OutBoise Magazine January 2016 | Page 15

15  |  OutBoise Magazine  | NEWS OutBoisemag.com | Issue 14 | January 2016 ‘Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood’ Offers Quality Parenting Info by Konrad Juengling Eric Rosswood, bestselling author of the children’s book My Uncle’s Wedding, is planning to release another book having to do with parenthood and children. This time, instead of being written for children ages 4-8, this book is written for adults. The project, Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood: Firsthand Advice, Tips, and Stories from Lesbian and Gay Couples, is a well-researched guide for LGBT people thinking about parenthood. The inspiration for the book came from Rosswood’s own experience. After he and husband Mat decided to become parents, they had a lot of questions and not a lot of information; most of the books Rosswood came across didn’t address LGBT parenting in the way he was looking for. Most were written from the perspective of one professional and dealt with just one type of parenting per book. There was a dearth of books that offered the perspectives of multiple people. With the extra obstacles LGBT people face in trying to become parents, a resource manual would have been helpful. Rosswood did a lot of research, and after the open adoption of his son Connor, he decided to compile his own resource manual for prospective LGBT parents. Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood covers five different types of ways people become parents, consisting of adoption, fostering, surrogacy, assisted reproduction, and co-parenting. The book offers real life short stories from other same-sex couples broken down into those sections, making it easy for a reader to get examples of what other couples have experienced on their way to parenthood. The book is more than just those vignettes, however; there is a Words of Advice section, a Legal Considerations section, Questions to Ask, and a Reasons Why & Challenges section. The last section covers why a couple might choose a certain parenting method and then the challenges associated with that. This book tries to answer the questions that LGBTQ prospective parents might come across: Who will be listed on the birth certificate? What are the challenges associated with co-parenting? With foster care, is there a chance a child may be removed from your care and be placed back with his parents, even after a strong bond has developed? Are there STI risks with assisted reproduction? Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood has attracted support from a number of well-known people. The foreword is written by Melissa Gilbert, another bestselling author, mother, and star of Little House on the Prairie. She wrote, “I’ve read and have been touched by all the stories in this book… I hope their stories help you along in your journey to parenthood.” The introduction is written by Charlie Condou, a gay actor, activist, and father; the epilogue is written by Gabriel Blau, former Executive Director of the Family Equality Council. After being listed on Amazon this month for preorder, it has already become the number one new release on Amazon in the Gay & Lesbian Parenting & Families section. It is a must have for any same-sex couple thinking about starting a family, or those interested in parenting overall. Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood releases March 2016. It is available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold.