Beginning in the postwar era, a period marked by both intense repression and dynamic change for lesbians and gay men, Rivers argues that by forging new kinds of family and childrearing relations, gay and lesbian parents have successfully challenged legal and cultural definitions of family as heterosexual. These efforts have paved the way for the contemporary focus on family and domestic rights in lesbian and gay political movements. Based on extensive archival research and 130 interviews conducted nationwide, Radical Relations includes the stories of lesbian mothers and gay fathers in the 1950s, lesbian and gay parental activist networks and custody battles, families struggling with the AIDS epidemic, and children growing up in lesbian feminist communities. Rivers also addresses changes in gay and lesbian parenthood in the 1980s and 1990s brought about by increased awareness of insemination technologies and changes in custody and adoption law.

The author details his successful efforts to adopt a Vietnamese boy as a single gay man and gives advice to other prospective gay adopters. He discusses the psychological barriers to the decision, summarizes the steps of the adoption process, explores the financial costs, and looks at the current legal climate for gay adoption. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

This collection of personal accounts is based on interviews of gay men and lesbians who have adopted, fostered or provided respite care. Their stories provide good and bad experiences, but overall the accounts emphasise the rewards of parenting.

The first book of its kind, Homosexuality and Family Relations focuses on the effects of homosexuality and being homosexual on individuals in families and on the family as a group. Edited by Frederick W. Bozett, RN, DNS, and Marvin B. Sussman, PhD, this informative and enlightening volume examines the multiple varieties of family forms in which gay men and lesbians live, addresses the ramifications of homosexuality on family relationships, and explores the countless aspects of parenthood as they are experienced by gay men and lesbians, including adoption and foster care by lesbians and gay men, and the choice of increasing numbers of lesbians to bear children through artificial fertilization. Any professional who is interested in the family--educators, clinicians, academicians, researchers, and students, as well as others interested in families and in human sexuality and men’s and women’s studies--family science, gay studies, nursing, medicine, law, psychology, sociology, social work--will find this book useful, insightful, and unique.

Through the voices of lesbian and gay parents and their children talking about their experiences, Martin shows how to build the kind of support network that all parents need.

From picket line to picket fence - what does it mean to be gay in the era of same-sex marriage and equal rights? More than four decades after the start of the gay liberation movement, lesbians and gay men can legally marry, adopt children, and enjoy the same rights and respect as heterosexuals ... or can they? In Straight Expectations, Julie Bindel, an out lesbian since 1977, tracks the changes in the gay community in the last forty years and asks whether fighting for the right to marry has achieved genuine progress. Drawing on extensive original research into changing attitudes towards sexuality, as well as interviews with scientists examining the 'gay gene', gay liberation pioneers, religious figures and key players of all political persuasions, Straight Expectations asks: - Is sexual orientation learned or latent? - Do lesbians and gay men have anything in common? - Have we now reached a stage where the 'only gay in the village' mentality no longer has any place in society?

At a time when lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals-often referred to under the umbrella acronym LGBT-are becoming more visible in society and more socially acknowledged, clinicians and researchers are faced with incomplete information about their health status. While LGBT populations often are combined as a single entity for research and advocacy purposes, each is a distinct population group with its own specific health needs. Furthermore, the experiences of LGBT individuals are not uniform and are shaped by factors of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geographical location, and age, any of which can have an effect on health-related concerns and needs. The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People assesses the state of science on the health status of LGBT populations, identifies research gaps and opportunities, and outlines a research agenda for the National Institute of Health. The report examines the health status of these populations in three life stages: childhood and adolescence, early/middle adulthood, and later adulthood. At each life stage, the committee studied mental health, physical health, risks and protective factors, health services, and contextual influences. To advance understanding of the health needs of all LGBT individuals, the report finds that researchers need more data about the demographics of these populations, improved methods for collecting and analyzing data, and an increased participation of sexual and gender minorities in research. The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People is a valuable resource for policymakers, federal agencies including the National Institute of Health (NIH), LGBT advocacy groups, clinicians, and service providers.