The Other Side of the Closet: The Coming-out Crisis for Straight Spouses and Families, by Amity Pierce Buxton (New York: Wiley, 1994). Buxton's husband came out to her as a gay man after more than 20 years of marriage. She discovered there were no support systems in her area and began to network with other spouses with similar stories. One of the classic books about how our coming out affects the ones we love.
The Truth Shall Set You Free: A Family's Passage from Fundamentalism to a New Understanding of Faith, Love, and Sexual Identity, by Sally Lowe Whitehead (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997). (See review.)
Uncommon Lives: Gay Men and Straight Women, by Catherine Whitney (New York: New American Library, 1990). This book looks at couples who choose to stay together after the husband comes out of the closet.
When Husbands Come Out of the Closet by Jean Scharr Gochros (New York: Harrington, 1989).
Good Bye, I Love You, by well-known LDS poet and writer Carol Lynn Pearson (New York: Jove, 1989) is the best-selling touching story of her husband's coming out, their divorce, and his death from AIDS.
Uncommon Lives: Gay Men and Straight Women by Catherine Whitney (New American, 1990).
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).
With local chapters throughout the country, this very active organization is one of the
best resources for families with gay members. PFLAG sponsors conferences, sends speakers,
holds regular local meetings, and publishes excellent literature.
Address: 1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 1030. Washington, DC 20005.
Phone: (202)638-4200
Web site: http://www.pflag.org
E-mail: PFLAGNTL@aol.com
Wildflowers. Wildflowers is an organization that exists to support the beauty, strength, courage and rebirth of women who have been or who are currently married to LDS gay men. http://www.wearewildflowers.com/
Straight Spouse Network
(SSN) is an international support network of heterosexual spouses and
partners whose current or former mates are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered.
Address: 8215 Terrace Drive, El Cerrito, CA 94530-3058
Phone: (510) 525-0200
Web site: http://www.ssnetwk.org
E-mail:
info@ssnetwk.org
Spouse Support Mailing List (SSML) is an Internet mailing list in both standard and digest formats for monogamous straight spouses and their bisexual, Gay, or Lesbian partners who are trying to make their marriages survive and grow. Membership is moderated and strict confidentiality is observed. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com including the following text, sub ssml your name on the first (not subject) line of the message. Mail questions to rchivist@erols.com.
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). See above.
Gay and Lesbian Parents Coalition International (GLPCI). See above.