Ready or Not...They're Gay: Stories from a Midwestern Family

Paul and Hjordy Wagner know what it's like to have a child come out- they have had that conversation not once, but twice. Both their sons, Brad and Andrew are gay. The Wagners quickly embraced their sons' sexuality, but they soon realized that for other families, the transition was not as smooth.Many young gay people today muster the courage to come out to family and are made to feel ostracized and abandoned by loved ones as a result. In Ready or Not.They're Gay, the Wagners share their own journey to acceptance of their sons' sexual identity with the hope that other families will be better equipped to approach the news of a gay child or loved one in a healthy, positive way. Including a range of perspectives on the experience from their circle of family and friends, they offer guidance for parents and teachers of gay children and tips from the GLBT community on how to make the coming-out talk easier on both parties.