As On the Down Low exposes, the closer a secret is kept, the more powerful the impact once it is finally revealed. Author and activist JL King here takes an intriguing look at the lives and lifestyles of black men who sleep with other men but do not consider themselves to be gay. These men live "on the down low", the "DL" for short, and their sexual activities have gained significant notice as the rate of HIV/AIDS infection in black women has skyrocketed, with the vast majority of cases coming from heterosexual sex. King is a veteran of the DL himself and his book serves partly as a social and psychological survey of the other men he has surveyed and partly as highly candid memoir. King was well regarded in his community, popular at his church, successful in his career and married to a woman who had no idea that his secret life existed. But when she caught him in a lie and with another man, the marriage collapsed and King's long and painful path to self-awareness began. King cites the negative image many socially conservative black men have of homosexuality as an obstacle to those men being honest with their partners and themselves about who they are. Among the more intriguing elements of On the Down Low are the peculiar approaches men on the DL have to the sexual act, seeking a strictly physical sexual relationship with their secret male partners while remaining in more traditional arrangements with women. Whether this discrepancy is a product of scrupulously guarded secrecy and shame or the natural preference of an understudied sexual identity is one of the numerous questions raised by this book. Though the infection statistics make the DL a huge public health issue, King is neither a sociologist nor a medical professional. And while a more clinical look at this issue would be welcome, King accomplished what he set out to do: provide light and insight into a world that so many have worked so hard to keep in the shadows. --John Moe, Amazon.com

Learning about the Down Low, 12 Feb 2006
I was engrossed by J L King's book and its revelations about African-American sexual sub-culture. I was particularly struck by the statistic that straight African-American women are 18 times more likely to be HIV positive through sex with their partners than straight American white women. It raises the question of whether same sex encounters between "straight" African-American men are disproportionately high, and, if so, why. The explanation could lie partly in the high number of African-American men in US prisons who become HIV+ and infect their partners on release. However, the statistic also suggests (and it would be interesting to have data on other ethnicities) that the more repressive a majority belief - in this case that homosexuals should fry in hell - the more likely it is to be secretly transgressed. King makes the point that many African-American Christian pastors preach homophobic sermons monthly, and the more virulent they are, the more likely the pastor is to be "on the DL". Hypocrisy and its consequences are ubiquitous, but thanks to King's courageous revelations, they will hopefully have a less disastrous effect on African-American family and community life in the future.

Learning about the Down Low, 12 Feb 2006
I was engrossed by J L King's book and its revelations about African-American sexual sub-culture. I was particularly struck by the statistic that straight African-American women are 18 times more likely to be HIV positive through sex with their partners than straight American white women. It raises the question of whether same sex encounters between "straight" African-American men are disproportionately high, and, if so, why. The explanation could lie partly in the high number of African-American men in US prisons who become HIV+ and infect their partners on release. However, the statistic also suggests (and it would be interesting to have data on other ethnicities) that the more repressive a majority belief - in this case that homosexuals should fry in hell - the more likely it is to be secretly transgressed. King makes the point that many African-American Christian pastors preach homophobic sermons monthly, and the more virulent they are, the more likely the pastor is to be "on the DL". Hypocrisy and its consequences are ubiquitous, but thanks to King's courageous revelations, they will hopefully have a less disastrous effect on African-American family and community life in the future.

Excellent starting point and reference guide, 10 Jan 2000
Pink Therapy is an excellent introduction to working with clients who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. I would thoroughly recommend it to any therapist who would like to know more about sexuality, sexual identity, coming out and/or gay & lesbian culture. Divided into 13 easy-to-read chapters such as "Toward a model of gay affirmative therapy", "Working with people coming out", "Working with young people", and "Partner abuse", the book provides a fairly comprehensive resource for those with little or no previous experience of working with clients from sexual minorities. I would also recommend this book as one of the only reference guides to be largely written by gay, lesbian and bisexual therapists about gay, lesbian and bisexual clients for (mostly) heterosexual counsellors. Intended primarily for counsellors, Pink Therapy can function as a solid introduction for anyone working in helping relationships with clients from oppressed groups. Counselling Supervision in Context, edited by Michael Carroll and Elizabeth Holloway includes an intelligent chapter specifically about working with sexuality, heterosexism and homophobia in counselling supervision, a subject dealt with only briefly in Pink Therapy.

Learning about the Down Low, 12 Feb 2006
I was engrossed by J L King's book and its revelations about African-American sexual sub-culture. I was particularly struck by the statistic that straight African-American women are 18 times more likely to be HIV positive through sex with their partners than straight American white women. It raises the question of whether same sex encounters between "straight" African-American men are disproportionately high, and, if so, why. The explanation could lie partly in the high number of African-American men in US prisons who become HIV+ and infect their partners on release. However, the statistic also suggests (and it would be interesting to have data on other ethnicities) that the more repressive a majority belief - in this case that homosexuals should fry in hell - the more likely it is to be secretly transgressed. King makes the point that many African-American Christian pastors preach homophobic sermons monthly, and the more virulent they are, the more likely the pastor is to be "on the DL". Hypocrisy and its consequences are ubiquitous, but thanks to King's courageous revelations, they will hopefully have a less disastrous effect on African-American family and community life in the future.

Excellent starting point and reference guide, 10 Jan 2000
Pink Therapy is an excellent introduction to working with clients who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. I would thoroughly recommend it to any therapist who would like to know more about sexuality, sexual identity, coming out and/or gay & lesbian culture. Divided into 13 easy-to-read chapters such as "Toward a model of gay affirmative therapy", "Working with people coming out", "Working with young people", and "Partner abuse", the book provides a fairly comprehensive resource for those with little or no previous experience of working with clients from sexual minorities. I would also recommend this book as one of the only reference guides to be largely written by gay, lesbian and bisexual therapists about gay, lesbian and bisexual clients for (mostly) heterosexual counsellors. Intended primarily for counsellors, Pink Therapy can function as a solid introduction for anyone working in helping relationships with clients from oppressed groups. Counselling Supervision in Context, edited by Michael Carroll and Elizabeth Holloway includes an intelligent chapter specifically about working with sexuality, heterosexism and homophobia in counselling supervision, a subject dealt with only briefly in Pink Therapy.

