Aspects of Culture/Ethnicity

CULTURE
STUDENTS NAME
INSTITUION
DATE
"Dad, Mom, I'm gay." Once a parent hears these words from their children, the first shock is often followed by feelings ranging from anger and denial to panic and guilt. It's also the start of a very difficult journey that, with understanding and emotional support, can bring acceptance and even beyond. When a friend or parent learns for the first time that a person they love is gay, their feelings can range from confusion to bewilderment or anger to fear. Based upon interviews and discussions with parents of gays and lesbians, "Beyond Acceptance" gives information and knowledge that will help parents and to understand their children well and build stronger relationships with them (Griffin, 1996).
Now fully updated and revised, "Beyond Acceptance" is a ground-breaking book that gives parents the knowledge and comfort they need to accept their gay children and build stronger family relationships. The book is based on the experiences of other parents and it lets them know they are not unaccompanied and it also aids them get past the emotional stages leading to reconciling with their children. When most of us contemplate opening up to someone, especially when it is one of our loved ones, we experience fear. Horror of being cast off is one of the factors that keep many of us from sharing who we really are with those who we love. The book ‘Beyond Acceptance` looks at each of the numerous possible reactions, divided into steps, not only in order, but also in a unique way. It helps you to be prepared before one takes this very important step of opening up to their loved ones. This book also prepares you if/when you receive a response you were hoping would not come. The book is a mixture of expository interposed with first-hand experiences of thoughts, feelings, growth and reactions, and everything in-between.
The experiences in the book are shared in almost a round-table aura, which makes sense, as they were taken from a series of meetings of the national group called PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). These meetings were started to give parents of lesbians and gays an ability to share their feelings and thoughts as a support network both for parents and for their children. The whole collection includes experiences from 23 different families and parents, people who are no different from our parents, siblings or friends (Griffin, 2003).
The book ‘Beyond Acceptance` is organized as a chronology. It travels from finding out through comparison and contrast of what was and what will be with obstacles along the way and winds of change in taking a stand and telling others, religious thinking and levels of understanding among others. One point that is clearly made, which is also the ultimate conclusions of the book, is the stunning amount of misinformation inside the thought processes of the general public. In the beginning, most of the parents were not only just confused, ...