cover image Conversaciones: Relatos Por Padres y Madres de Hijas Lesbianas y Hijos Gay = Conversations

Conversaciones: Relatos Por Padres y Madres de Hijas Lesbianas y Hijos Gay = Conversations

. Cleis Press, $14.95 (166pp) ISBN 978-1-57344-126-1

A Chilean feminist, activist, and lesbian mother, Romo-Carmona has produced a groundbreaking collection of interviews to dispel the silence about homosexuality in Latino communities. With eloquence and honesty, 25 Latino parents living predominantly in the United States tell about their experiences raising gay and lesbian children in a culture where homophobia exists alongside migration, racism, and poverty. In many of the interviews, parents reveal, at times with a shocking directness, their pain about having a gay or lesbian child. Yet the book also presents more liberal and accepting opinions about homosexuality. A Honduran mother is more concerned with her daughter's depression than her sexuality, and a Puerto Rican lesbian mourns her gay son, who died of AIDS, leaving her with his informally chosen family. In several cases, daughters and sons respond to their parents, creating an insightful dialog for readers. With contributors from a number of countries, including Mexico, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic, and an afterword by the acclaimed gay Colombian American writer Jaime Manrique, this book is pivotal in addressing the isolation felt by Spanish-speaking parents who must deal with homosexuality while living in a discriminatory community. It is equally critical for gay and lesbian Latinos both young and adult who can learn from their parents' experiences. Recommended for gay/ lesbian library collections and general bookstores. Daisy Hern ndez, Women in Literature and Letters (WILL), New York City w