Enriching therapeutic practice with LGB clients, 09 May 2001
This book represents a valuable contribution to the literature on appropriate, effective and ethical therapeutic practice with lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) clients and, in my view, is the best of the three books in this series produced by Dominic Davies and Charles Neal. Although the book aims to explore the overlap between various models of therapy and LGB-affirmative practice, most contributors explain their theoretical approaches so clearly and concisely that the text also constitutes a useful introduction to these approaches. No longer will practitioners within any of the main theoretical models be able to justify applying their approach to LGB clients in unconsidered, acontextual or pathologising ways on the grounds that their approach cannot accommodate the challenges of LGB sexuality. This book cogently and persuasively demonstrates how this accommodation can be achieved for the benefit of clients and the enrichment of the therapeutic domain.

Learning about the Down Low, 12 Feb 2006
I was engrossed by J L King's book and its revelations about African-American sexual sub-culture. I was particularly struck by the statistic that straight African-American women are 18 times more likely to be HIV positive through sex with their partners than straight American white women. It raises the question of whether same sex encounters between "straight" African-American men are disproportionately high, and, if so, why. The explanation could lie partly in the high number of African-American men in US prisons who become HIV+ and infect their partners on release. However, the statistic also suggests (and it would be interesting to have data on other ethnicities) that the more repressive a majority belief - in this case that homosexuals should fry in hell - the more likely it is to be secretly transgressed. King makes the point that many African-American Christian pastors preach homophobic sermons monthly, and the more virulent they are, the more likely the pastor is to be "on the DL". Hypocrisy and its consequences are ubiquitous, but thanks to King's courageous revelations, they will hopefully have a less disastrous effect on African-American family and community life in the future.

Excellent starting point and reference guide, 10 Jan 2000
Pink Therapy is an excellent introduction to working with clients who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. I would thoroughly recommend it to any therapist who would like to know more about sexuality, sexual identity, coming out and/or gay & lesbian culture. Divided into 13 easy-to-read chapters such as "Toward a model of gay affirmative therapy", "Working with people coming out", "Working with young people", and "Partner abuse", the book provides a fairly comprehensive resource for those with little or no previous experience of working with clients from sexual minorities. I would also recommend this book as one of the only reference guides to be largely written by gay, lesbian and bisexual therapists about gay, lesbian and bisexual clients for (mostly) heterosexual counsellors. Intended primarily for counsellors, Pink Therapy can function as a solid introduction for anyone working in helping relationships with clients from oppressed groups. Counselling Supervision in Context, edited by Michael Carroll and Elizabeth Holloway includes an intelligent chapter specifically about working with sexuality, heterosexism and homophobia in counselling supervision, a subject dealt with only briefly in Pink Therapy.

Enriching therapeutic practice with LGB clients, 09 May 2001
This book represents a valuable contribution to the literature on appropriate, effective and ethical therapeutic practice with lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) clients and, in my view, is the best of the three books in this series produced by Dominic Davies and Charles Neal. Although the book aims to explore the overlap between various models of therapy and LGB-affirmative practice, most contributors explain their theoretical approaches so clearly and concisely that the text also constitutes a useful introduction to these approaches. No longer will practitioners within any of the main theoretical models be able to justify applying their approach to LGB clients in unconsidered, acontextual or pathologising ways on the grounds that their approach cannot accommodate the challenges of LGB sexuality. This book cogently and persuasively demonstrates how this accommodation can be achieved for the benefit of clients and the enrichment of the therapeutic domain.

great bed-time reading for bi boys & girls, 20 Jun 2001
This is one of those books that you just can't put down! An eclectic mix of stories covering many aspects of bisexuality, from first-time experiences (Morning Surprises by Clint Jefferies is worth a special mention), to deep down n' dirty romps like After the Light Changed by the wonderful Carol Queen. Whether you're bi, curious or just fancy something different from the usual erotic stories, there's definately something here for everyone (presuming that everyone else is as dirty as me!)

An ecclectic collection of sexy Bisexual erotica, 22 Dec 2000
I wasn't too sure what to expect when I ordered the book. There's so much rubbish which calls itself erotica, that it's a bit of a hit or miss to what you get. As for Bisexual erotica, the majority tends to fall into the cliche's of mens porn magazines, which are a bit dull. So I was pleasantly surprised to find some really excellent writing, which has stories about men to men, women to women, and everything else in between without pandering solely to the cliche of three in a bed. Some really hot writing.

K

A groundbreaking collection, a new erotic genre is born, 11 Sep 2000
Ever wondered what bisexuals do in bed ? Well you're about to find out. At last ! Unlimited Desires is the first collection of bisexual erotic fiction to be collected under one book cover. Dispelling the myths, cliches and stereotypes of bisexual desire, the 24 stories which make up this anthology, go beyond the tired assumption of three in a bed, hetrosexual voyeurism or the quaint gay/lesbian coming out stories. The collection doesn't skirt around the issue but places bisexual desire, lust, life and lives at centre stage to make the natives either side of the picket fence restless.

Having searched hi and low for a collection of bisexual erotic fiction for the last 10 years, I've finally found something that I can call my own, without having to glue the pages of straight and Gay erotica together. I'm in agreement with Tom Robinson, when he describes the book as " really first rate writing, the collection goes right to the heart of the matter. It carries a social punch even more valuable than its ( considerable ) erotic charge. "

There is something to please everyone regardless how you may identify. The collection includes pieces from over three continents, including some firm favourites such as Carol Queen, Thomas Roche, Marylyn Jaye Lewis, Dan Wolff, and Alice Blue as well as Wayne Bryant, D Franklin, Piglet, Dean Durber, Katherine Park and Jamie Joy Gatto. Three cheers for the boys and girls at BiPress, looking forward to volume two.

A happy Bi Bunny

Rasey

Learning about the Down Low, 12 Feb 2006
I was engrossed by J L King's book and its revelations about African-American sexual sub-culture. I was particularly struck by the statistic that straight African-American women are 18 times more likely to be HIV positive through sex with their partners than straight American white women. It raises the question of whether same sex encounters between "straight" African-American men are disproportionately high, and, if so, why. The explanation could lie partly in the high number of African-American men in US prisons who become HIV+ and infect their partners on release. However, the statistic also suggests (and it would be interesting to have data on other ethnicities) that the more repressive a majority belief - in this case that homosexuals should fry in hell - the more likely it is to be secretly transgressed. King makes the point that many African-American Christian pastors preach homophobic sermons monthly, and the more virulent they are, the more likely the pastor is to be "on the DL". Hypocrisy and its consequences are ubiquitous, but thanks to King's courageous revelations, they will hopefully have a less disastrous effect on African-American family and community life in the future.

