Out Of The Closet, Into Our Hearts:
Celebrating Our Gay/Lesbian Family Members
Edited by Nancy Lamkin Olson and Laura Siegel

Reviewed by Dave Parker

This 160 page book, published in 2001, is similar in format to TransForming Families by TNET founder Mary Boenke. It consists of a multitude of stories and poems by family members about their adventures with their GLBT children, grandchildren, and siblings.

These stories cover the period from the Stonewall Rebellion through the late 1990’s. They include families where children came out to their parents as teenagers as well as those who came out much later in life. They are offered by fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers, along with grandparents and yes, children of GLBT parents.

Different parts of the book reflect learning to accept our gay children as they are, acceptance of them in our faith, learning to deal with the world, and working to change the world. The message is that being “out” is important to both our gay family member’s success in life and our society’s acceptance of all its’ members as valuable and valued human beings.

This book was presented to every registrant at the Salt Lake City PFLAG Conference last October. If you know someone who was there, ask about it.


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