Out of the Twilight

Fathers of Gay Men Speak

Andrew Gottlieb

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781317789970
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: LGBT Studies
• Index: Politics & International Relations

How would you react if your son told you he was gay?Out of the Twilight: Fathers of Gay Men Speak explores how fathers have dealt with discovering that their sons were gay and what effect it had on their own development as parents and people. This revealing, moving book will help you understand the difficulties and joys of a father/gay son relationship. Out of the Twilight draws from literary sources such as poems, fairy tales, plays, novels, and movies, as well as psychoanalytic theories, to highlight the obstacles that a father must overcome to understand and identify with his son. In Out of the Twilight, you will discover the personal and intimate struggles of these fathers, including:

• Mitchell, whose son, Jay, came out at the age of twenty-one, and who describes the coming-out process as a means of forging a closer father-son relationship
• Juan Miguel, who knew and accepted that his son was gay before his son told him, and who discusses how his love and complete acceptance made the coming-out process easier for his son
• Peter, whose response to his son, Richard, was ordering him to live at home so the family could look for a 'cure'for Richard's homosexuality
• Daniel, who admitted that he himself was gay after being married and who was very accepting when his son, Charles, came out since it provided them with a special bond
• Marty, whose response to his son Gary's coming out was to join P-FLAG, an organization for parents of gay and lesbian children, so he could find support and acceptance among other parents who were going through the same thing

Out of the Twilight allows you to see how fathers have struggled with the truth about their sons' sexuality. This book presents a unique opportunity to develop a greater awareness of and appreciation for father/son similarities and differences, and suggests that through time, communication, and love, fathers can become comfortable with and respectful of their sons' homosexuality.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• List of Contributors
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface and Acknowledgments
• Introduction “What About Father?”
• Child to Father
• In Search of the Father
• Methodology
• The Stories
• Findings
• Discussion
• Appendix A Consent Form
• Appendix B Statement to Subjects
• Appendix C Semistructured Interview Guide
• Appendix D The Fathers at a Glance
• References
• Index