Excellent starting point and reference guide, 10 Jan 2000
Pink Therapy is an excellent introduction to working with clients who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. I would thoroughly recommend it to any therapist who would like to know more about sexuality, sexual identity, coming out and/or gay & lesbian culture. Divided into 13 easy-to-read chapters such as "Toward a model of gay affirmative therapy", "Working with people coming out", "Working with young people", and "Partner abuse", the book provides a fairly comprehensive resource for those with little or no previous experience of working with clients from sexual minorities. I would also recommend this book as one of the only reference guides to be largely written by gay, lesbian and bisexual therapists about gay, lesbian and bisexual clients for (mostly) heterosexual counsellors. Intended primarily for counsellors, Pink Therapy can function as a solid introduction for anyone working in helping relationships with clients from oppressed groups. Counselling Supervision in Context, edited by Michael Carroll and Elizabeth Holloway includes an intelligent chapter specifically about working with sexuality, heterosexism and homophobia in counselling supervision, a subject dealt with only briefly in Pink Therapy.

Enriching therapeutic practice with LGB clients, 09 May 2001
This book represents a valuable contribution to the literature on appropriate, effective and ethical therapeutic practice with lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) clients and, in my view, is the best of the three books in this series produced by Dominic Davies and Charles Neal. Although the book aims to explore the overlap between various models of therapy and LGB-affirmative practice, most contributors explain their theoretical approaches so clearly and concisely that the text also constitutes a useful introduction to these approaches. No longer will practitioners within any of the main theoretical models be able to justify applying their approach to LGB clients in unconsidered, acontextual or pathologising ways on the grounds that their approach cannot accommodate the challenges of LGB sexuality. This book cogently and persuasively demonstrates how this accommodation can be achieved for the benefit of clients and the enrichment of the therapeutic domain.

great bed-time reading for bi boys & girls, 20 Jun 2001
This is one of those books that you just can't put down! An eclectic mix of stories covering many aspects of bisexuality, from first-time experiences (Morning Surprises by Clint Jefferies is worth a special mention), to deep down n' dirty romps like After the Light Changed by the wonderful Carol Queen. Whether you're bi, curious or just fancy something different from the usual erotic stories, there's definately something here for everyone (presuming that everyone else is as dirty as me!)

An ecclectic collection of sexy Bisexual erotica, 22 Dec 2000
I wasn't too sure what to expect when I ordered the book. There's so much rubbish which calls itself erotica, that it's a bit of a hit or miss to what you get. As for Bisexual erotica, the majority tends to fall into the cliche's of mens porn magazines, which are a bit dull. So I was pleasantly surprised to find some really excellent writing, which has stories about men to men, women to women, and everything else in between without pandering solely to the cliche of three in a bed. Some really hot writing.

K

A groundbreaking collection, a new erotic genre is born, 11 Sep 2000
Ever wondered what bisexuals do in bed ? Well you're about to find out. At last ! Unlimited Desires is the first collection of bisexual erotic fiction to be collected under one book cover. Dispelling the myths, cliches and stereotypes of bisexual desire, the 24 stories which make up this anthology, go beyond the tired assumption of three in a bed, hetrosexual voyeurism or the quaint gay/lesbian coming out stories. The collection doesn't skirt around the issue but places bisexual desire, lust, life and lives at centre stage to make the natives either side of the picket fence restless.

Having searched hi and low for a collection of bisexual erotic fiction for the last 10 years, I've finally found something that I can call my own, without having to glue the pages of straight and Gay erotica together. I'm in agreement with Tom Robinson, when he describes the book as " really first rate writing, the collection goes right to the heart of the matter. It carries a social punch even more valuable than its ( considerable ) erotic charge. "

There is something to please everyone regardless how you may identify. The collection includes pieces from over three continents, including some firm favourites such as Carol Queen, Thomas Roche, Marylyn Jaye Lewis, Dan Wolff, and Alice Blue as well as Wayne Bryant, D Franklin, Piglet, Dean Durber, Katherine Park and Jamie Joy Gatto. Three cheers for the boys and girls at BiPress, looking forward to volume two.

A happy Bi Bunny

Rasey

I write this as a straight spouse, 02 Sep 2003
I bought this book just after my husband of 9 years told me he was leaving me and our two children for another man, I had hoped to find answers to my many questions,hope for the future,even a story of mixed orientation marriages that have worked. However while I read many pages thinking "thats just like us", the book, I felt, painted a bleak picture. One chapter, concentrating on the children on gay parents terrified me, told the tale of how the children, while being acepting of their dads sexuality in early childhood, rebelled and suffered metal illness in young adulthood-just what I didn't want to hear! I felt there should have been some stories of hope, because when you are in this situation, sometimes hope is all you have left

The other side of the closet, 07 Jun 2003
When my husband told me that he was gay my world fell apart. This book helped me realise that I was not the only one in the world that this had happened to and that my feelings were not abnormal. It was a life saver to read that other people were in the same situation and had got through it. It is such a relief to find help for me and my children. This book offers help for wives, husbands and partners of gays, lesbians and bisexuals from all different situations. The book offers lots of different thoughts and views by real people without telling you what to think ,feel or do. The book helped me though the pain when I had no one I could go to for help.

a bad book, 11 Oct 2002
As a straight man with a wife who has come out as a lesbian I can recommend anyone in a similar situation NOT to buy this book. The author as a heterosexual woman in the extreme cannot and does not understand the lesbian woman who does not share her pleasure. If a straight man and his lesbian wife want help to come to terms with this and perhaps save a marriage then read Carol Stocks book ¡Married Women Who Love Women¡. The Other Side of the Closet for me was a total waste of money and if this reflects her counseling then those couples have my sympathy.

A good analysis, 18 Jan 2000
This book is a good balance, analysing both the str8 and gay spouse's position as well as that of the children involved. I personally would recommend it to anyone who is going through the struggles involved. Im afraid it doesnt give much hope to those couples who are trying to make it work but has given me much input into what my wife is and has gone through and how I need to keep the channels of communication open both with her and our children.

Offers no hope, 10 Aug 1999
This book is so negative. The main message is that the marriage is doomed and that the straight spouse has to suffer while a dysfunctional bi/gay partner makes up his/her mind about where he wants to go. It also offers all sorts of solutions involving sex arrangements with spouses and gay partners - an anathema to most straight spouses. The book convinced me that I must leave my straight wife, because there was no way I could save my marriage. I went as far as putting our house up for sale and making financial arrangements. Then I realized the book was wrong. Over the years I had lost my ability to think with my heart. I had become depressed and used gay sex for comfort. I am trying to save my marriage, no thanks to the book. The book is useful to those couples who maybe didn't have real love there in the first place.

