The first book I recommend is mine, because I wrote in in response to countless requests from mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons who said, there outta be a book…
So I wrote it: Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is
Of course the best option is to support your local bookstore. If Families Like Mine is not on the shelf, ask them to order it for you. Bookstores are always happy to order books you want.
MORE BOOKS
There is an increasing number of good books out there. Here are a few I recommend to get you started.
Let’s Get This Straight: The Ultimate Handbook for Youth with LGBTQ Parents by Tina Fakhrid-Deen (2010).
The title says it all. If you have LGBTQ parents, get this book. If you are a parent, get it for your kids.
Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood by Melissa Hart (2009).
A very honest and sweet memoir about living a cross-cultural life as a teenage daughter of a lesbian mother in the 1980s.
Out of the Ordinary: Essays on Growing Up with Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Parents edited by Noelle Howey & Ellen Samuels (2000). An anthology of creative nonfiction by 21 teen and adult daughters and sons of GLBT parents. Four of the writers have transgender parents.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. A story about Alison’s relationship with her closeted gay dad, told only the way the creator of "Dykes To Watch Out For" could tell it.
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite. Read it (which will take you less than five minutes) and you will scratch your head wondering why this book is at the center of heated debates about family values. It is a harmless and healthy book reflecting the life of a boy whose dad got divorced and is now living with Frank. The supportive straight mom is nicely visible. Ages 2-6.
Love Makes a Family (1999). A reworking of the highly praised traveling exhibit of photographs and narrative profiles of GLBT families. The families represent a variety of backgrounds and cultures and address complex issues that affect the wide spectrum of GLBT families. Parents with children of all ages can use the book as a tool to initiate conversation or build pride within their families.
The Other Side of the Closet: The Coming-Out Crisis for Straight Spouses and Families by Amity Pierce Buxton. It is easy to read and offers a wide variety of family experiences. The author is founder of the Straight Spouse Network.