Customer Reviews

Acts of Disclosure : The Coming-Out Process of Contemporary Gay Men (Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a young gay man who has come out of the closet already, I found the book a thoughtful and acurate portrayal of the feelings and concerns that I went through on my own. Having this book at that time would have made my life a lot simpler. Mr. Vargo has written a book that recognizes the need for the individual to express him/herself, but also recognizes the need to keep a personal part of ones life private, at least in some parts of ones life. Coming-out is not a one step process, and this book will help anyone in any stage of that process. If you are thinking of coming-out to friends/family please read this book.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone, at any level of the "coming-out" process, as well as Parents,Sons, Daughters, and any other family members of someone who has recently "come-out". Much research has obviously gone into this work and I commend Vargo for that, as well as the EXTENSIVE Bibliography that is included. I certainly hope that organizations like PFLAG add this book to it's list of recommended reading.

Sandy Miller

This is a great book for someone concerned about a family member comming out or one who is concerned about comming out. Persons who are more educated about this subject are more likely to respond in a better way then one who is not educated about it. A great read for people are friends, parents, bosses, relatives, and others who want to learn to be more accepting of homosexuals. As this book mentions PLEASE be supportive of one who is going through the comming out process or who is out and needs a friend to talk about their problems. By being supportive one would feel less down and the bebefits can be huge to let the person know that you will be their to talk to if they need some one. If we become more accepting there would be less suicide, depression, and feelings of guilt. Be supportive and make a difference in someones life. This book is one great resource for anyone who want to have more good information on this important subject.

Vargo explains the coming out process in great detail; he's very thorough and has facts to back up his claims. Rather than say, for instance, these are the stages parents go through when a son comes out to them, trust me, he describes various studies that have been done that actually document the stages, what percentage of parents go through each stage, etc. He's always careful to describe how the studies may be biased in one way or another. There are more than 40 footnotes to most chapters, so you can go straight to the source for more information if you want. Having some sort of factual basis to go on helped me tremendously. He also is good about illustrating the points he makes by using quotes from gay sons and their friends and family. At the end of each chapter, there are lists of suggestions that are very helpful. One particularly good section describes what characteristics are typical in parents who will have a difficult time accepting their sons gayness. Again, he's always careful to not make gross generalizations, but relies instead on reputable studies. "Coming OUt; An Act of Kindess" is OK, but not as good as this one.

Never in my life have I seen such a mockery of gay life. I love to be homosexual and I love my "sisters" so very very much. Mr. Vargo picks apart the modern homosexual male into a big mess of emotions.