Learning about the Down Low, 12 Feb 2006
I was engrossed by J L King's book and its revelations about African-American sexual sub-culture. I was particularly struck by the statistic that straight African-American women are 18 times more likely to be HIV positive through sex with their partners than straight American white women. It raises the question of whether same sex encounters between "straight" African-American men are disproportionately high, and, if so, why. The explanation could lie partly in the high number of African-American men in US prisons who become HIV+ and infect their partners on release. However, the statistic also suggests (and it would be interesting to have data on other ethnicities) that the more repressive a majority belief - in this case that homosexuals should fry in hell - the more likely it is to be secretly transgressed. King makes the point that many African-American Christian pastors preach homophobic sermons monthly, and the more virulent they are, the more likely the pastor is to be "on the DL". Hypocrisy and its consequences are ubiquitous, but thanks to King's courageous revelations, they will hopefully have a less disastrous effect on African-American family and community life in the future.

Excellent starting point and reference guide, 10 Jan 2000
Pink Therapy is an excellent introduction to working with clients who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. I would thoroughly recommend it to any therapist who would like to know more about sexuality, sexual identity, coming out and/or gay & lesbian culture. Divided into 13 easy-to-read chapters such as "Toward a model of gay affirmative therapy", "Working with people coming out", "Working with young people", and "Partner abuse", the book provides a fairly comprehensive resource for those with little or no previous experience of working with clients from sexual minorities. I would also recommend this book as one of the only reference guides to be largely written by gay, lesbian and bisexual therapists about gay, lesbian and bisexual clients for (mostly) heterosexual counsellors. Intended primarily for counsellors, Pink Therapy can function as a solid introduction for anyone working in helping relationships with clients from oppressed groups. Counselling Supervision in Context, edited by Michael Carroll and Elizabeth Holloway includes an intelligent chapter specifically about working with sexuality, heterosexism and homophobia in counselling supervision, a subject dealt with only briefly in Pink Therapy.

Enriching therapeutic practice with LGB clients, 09 May 2001
This book represents a valuable contribution to the literature on appropriate, effective and ethical therapeutic practice with lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) clients and, in my view, is the best of the three books in this series produced by Dominic Davies and Charles Neal. Although the book aims to explore the overlap between various models of therapy and LGB-affirmative practice, most contributors explain their theoretical approaches so clearly and concisely that the text also constitutes a useful introduction to these approaches. No longer will practitioners within any of the main theoretical models be able to justify applying their approach to LGB clients in unconsidered, acontextual or pathologising ways on the grounds that their approach cannot accommodate the challenges of LGB sexuality. This book cogently and persuasively demonstrates how this accommodation can be achieved for the benefit of clients and the enrichment of the therapeutic domain.

great bed-time reading for bi boys & girls, 20 Jun 2001
This is one of those books that you just can't put down! An eclectic mix of stories covering many aspects of bisexuality, from first-time experiences (Morning Surprises by Clint Jefferies is worth a special mention), to deep down n' dirty romps like After the Light Changed by the wonderful Carol Queen. Whether you're bi, curious or just fancy something different from the usual erotic stories, there's definately something here for everyone (presuming that everyone else is as dirty as me!)

An ecclectic collection of sexy Bisexual erotica, 22 Dec 2000
I wasn't too sure what to expect when I ordered the book. There's so much rubbish which calls itself erotica, that it's a bit of a hit or miss to what you get. As for Bisexual erotica, the majority tends to fall into the cliche's of mens porn magazines, which are a bit dull. So I was pleasantly surprised to find some really excellent writing, which has stories about men to men, women to women, and everything else in between without pandering solely to the cliche of three in a bed. Some really hot writing.

K

A groundbreaking collection, a new erotic genre is born, 11 Sep 2000
Ever wondered what bisexuals do in bed ? Well you're about to find out. At last ! Unlimited Desires is the first collection of bisexual erotic fiction to be collected under one book cover. Dispelling the myths, cliches and stereotypes of bisexual desire, the 24 stories which make up this anthology, go beyond the tired assumption of three in a bed, hetrosexual voyeurism or the quaint gay/lesbian coming out stories. The collection doesn't skirt around the issue but places bisexual desire, lust, life and lives at centre stage to make the natives either side of the picket fence restless.

Having searched hi and low for a collection of bisexual erotic fiction for the last 10 years, I've finally found something that I can call my own, without having to glue the pages of straight and Gay erotica together. I'm in agreement with Tom Robinson, when he describes the book as " really first rate writing, the collection goes right to the heart of the matter. It carries a social punch even more valuable than its ( considerable ) erotic charge. "

There is something to please everyone regardless how you may identify. The collection includes pieces from over three continents, including some firm favourites such as Carol Queen, Thomas Roche, Marylyn Jaye Lewis, Dan Wolff, and Alice Blue as well as Wayne Bryant, D Franklin, Piglet, Dean Durber, Katherine Park and Jamie Joy Gatto. Three cheers for the boys and girls at BiPress, looking forward to volume two.

A happy Bi Bunny

Rasey

I write this as a straight spouse, 02 Sep 2003
I bought this book just after my husband of 9 years told me he was leaving me and our two children for another man, I had hoped to find answers to my many questions,hope for the future,even a story of mixed orientation marriages that have worked. However while I read many pages thinking "thats just like us", the book, I felt, painted a bleak picture. One chapter, concentrating on the children on gay parents terrified me, told the tale of how the children, while being acepting of their dads sexuality in early childhood, rebelled and suffered metal illness in young adulthood-just what I didn't want to hear! I felt there should have been some stories of hope, because when you are in this situation, sometimes hope is all you have left

The other side of the closet, 07 Jun 2003
When my husband told me that he was gay my world fell apart. This book helped me realise that I was not the only one in the world that this had happened to and that my feelings were not abnormal. It was a life saver to read that other people were in the same situation and had got through it. It is such a relief to find help for me and my children. This book offers help for wives, husbands and partners of gays, lesbians and bisexuals from all different situations. The book offers lots of different thoughts and views by real people without telling you what to think ,feel or do. The book helped me though the pain when I had no one I could go to for help.

a bad book, 11 Oct 2002
As a straight man with a wife who has come out as a lesbian I can recommend anyone in a similar situation NOT to buy this book. The author as a heterosexual woman in the extreme cannot and does not understand the lesbian woman who does not share her pleasure. If a straight man and his lesbian wife want help to come to terms with this and perhaps save a marriage then read Carol Stocks book ¡Married Women Who Love Women¡. The Other Side of the Closet for me was a total waste of money and if this reflects her counseling then those couples have my sympathy.

