Setting Them Straight: You CAN Do Something About Bigotry and Homophobia in Your Life

by Betty Berzon

From singer Melissa Etheridge to Olympic champion Greg Louganis, from tennis great Martina Navratilova to the British actor Sir Ian McKellan, celebrities and notables have come forward to put a new face on gay and lesbian sexuality. At the same time, the religious right campaigns to legalize discrimination against gay people and promote an anti-gay prejudice in the general public. The cultural attitudes on this topic have never been so polarized—or so openly discussed. The battle is on! With all of this new visibility, tensions between gay people, their families, coworkers, and others have come out in the open as never before.

In Setting Them Straight , experienced therapist Dr. Betty Berzon, author of the classic bestseller Permanent Partners , provides a unique battle plan for confronting discrimination, whether it comes from strangers or beloved friends and family. Understanding why people hate, the origins of prejudice, how to channel anger, the answers to the rhetoric of bigotry, and how to prevail in homophobic encounters are all a part of Dr. Berzon's discussion. This book is a timely, important, and much needed resource for a community under siege.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, Self Help, Activism

272 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1996

About the author

Betty Berzon was an American author and psychotherapist known for her work with the gay and lesbian communities.

Berzon was among the first psychotherapists to assist gay and lesbian clients. After coming out as a lesbian in 1968, she began providing therapy to gays and lesbians, and in 1971, she organized the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center as well as an organization of gays and lesbians within the American Psychiatric Association, which declassified homosexuality as a mental illness two years later.
-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Emily]

As a straight married woman with loads of gay friends, it's an interesting read on how to deal with public homophobia. Good tactics on how to effectively deal, in a civilized manner, with people who 'crack gay jokes' and/or demoralize gay families, lifestyles, and culture.

[Zac Sigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit dated, but relevant ways to deal with the hate spewing out of certain population segments' collective mouths after the DOMA ruling today.

[DJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

some aspects of the author's perspective are so problematic that the book was hard to get through. her suggestions regarding how to interact with straight religious people reflect a simplistic view of Christianity which is also, at times, incredibly dismissive and/or insulting. the way she talks about "minorities" and "foreigners" assumes a white, American reader. her suggestions for countering some stereotypes, and her characterization of who is homophobic and why, can both come off as incredibly classist. also, never once does she acknowledge the existence of bisexual people- a concession which would probably undermine some of her basic premises.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with another reviewer here that the author's views are sometimes either unworkable, or problematic -- as seen best in her advice on dealing with Christians. An ok book for someone just coming out who's reading a million other books like this and just needs to pump up the "how to come out" volume.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is somewhat outdated, which detracts at times from its usefulness. However, it nonetheless gives good advice about dealing with homophobia at all levels.

[Stephenie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very helpful book, I would highly recommend it. It could use a more intuitive structure to make the most pertinent information easier to access.