GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE November 8, 2002

KATE eveningsout

CLINTON

WITH ROY ZIMMERMAN NOV. 9, 2002 8PM OHIO THEATRE

Kate Clinton is one of America's best and brightest political comedians. This humorist/monologist's agenda includes political material as fresh as the daily news, savvy send-ups of modern family relationships and illuminating perspectives on life as a gay American. Kate's first book Don't Get Me Started was based on past and present monologues, and is filled with thoughts both insightful and riotous. She has written for the New York Times and George magazine among others. Kate served as a writer on the Rosie O'Donnell Show during its roll-out period in 1996. Single tickets: $25.50 & $19.50

Tickets available at the box office, tickets.com outlets or call 216-241-6000

www.playhousesquare.com

Continental

Airlines

PAVERUNT

A 'gayby boom' grows up

Collection looks at future of LGBT families

The Gay and Lesbian Marriage and Family Reader Analyses of Problems

and Prospects for the 21st Century Edited by Jennifer M. Lehmann Gordian Knot, $39.95 trade paper Reviewed by Kaizaad Kotwal

The Gay and Lesbian Marriage and Family Reader is an assorted collection of timely and relevant articles by social scientists, psychologists, social workers, and attorneys. These collected writings focus around issues of same-sex marriages and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families in the context of America in the 21st century.

The book deals with both contemporary issues within the arena of LGBT families and marriage as well as the trends leading into the future of these two areas. The book's emphasis is on gay people in America as parents, spouses and members of extended families. As Lehmann notes in the introduction to her book, "The primary purpose of this book is to provide students and others who want to accurately understand the major issues gays and lesbians face that involve marriage and

cohabitation,

THE

rights and privileges, gays and lesbians are treated vastly different than their heterosexual counterparts. The essay examines these differences and suggests changes and avenues for amelioration of these issues.

Angela Bolt's essay, Do Wedding Dresses Come in Lavender? takes a legal approach to the current status of same-sex unions and the challenges faced in equalizing the playing field when it comes to marriage rights.

The Description of Gay and Lesbian Families in Second-Parent Adoption Cases is a comprehensive look at every reported court decision where a same-sex couple has successfully completed a second-parent adop-

GAY & LESBIAN MARRIAGE & FAMILY READER

Analyses of Problems and Prospects for the Dla Camry

EDITED BY JENNIFER M. LEHMANN

8zwk

parenting and co parenting, child custody and adoption, coming out to family members and living in stepfamilies, among other issues central to marriage and family life in America at the dawn of the 21st century"

The breadth and scope of this book is quite holistic in its approach to these very important issues.

All the essayists have one thing in common: They recognize not only the seminal issues of our times in the arenas of LGBT families and marriage, but they also acknowledge the changing tide of attitudes, laws, and mores surrounding these often contentious and touchstone matters.

Elizabeth M. Dolan and Marlene S. Stum's essay Economic Security and Financial Management Issues Facing Same-Sex Couples takes a close look at how important and neglected these issues have been within the LGBT milieu. In matters of financial

Estate Planning

Wills

Living Wills and Trusts Powers of Attorney

Probate Administration

Domestic Partnership Agreements

• Personal Injury

Motor Vehicle Accidents Work Injuries Wrongful Death

Medical Malpractice

tion. Catherine Connolly, understands that the number of such court challenges has increased and offers a comprehensive review of these cases to those considering such second-parent adoptions and legal challenges therein.

Children of Lesbian Parents: The What, When and How of Talking about Donor Identity by Susan E. Barrett is about the sensitivity of such information and how it impacts the parent-child relationships within the LGBT context.

Incest survivors are the focus of the article by Patricia Groves and Conie Schondel. Lesbian Couples Who are Survivors of Incest:

Group Work Utilizing a Feminist Approach is about the formation and functioning of support groups for this demographic.

Finally, Peter Nash Swisher and Nancy Douglas Cook takes an in-depth look at the Virginia child custody case Bottoms v. Bottoms, in which Pamela Bottoms alleged that her daughter Sharon was unfit to raise her son because she is a lesbian. The result is a compelling look at the flaws within our legal systems when it comes to the rights of LGBT parents.

Even though the book has an academic bent, the articles are quite accessible for the lay reader. Each article also has extensive lists of other primary and secondary sources in the respective areas under scrutiny.

Issues of marriage and family are the next frontier in the struggle for equal rights. This book recognizes that reality and takes the reader on an interesting voyage of how things are and how they might look in the future.

Maria L. Shinn

ATTORNEY AT LAW

Evening & Weekend Appointments Available

216.228.4791

2164 Glenbury Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio 44107-5414

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