Just a Mom - Softcover

DeGeneres, Betty

3.81

42 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1555837131 ISBN 13: 9781555837136

Publisher: Alyson Books, 2001

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

For many gay men and lesbians, Betty DeGeneres, the mother of actress Ellen DeGeneres has come to represent the mother stolen from them by homophobia. For many parents she has provided the inspiration to reconcile with their own children. In her new book, Just a Mom, Betty talks directly to parents, children, friends, teachers, employers, and politicians in a straightforward and heartfelt manner on homophobia and the destruction it causes in loving families and society at large. She counsels parents on how to react when their child tells them he or she is gay. She advises children on how to tell their parents and when. And, most importantly, she shows how to cross the divide of intolerance so families can be whole again. Now an activist and a national figure, Betty DeGeneres is a mother first, and in Just a Mom she is calling for love, compassion, and reconciliation for all gay men, lesbians, and their families from the bottom of a mother's heart.

Betty DeGeneres first gained national attention when her daughter Ellen came out on national television. Her first book, Love Ellen; A Mother Daughter Journey, told the story of her own journey to acceptance, pride, and finally activism. As a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, Betty speaks extensively on behalf of greater tolerance for gay men and lesbians, and writes an advice column on issues of coming out on PlanetOut.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

To her surprise, Betty DeGeneres, once a quiet housewife and mother, has become a gentle, consistent, and rational voice in the gay liberation movement. In Just a Mom, she speaks for all the ordinary Americans whose children have turned out "different" and whose first concern is that they will suffer pain and rejection in life. It is natural, DeGeneres points out, to harbor some disappointment or anger at a gay child, and she guides parents toward appropriate resources and organizations, like the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). With warmth and conviction, DeGeneres expands on her memoir Love, Ellen to address some of the questions she has been asked as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, such as "Did I make my child gay?" and "How can I protect my child?" She makes some practical suggestions on how to handle homophobia and threats at school, and how to help build self-esteem in a child whose peers may ridicule him. And she argues on the enormous personal and societal benefits of coming out of the closet. But this is not so much a practical guide to keeping a child safe or combating hatred as a simple, homey, and reassuring recitation of what we all know--or should know: good parenting means unconditional love and support. --Regina Marler

About the Author:

Betty DeGeneres is the author of Love, Ellen: A Mother Daughter Journey. An activist for gay rights, she authors a column on Planet Out, and speaks extensively on gay and lesbian issues.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.