Does Your Mama Know?: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Coming Out Stories

by Lisa C. Moore (Editor)

By turns funny, passionate, angry and joyous, does your mama know? reflects the complexity of emotions that accompany a black lesbian’s coming out. These 49 short stories, poems, interviews and essays—fiction and nonfiction—make up a powerful collection of original and new writing by 41 women. does your mama know? is ready to take its place in the halls of literary African-American lesbian voices.

Genres: LGBT, Queer, Lesbian, Nonfiction, Anthologies, Short Stories, Poetry

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Lisa C. Moore is the founder and editor of RedBone Press, which publishes work celebrating the culture of black lesbians and gay men and promoting understanding between black gays and lesbians and the black mainstream. Moore is the editor of does your mama know? An Anthology of Black Lesbian Coming Out Stories, and co-editor of Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay/Lesbian Identity. Most recently, RedBone Press published Blood Beats: Vol. 2, film and music criticism by PEN Award-winner Ernest Hardy; reprinted In the Life: A Black Gay Anthology and Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men; and co-published (with Vintage Entity Press) Carry the Word: A Bibliography of Black LGBTQ Books. Moore is board president of Fire & Ink, an advocacy organization for LGBT writers of African descent.

Reviews

[l · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We are out here. I only wish you could have heard us sooner."

[Rena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does Your Mama Know is a pivotal book for black lesbians. Whereas coming out is such a personal and varied experience, the beauty of this book is in the commonalities of our emotions and the reactions - both internal and external - that we evoke by sharing our truths. I was moved. The week it took me to read and digest this anthology served me well.

[Melinda]

I'm only a little ways through the book but already I'm enjoying it. Not everything is well written but the issues brought up in the book are familiar. I wish that I had found this book when I was first coming out. It would have been nice to have a black lesbian perspective on being in the life.

[HeavyReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of coming out stories written by black lesbians. I think it could be really helpful for black lesbians who are not yet out to read about how others did it and what it meant in their lives.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a wide range of stories, most very interesting, but some a little long. Overall it was a great book of short stories.

[Chanel · Rating 3 out of 5]

a great book for all those wmoen who think they're alone and are searching for community, family, and/or justification and support

[Pia]

I have heard of this book, but haven't read it yet. A good one to get to.

[ACRL]

Read by ACRL Member of the Week Michelle Dartis. Learn more about Michelle on the ACRL Insider blog.

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A True Glimpse Into The Minds Of Those Who are Out! Inspirational & Motivational!

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great compilation of fiction, non-fiction and poetry related to coming out stories.

[annacharryse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Ilterally couldnt put ths book down as I was reading through our black lesban sisters' stories of coming out. In so many ways, l feel seen in a lost of these stories. Being a Jamaican-American queer womyn, it is difficult to feel seen in any and every part of society.
I'm grateful to know and have read most of the stories are of and from Carribean-American womyn.
In the midst of all our different identities (if we choose to identify ourselves or not), we are all connected as womyn- as sisters-as lovers -as friends.Coming out as a black lesbian/bi queer looks completely different for everyone -but in a sense, we all have extremely similar stories.
The lesson in all of these stones is that you have to come out to yourself first, You have to accept yourself first. You have to know yourself first. Once you come out to yourself, it’s not really a matter of who to come out to or when, its a matter of how will I accept mysef enough to know that I am not for everybody.
I am grateful for Lisa Moore for putting together all of our stories, poems, letters, interviews, journal entries.
Our stories need to be heard as it gives safety and encouragement for others to come out to themselves as well.

[Melblue · Rating 4 out of 5]

im really glad to have encountered this book & though it was written years ago I could still see bits of my self reflected in some of the stories. I also just love the style and letting people write how they write without editing their voice made for a beautifully stylistic text

[Sosa Coleone · Rating 3 out of 5]

She knows
It's a woman thing

[Joy Anyanwu · Rating 4 out of 5]

felt so held by this book! reminded me of the lineage of talented black lesbian writers. will forever be thinking of “that beat” by sharon bridgforth

[pumi · Rating 5 out of 5]

yeah this was everything, actually