A good analysis, 18 Jan 2000
This book is a good balance, analysing both the str8 and gay spouse's position as well as that of the children involved. I personally would recommend it to anyone who is going through the struggles involved. Im afraid it doesnt give much hope to those couples who are trying to make it work but has given me much input into what my wife is and has gone through and how I need to keep the channels of communication open both with her and our children.

Offers no hope, 10 Aug 1999
This book is so negative. The main message is that the marriage is doomed and that the straight spouse has to suffer while a dysfunctional bi/gay partner makes up his/her mind about where he wants to go. It also offers all sorts of solutions involving sex arrangements with spouses and gay partners - an anathema to most straight spouses. The book convinced me that I must leave my straight wife, because there was no way I could save my marriage. I went as far as putting our house up for sale and making financial arrangements. Then I realized the book was wrong. Over the years I had lost my ability to think with my heart. I had become depressed and used gay sex for comfort. I am trying to save my marriage, no thanks to the book. The book is useful to those couples who maybe didn't have real love there in the first place.

Original and thought-provoking essays on body image., 21 Dec 2000
A fascinating collection of essays and personal accounts dealing with how lesbian/gay/bisexual and transsexual people see themselves and how the LGBT communities treat people with differing appearences and abilities. This is perhaps the first book to deal specifically with intersexuality (people born without a clear gender) and the controversy over surgical intervention for such people. It is also interesting to read John Stoltenbergs personal history of coping with being overweight and how this affected his politics. Highly recommended.

Learning about the Down Low, 12 Feb 2006
I was engrossed by J L King's book and its revelations about African-American sexual sub-culture. I was particularly struck by the statistic that straight African-American women are 18 times more likely to be HIV positive through sex with their partners than straight American white women. It raises the question of whether same sex encounters between "straight" African-American men are disproportionately high, and, if so, why. The explanation could lie partly in the high number of African-American men in US prisons who become HIV+ and infect their partners on release. However, the statistic also suggests (and it would be interesting to have data on other ethnicities) that the more repressive a majority belief - in this case that homosexuals should fry in hell - the more likely it is to be secretly transgressed. King makes the point that many African-American Christian pastors preach homophobic sermons monthly, and the more virulent they are, the more likely the pastor is to be "on the DL". Hypocrisy and its consequences are ubiquitous, but thanks to King's courageous revelations, they will hopefully have a less disastrous effect on African-American family and community life in the future.

Excellent starting point and reference guide, 10 Jan 2000
Pink Therapy is an excellent introduction to working with clients who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. I would thoroughly recommend it to any therapist who would like to know more about sexuality, sexual identity, coming out and/or gay & lesbian culture. Divided into 13 easy-to-read chapters such as "Toward a model of gay affirmative therapy", "Working with people coming out", "Working with young people", and "Partner abuse", the book provides a fairly comprehensive resource for those with little or no previous experience of working with clients from sexual minorities. I would also recommend this book as one of the only reference guides to be largely written by gay, lesbian and bisexual therapists about gay, lesbian and bisexual clients for (mostly) heterosexual counsellors. Intended primarily for counsellors, Pink Therapy can function as a solid introduction for anyone working in helping relationships with clients from oppressed groups. Counselling Supervision in Context, edited by Michael Carroll and Elizabeth Holloway includes an intelligent chapter specifically about working with sexuality, heterosexism and homophobia in counselling supervision, a subject dealt with only briefly in Pink Therapy.

Enriching therapeutic practice with LGB clients, 09 May 2001
This book represents a valuable contribution to the literature on appropriate, effective and ethical therapeutic practice with lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) clients and, in my view, is the best of the three books in this series produced by Dominic Davies and Charles Neal. Although the book aims to explore the overlap between various models of therapy and LGB-affirmative practice, most contributors explain their theoretical approaches so clearly and concisely that the text also constitutes a useful introduction to these approaches. No longer will practitioners within any of the main theoretical models be able to justify applying their approach to LGB clients in unconsidered, acontextual or pathologising ways on the grounds that their approach cannot accommodate the challenges of LGB sexuality. This book cogently and persuasively demonstrates how this accommodation can be achieved for the benefit of clients and the enrichment of the therapeutic domain.

great bed-time reading for bi boys & girls, 20 Jun 2001
This is one of those books that you just can't put down! An eclectic mix of stories covering many aspects of bisexuality, from first-time experiences (Morning Surprises by Clint Jefferies is worth a special mention), to deep down n' dirty romps like After the Light Changed by the wonderful Carol Queen. Whether you're bi, curious or just fancy something different from the usual erotic stories, there's definately something here for everyone (presuming that everyone else is as dirty as me!)

An ecclectic collection of sexy Bisexual erotica, 22 Dec 2000
I wasn't too sure what to expect when I ordered the book. There's so much rubbish which calls itself erotica, that it's a bit of a hit or miss to what you get. As for Bisexual erotica, the majority tends to fall into the cliche's of mens porn magazines, which are a bit dull. So I was pleasantly surprised to find some really excellent writing, which has stories about men to men, women to women, and everything else in between without pandering solely to the cliche of three in a bed. Some really hot writing.

K

A groundbreaking collection, a new erotic genre is born, 11 Sep 2000
Ever wondered what bisexuals do in bed ? Well you're about to find out. At last ! Unlimited Desires is the first collection of bisexual erotic fiction to be collected under one book cover. Dispelling the myths, cliches and stereotypes of bisexual desire, the 24 stories which make up this anthology, go beyond the tired assumption of three in a bed, hetrosexual voyeurism or the quaint gay/lesbian coming out stories. The collection doesn't skirt around the issue but places bisexual desire, lust, life and lives at centre stage to make the natives either side of the picket fence restless.

Having searched hi and low for a collection of bisexual erotic fiction for the last 10 years, I've finally found something that I can call my own, without having to glue the pages of straight and Gay erotica together. I'm in agreement with Tom Robinson, when he describes the book as " really first rate writing, the collection goes right to the heart of the matter. It carries a social punch even more valuable than its ( considerable ) erotic charge. "

There is something to please everyone regardless how you may identify. The collection includes pieces from over three continents, including some firm favourites such as Carol Queen, Thomas Roche, Marylyn Jaye Lewis, Dan Wolff, and Alice Blue as well as Wayne Bryant, D Franklin, Piglet, Dean Durber, Katherine Park and Jamie Joy Gatto. Three cheers for the boys and girls at BiPress, looking forward to volume two.

