Description
Chastity Bono grew up in the spotlight cast on her parents. But nothing could have prepared her for the events of December 1990, when the tabloid newspaper Star outed her to the world. At the time only her close friends and family knew she was gay; after the shock of that public revelation, Chastity retreated back into the closet. Coming out to her family had been difficult enough: although her father had been supportive and accepting, her mother reacted with shock and anger, as many parents do. After the Star outing, it would be another five years until Chastity would decide, with her parents' blessing, to come out publicly on her own terms and to unexpected acclaim-on the cover of The Advocate.
In Family Outing Chastity weaves her own dramatic story into those of other gays and lesbians to illustrate the phases, pitfalls, and rewards of coming out. We hear how gays and lesbians often feel indescribably "different" when they are quite young, how they come to recognize and explore that difference in them selves and then deal, in various ways, with parents' reactions, those of friends and coworkers, and their unearthed homophobia. Ultimately, we learn how enormously empowering the whole process can be.
Practical, revealing and utterly necessary, Family outing is a guide like no other.
ISBN:9780316102339
