Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1190247 in Books
• Published on: 1996-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Customer Reviews

An excellent book to have around
While I was in the USA 2 years ago I purchased this book and found it to be really good. Dr. Berzon gives some good tips on how to deal with the different people one is likely to come up against regarding homosexuality. Of course not every situation will be like those described, nevertheless its suggestions can help you to formulate your own responses. I would have preferred to see a few more methods in dealing with religious fanatics since we have plenty of zealots here in this country too. There was one section in dealing with a homophobic co-worker which was quite good but yet not everyone has a boss that looks the other way. What can one do if both your co-workers and boss are bigots? This is difficult indeed. Fortunately Israel is somewhat more liberal than the US in that we have laws which protect one's rights in the workplace, as well as the home and during compulsory military service. Sadly not eveywhere in the world are gays protected by law. There is no question that I would recommend this book to anyone who has to come up against bigotry against Gays and Lesbians. I also recommend the Eric Marcus book, "Is It a Choice". Both are well worth the purchase price.

Usually helpful, but sometimes too brusque.
This is a relatively useful book in the battle to correct stereotypes and hetero-sexist thinking that exist today. However, many of the responses that Berzon suggests for such situations are rather confrontational, and will likely anger and embarass the offender rather than educate and enlighten him or her. Also, Berzon has certain political ideas which are completely legitimate for her to hold, but do not necessarily apply to everyone's experience as a lesbian or gay man. Some of these ideas are not directly related to gay/lesbian politics, but have become associated casually, and now seem to be accepted by Berzon as part of the entire gay/lesbian political agenda. (The most obvious one of these is abortion). However, overall the book does well in showing what kinds of situations can be rectified by speaking up, and how the encounter might proceed. Good for the discerning mind, but not quite as good for someone whose politics are shaped by what other gay and lesbian people tell them they SHOULD think.