A happy Bi Bunny

Rasey

I write this as a straight spouse, 02 Sep 2003
I bought this book just after my husband of 9 years told me he was leaving me and our two children for another man, I had hoped to find answers to my many questions,hope for the future,even a story of mixed orientation marriages that have worked. However while I read many pages thinking "thats just like us", the book, I felt, painted a bleak picture. One chapter, concentrating on the children on gay parents terrified me, told the tale of how the children, while being acepting of their dads sexuality in early childhood, rebelled and suffered metal illness in young adulthood-just what I didn't want to hear! I felt there should have been some stories of hope, because when you are in this situation, sometimes hope is all you have left

The other side of the closet, 07 Jun 2003
When my husband told me that he was gay my world fell apart. This book helped me realise that I was not the only one in the world that this had happened to and that my feelings were not abnormal. It was a life saver to read that other people were in the same situation and had got through it. It is such a relief to find help for me and my children. This book offers help for wives, husbands and partners of gays, lesbians and bisexuals from all different situations. The book offers lots of different thoughts and views by real people without telling you what to think ,feel or do. The book helped me though the pain when I had no one I could go to for help.

a bad book, 11 Oct 2002
As a straight man with a wife who has come out as a lesbian I can recommend anyone in a similar situation NOT to buy this book. The author as a heterosexual woman in the extreme cannot and does not understand the lesbian woman who does not share her pleasure. If a straight man and his lesbian wife want help to come to terms with this and perhaps save a marriage then read Carol Stocks book ¡Married Women Who Love Women¡. The Other Side of the Closet for me was a total waste of money and if this reflects her counseling then those couples have my sympathy.

A good analysis, 18 Jan 2000
This book is a good balance, analysing both the str8 and gay spouse's position as well as that of the children involved. I personally would recommend it to anyone who is going through the struggles involved. Im afraid it doesnt give much hope to those couples who are trying to make it work but has given me much input into what my wife is and has gone through and how I need to keep the channels of communication open both with her and our children.

Offers no hope, 10 Aug 1999
This book is so negative. The main message is that the marriage is doomed and that the straight spouse has to suffer while a dysfunctional bi/gay partner makes up his/her mind about where he wants to go. It also offers all sorts of solutions involving sex arrangements with spouses and gay partners - an anathema to most straight spouses. The book convinced me that I must leave my straight wife, because there was no way I could save my marriage. I went as far as putting our house up for sale and making financial arrangements. Then I realized the book was wrong. Over the years I had lost my ability to think with my heart. I had become depressed and used gay sex for comfort. I am trying to save my marriage, no thanks to the book. The book is useful to those couples who maybe didn't have real love there in the first place.

Original and thought-provoking essays on body image., 21 Dec 2000
A fascinating collection of essays and personal accounts dealing with how lesbian/gay/bisexual and transsexual people see themselves and how the LGBT communities treat people with differing appearences and abilities. This is perhaps the first book to deal specifically with intersexuality (people born without a clear gender) and the controversy over surgical intervention for such people. It is also interesting to read John Stoltenbergs personal history of coping with being overweight and how this affected his politics. Highly recommended.

This is an amazing book!, 07 Sep 1998
I would buy any book that has an essay by sarah schulman in it! However, this book is worth it for many other reasons. Beautifuly written essays, stories, and excerpts from books make Surface Tension a good book to read. I found it moving, thought provoking, and fullfilling. I was not disappointed. All the authors had very different ways at looking at the same thing. One essay (The FeMale Gaze) mentions the popular folkrock band, the Indigo Girls.

This is a great book for women, gay or straight! I couldn't put it down, you won't be disappointed!

Learning about the Down Low, 12 Feb 2006
I was engrossed by J L King's book and its revelations about African-American sexual sub-culture. I was particularly struck by the statistic that straight African-American women are 18 times more likely to be HIV positive through sex with their partners than straight American white women. It raises the question of whether same sex encounters between "straight" African-American men are disproportionately high, and, if so, why. The explanation could lie partly in the high number of African-American men in US prisons who become HIV+ and infect their partners on release. However, the statistic also suggests (and it would be interesting to have data on other ethnicities) that the more repressive a majority belief - in this case that homosexuals should fry in hell - the more likely it is to be secretly transgressed. King makes the point that many African-American Christian pastors preach homophobic sermons monthly, and the more virulent they are, the more likely the pastor is to be "on the DL". Hypocrisy and its consequences are ubiquitous, but thanks to King's courageous revelations, they will hopefully have a less disastrous effect on African-American family and community life in the future.

Excellent starting point and reference guide, 10 Jan 2000
Pink Therapy is an excellent introduction to working with clients who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. I would thoroughly recommend it to any therapist who would like to know more about sexuality, sexual identity, coming out and/or gay & lesbian culture. Divided into 13 easy-to-read chapters such as "Toward a model of gay affirmative therapy", "Working with people coming out", "Working with young people", and "Partner abuse", the book provides a fairly comprehensive resource for those with little or no previous experience of working with clients from sexual minorities. I would also recommend this book as one of the only reference guides to be largely written by gay, lesbian and bisexual therapists about gay, lesbian and bisexual clients for (mostly) heterosexual counsellors. Intended primarily for counsellors, Pink Therapy can function as a solid introduction for anyone working in helping relationships with clients from oppressed groups. Counselling Supervision in Context, edited by Michael Carroll and Elizabeth Holloway includes an intelligent chapter specifically about working with sexuality, heterosexism and homophobia in counselling supervision, a subject dealt with only briefly in Pink Therapy.

Enriching therapeutic practice with LGB clients, 09 May 2001
This book represents a valuable contribution to the literature on appropriate, effective and ethical therapeutic practice with lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) clients and, in my view, is the best of the three books in this series produced by Dominic Davies and Charles Neal. Although the book aims to explore the overlap between various models of therapy and LGB-affirmative practice, most contributors explain their theoretical approaches so clearly and concisely that the text also constitutes a useful introduction to these approaches. No longer will practitioners within any of the main theoretical models be able to justify applying their approach to LGB clients in unconsidered, acontextual or pathologising ways on the grounds that their approach cannot accommodate the challenges of LGB sexuality. This book cogently and persuasively demonstrates how this accommodation can be achieved for the benefit of clients and the enrichment of the therapeutic domain.

great bed-time reading for bi boys & girls, 20 Jun 2001
This is one of those books that you just can't put down! An eclectic mix of stories covering many aspects of bisexuality, from first-time experiences (Morning Surprises by Clint Jefferies is worth a special mention), to deep down n' dirty romps like After the Light Changed by the wonderful Carol Queen. Whether you're bi, curious or just fancy something different from the usual erotic stories, there's definately something here for everyone (presuming that everyone else is as dirty as me!)

