Just A Mom: Heartfelt Advice from a Mother Who Understands What It Means to Love and Support a Gay Child (An Advocate Book)

In her first book, Love, Ellen: A Mother/Daughter Journey, Betty DeGeneres revealed the struggles of her own life and those of her famous daughter, TV and film actor Ellen DeGeneres. While most people knew the all-too-public saga of Ellen's professional and private coming-out odyssey, many did not know the hardship and triumphs that Betty went through trying to be the best possible mom to her daughter during what turned out to be one of the most historic events in gay and lesbian history. The lessons learned from that journey sent Betty into a whole new chapter of her own life. After Ellen came out, Betty became the official spokeswoman for the Human Rights Campaign (the first non-gay person to assume this position) . Today she continues traveling the country far and wide in that role, talking to gay men and lesbians and their families and friends about the fear, rejection, abandonment, love, and acceptance they've experienced. At the end of Love, Ellen: A Mother/Daughter Journey, Betty invited readers to send letters and communications to her with questions and stories about their own battles as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, or straight human beings caught up in the fight for equal rights. The response was overwhelming. It frightened her. What could she possibly bring to all these moving, heroic, tragic, funny tales? After the initial shock subsided, Betty realized the answer: She could give of herself. After all, that's what she'd been doing for years. For Ellen, for Anne Heche, for her son Vance, for the thousands of people she'd met on the road. To all of them she's simply offered what she knows best: her own supportive, kind, nurturing, strong life experiences and ever-evolving understanding as Just a Mom.. Betty DeGeneres is the author of Love, Ellen: A Mother/Daughter Journeyand mother of comedian Ellen DeGeneres. She is currently the spokesperson for the HRC Coming Out Project and an active member of PFLAG. She now lends her expertise to PlanetOut as an advice columnist on issues of coming out and acceptance.