Coming Out of Shame : Transforming Gay and Lesbian Lives

Rating:
Summary: Change your life -- for the better!
Review: As a young man coming out, my journey of self-discovery started with quiet months of reading. I read everything I could get my hands on about homosexuality and being gay. This book stands out as the single greatest influence during and since that time. The authors have taken a careful and thorough examination of the sociology and psychology of shame as it relates to being gay. The reading is thick, but worth the time to slowly wade through and internalize the material. I found myself saying, "Finally, someone who understands my whole mindset!" I began to change my thinking as I read it. Congratulations to the authors for writing a book so important to the lives of many.

Rating:
Summary: Exellent Resource!
Review: Fro anyone who is struggling with coming out issues, or for anyone who has a gay or lesbian friend or family member this is an ESSENTIAL read. The book deals with the issue of shame that is tied to the coming out of many gay and lesbian people and offers help in getting rid of that shame. Written with compassion, this book gives the reader a sense of freedom and is a gret help in the coming-out process. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Exellent Resource!
Review: Fro anyone who is struggling with coming out issues, or for anyone who has a gay or lesbian friend or family member this is an ESSENTIAL read. The book deals with the issue of shame that is tied to the coming out of many gay and lesbian people and offers help in getting rid of that shame. Written with compassion, this book gives the reader a sense of freedom and is a gret help in the coming-out process. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Essential Reading
Review: I'm not eloquent enough to tell you about why this book is so good or how it helped me so much, but I do want people who are reading the customer reviews for this book to know that this book made a HUGE and POSITIVE impact on my life--it really helped me combat my inner turmoil over self-esteem and coming/being out. Coming out is one of the hardest things I think any human being has to do--and there are a lot of emotional issues tied up into it, one being this guilt or shame of existing. ("I feel guilt/shameful that I'm gay.") Society burns this feeling into gay and lesbian people's brains. This book will help you repair some of that damage and find your true, whole self. I am so thankful to Drs. Kaufman and Raphael for writing this book--it is truly an important contribution to the literature about coming out and an honest-to-God lifesafer. I recommend this book with all my heart.

Rating:
Summary: Reveals the expectations our society has...
Review: There are spoken and unspoken expectations in America that tell you what a good, successful life should look like. This book helped me see how forces outside myself made me feel ashamed of certain feelings, thoughts, wishes, desires. The authors show how the shame becomes internalized, so that you don't need anyone else--you shame yourself. For healthy, human feelings (about a lot more than sex!). Recognizing the shame that keeps us from sharing feelings, dreams, hopes, etc. will help to lead more fulfilling lives. And help us to speak out, and live "out."