An ecclectic collection of sexy Bisexual erotica, 22 Dec 2000
I wasn't too sure what to expect when I ordered the book. There's so much rubbish which calls itself erotica, that it's a bit of a hit or miss to what you get. As for Bisexual erotica, the majority tends to fall into the cliche's of mens porn magazines, which are a bit dull. So I was pleasantly surprised to find some really excellent writing, which has stories about men to men, women to women, and everything else in between without pandering solely to the cliche of three in a bed. Some really hot writing.

K

A groundbreaking collection, a new erotic genre is born, 11 Sep 2000
Ever wondered what bisexuals do in bed ? Well you're about to find out. At last ! Unlimited Desires is the first collection of bisexual erotic fiction to be collected under one book cover. Dispelling the myths, cliches and stereotypes of bisexual desire, the 24 stories which make up this anthology, go beyond the tired assumption of three in a bed, hetrosexual voyeurism or the quaint gay/lesbian coming out stories. The collection doesn't skirt around the issue but places bisexual desire, lust, life and lives at centre stage to make the natives either side of the picket fence restless.

Having searched hi and low for a collection of bisexual erotic fiction for the last 10 years, I've finally found something that I can call my own, without having to glue the pages of straight and Gay erotica together. I'm in agreement with Tom Robinson, when he describes the book as " really first rate writing, the collection goes right to the heart of the matter. It carries a social punch even more valuable than its ( considerable ) erotic charge. "

There is something to please everyone regardless how you may identify. The collection includes pieces from over three continents, including some firm favourites such as Carol Queen, Thomas Roche, Marylyn Jaye Lewis, Dan Wolff, and Alice Blue as well as Wayne Bryant, D Franklin, Piglet, Dean Durber, Katherine Park and Jamie Joy Gatto. Three cheers for the boys and girls at BiPress, looking forward to volume two.

A happy Bi Bunny

Rasey

I write this as a straight spouse, 02 Sep 2003
I bought this book just after my husband of 9 years told me he was leaving me and our two children for another man, I had hoped to find answers to my many questions,hope for the future,even a story of mixed orientation marriages that have worked. However while I read many pages thinking "thats just like us", the book, I felt, painted a bleak picture. One chapter, concentrating on the children on gay parents terrified me, told the tale of how the children, while being acepting of their dads sexuality in early childhood, rebelled and suffered metal illness in young adulthood-just what I didn't want to hear! I felt there should have been some stories of hope, because when you are in this situation, sometimes hope is all you have left

The other side of the closet, 07 Jun 2003
When my husband told me that he was gay my world fell apart. This book helped me realise that I was not the only one in the world that this had happened to and that my feelings were not abnormal. It was a life saver to read that other people were in the same situation and had got through it. It is such a relief to find help for me and my children. This book offers help for wives, husbands and partners of gays, lesbians and bisexuals from all different situations. The book offers lots of different thoughts and views by real people without telling you what to think ,feel or do. The book helped me though the pain when I had no one I could go to for help.

a bad book, 11 Oct 2002
As a straight man with a wife who has come out as a lesbian I can recommend anyone in a similar situation NOT to buy this book. The author as a heterosexual woman in the extreme cannot and does not understand the lesbian woman who does not share her pleasure. If a straight man and his lesbian wife want help to come to terms with this and perhaps save a marriage then read Carol Stocks book ¡Married Women Who Love Women¡. The Other Side of the Closet for me was a total waste of money and if this reflects her counseling then those couples have my sympathy.

A good analysis, 18 Jan 2000
This book is a good balance, analysing both the str8 and gay spouse's position as well as that of the children involved. I personally would recommend it to anyone who is going through the struggles involved. Im afraid it doesnt give much hope to those couples who are trying to make it work but has given me much input into what my wife is and has gone through and how I need to keep the channels of communication open both with her and our children.

Offers no hope, 10 Aug 1999
This book is so negative. The main message is that the marriage is doomed and that the straight spouse has to suffer while a dysfunctional bi/gay partner makes up his/her mind about where he wants to go. It also offers all sorts of solutions involving sex arrangements with spouses and gay partners - an anathema to most straight spouses. The book convinced me that I must leave my straight wife, because there was no way I could save my marriage. I went as far as putting our house up for sale and making financial arrangements. Then I realized the book was wrong. Over the years I had lost my ability to think with my heart. I had become depressed and used gay sex for comfort. I am trying to save my marriage, no thanks to the book. The book is useful to those couples who maybe didn't have real love there in the first place.

Original and thought-provoking essays on body image., 21 Dec 2000
A fascinating collection of essays and personal accounts dealing with how lesbian/gay/bisexual and transsexual people see themselves and how the LGBT communities treat people with differing appearences and abilities. This is perhaps the first book to deal specifically with intersexuality (people born without a clear gender) and the controversy over surgical intervention for such people. It is also interesting to read John Stoltenbergs personal history of coping with being overweight and how this affected his politics. Highly recommended.

This is an amazing book!, 07 Sep 1998
I would buy any book that has an essay by sarah schulman in it! However, this book is worth it for many other reasons. Beautifuly written essays, stories, and excerpts from books make Surface Tension a good book to read. I found it moving, thought provoking, and fullfilling. I was not disappointed. All the authors had very different ways at looking at the same thing. One essay (The FeMale Gaze) mentions the popular folkrock band, the Indigo Girls.

This is a great book for women, gay or straight! I couldn't put it down, you won't be disappointed!

The Best Bi Far, 30 Oct 2001
Simply put this book is a must for anyone nervous about their bisexuality. The first book I read on the subject, back in the days before the information superwhatnot, it is informative, thought provoking and entertaining.

