Amazon.com In the past， most children of gay or lesbian parents were born into heterosexual families that later broke up. Today， more and more lesbian and gay couples are making the decision to have and raise families together. The Lesbian and Gay Parenting Handbook by April Martin is an indispensable resource for lesbians and gay men who are thinking about， or involved in， parenting. Martin， a psychologist and lesbian parent of two children， has compiled advice and information from almost 60 families and has drawn on her own experience. She touches on every aspect of gay and lesbian parenting， and where she doesn't go into depth， she refers readers to further resources. The Lesbian and Gay Parenting Handbook covers a vast array of subjects about creating a family， from decision-making to alternative insemination to surrogacy. It includes details on adoption， gay men making babies， coparenting， and legal issues. Martin discusses family roles， dealing with antihomosexual bias， dealing with family crises， and how to handle issues children may have about growing up with gay or lesbian parents. This book should be an essential component of every gay or lesbian parent's--or parent-to-be's--library. From Library Journal In this sensitive， practical handbook， Martin combines her own professional and personal experiences as a psychologist and a parent with first-person stories of lesbian and gay parents and their children. She comprehensively explores ethical， legal， logistical， financial， and emotional issues that gay couples or individuals face when they decide to parent， whether via pregnancy or adoption. Martin discusses such topics as artificial insemination， adoption， surrogate pregnancies， and custody and parental rights. A list of groups and organizations， published resources， sample sperm donor-recipient and coparenting agreements， and a donor screening form contribute to this timely， valuable book.- James E. Van Buskirk， San Francisco P.L.Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information， Inc. See all Editorial Reviews