Highly highly recommended

A remarkable moving text which makes my community visible, 21 Jun 1998
The essays compiled in this anthology address the many struggles and contradictions that characterize bisexuality known to anyone who idenitifies as bisexual. As I bisexual woman I was very affected by the poetry and prose of many entries and often found myself re-reading passages multiple times. This text documents the personal experiences of bisexual individuals, indicating to me that I am not alone even though I often feel without a community or place to belong. This text is wonderful read for any individual, regardless of sexual orientation, as it explains the beautiful reality of bisexuality by referencing the lives of a diverse group of bisexual men and women. Its approach to defining bisexuality and explaination of what it means to form a strong bisexual identification in society today is extremely adequate. The editors of this text deserve much praise for developing a resource which discusses the discrimination and exclusion of bisexuals from many communities while simultaneously encouraging those who identify as bisexual to assert themselves with pride and seek alliances in order to form strong, supportive communities.

a great introduction to the bisexual community, 15 Jan 1998
This is a wonderful book. After reading a plethora of gay and lesbian coming-out anthologies, I was so happy to come upon a book that talked about *my* community.
This book also serves as a great introduction to the various schools of thought on this subject. A-plus.

A necessary read for anyone contemplating sexuality, 16 Dec 1997
This book is a necessary read for anyone who has ever questioned, contemplated, or experimented with his or her own sexuality. It dispels many of the myths surrounding bisexuality, and affirms the myriad facets bisexuality contains. The voices in this book are at times angry, touching, warm, joyful, you name it! This book prooves there is no pigeon hole to file sexual behavior away in. However, it also demonstrates the need for a bisexual community that bisexuals can identify with and draw strength from. With the variety of stories told in this book, Bi Any Other Name, affirms that this community does in fact exist. Read it!

The best introduction to bisexuality available., 03 Jan 1997
More than five years after its initial publication, this is still the best introduction to bisexuality available. Hutchins and Ka'ahumanu are two of the women who made the bisexual movement happen. Their insight and access to the community shows in the strength of the essays in this book.

Wayne Bryant
- Author of "Bisexual Characters in Film: from Anais to Zee"

Learning about the Down Low, 12 Feb 2006
I was engrossed by J L King's book and its revelations about African-American sexual sub-culture. I was particularly struck by the statistic that straight African-American women are 18 times more likely to be HIV positive through sex with their partners than straight American white women. It raises the question of whether same sex encounters between "straight" African-American men are disproportionately high, and, if so, why. The explanation could lie partly in the high number of African-American men in US prisons who become HIV+ and infect their partners on release. However, the statistic also suggests (and it would be interesting to have data on other ethnicities) that the more repressive a majority belief - in this case that homosexuals should fry in hell - the more likely it is to be secretly transgressed. King makes the point that many African-American Christian pastors preach homophobic sermons monthly, and the more virulent they are, the more likely the pastor is to be "on the DL". Hypocrisy and its consequences are ubiquitous, but thanks to King's courageous revelations, they will hopefully have a less disastrous effect on African-American family and community life in the future.

Excellent starting point and reference guide, 10 Jan 2000
Pink Therapy is an excellent introduction to working with clients who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. I would thoroughly recommend it to any therapist who would like to know more about sexuality, sexual identity, coming out and/or gay & lesbian culture. Divided into 13 easy-to-read chapters such as "Toward a model of gay affirmative therapy", "Working with people coming out", "Working with young people", and "Partner abuse", the book provides a fairly comprehensive resource for those with little or no previous experience of working with clients from sexual minorities. I would also recommend this book as one of the only reference guides to be largely written by gay, lesbian and bisexual therapists about gay, lesbian and bisexual clients for (mostly) heterosexual counsellors. Intended primarily for counsellors, Pink Therapy can function as a solid introduction for anyone working in helping relationships with clients from oppressed groups. Counselling Supervision in Context, edited by Michael Carroll and Elizabeth Holloway includes an intelligent chapter specifically about working with sexuality, heterosexism and homophobia in counselling supervision, a subject dealt with only briefly in Pink Therapy.

Enriching therapeutic practice with LGB clients, 09 May 2001
This book represents a valuable contribution to the literature on appropriate, effective and ethical therapeutic practice with lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) clients and, in my view, is the best of the three books in this series produced by Dominic Davies and Charles Neal. Although the book aims to explore the overlap between various models of therapy and LGB-affirmative practice, most contributors explain their theoretical approaches so clearly and concisely that the text also constitutes a useful introduction to these approaches. No longer will practitioners within any of the main theoretical models be able to justify applying their approach to LGB clients in unconsidered, acontextual or pathologising ways on the grounds that their approach cannot accommodate the challenges of LGB sexuality. This book cogently and persuasively demonstrates how this accommodation can be achieved for the benefit of clients and the enrichment of the therapeutic domain.

great bed-time reading for bi boys & girls, 20 Jun 2001
This is one of those books that you just can't put down! An eclectic mix of stories covering many aspects of bisexuality, from first-time experiences (Morning Surprises by Clint Jefferies is worth a special mention), to deep down n' dirty romps like After the Light Changed by the wonderful Carol Queen. Whether you're bi, curious or just fancy something different from the usual erotic stories, there's definately something here for everyone (presuming that everyone else is as dirty as me!)

An ecclectic collection of sexy Bisexual erotica, 22 Dec 2000
I wasn't too sure what to expect when I ordered the book. There's so much rubbish which calls itself erotica, that it's a bit of a hit or miss to what you get. As for Bisexual erotica, the majority tends to fall into the cliche's of mens porn magazines, which are a bit dull. So I was pleasantly surprised to find some really excellent writing, which has stories about men to men, women to women, and everything else in between without pandering solely to the cliche of three in a bed. Some really hot writing.

K

A groundbreaking collection, a new erotic genre is born, 11 Sep 2000
Ever wondered what bisexuals do in bed ? Well you're about to find out. At last ! Unlimited Desires is the first collection of bisexual erotic fiction to be collected under one book cover. Dispelling the myths, cliches and stereotypes of bisexual desire, the 24 stories which make up this anthology, go beyond the tired assumption of three in a bed, hetrosexual voyeurism or the quaint gay/lesbian coming out stories. The collection doesn't skirt around the issue but places bisexual desire, lust, life and lives at centre stage to make the natives either side of the picket fence restless.

Having searched hi and low for a collection of bisexual erotic fiction for the last 10 years, I've finally found something that I can call my own, without having to glue the pages of straight and Gay erotica together. I'm in agreement with Tom Robinson, when he describes the book as " really first rate writing, the collection goes right to the heart of the matter. It carries a social punch even more valuable than its ( considerable ) erotic charge. "

There is something to please everyone regardless how you may identify. The collection includes pieces from over three continents, including some firm favourites such as Carol Queen, Thomas Roche, Marylyn Jaye Lewis, Dan Wolff, and Alice Blue as well as Wayne Bryant, D Franklin, Piglet, Dean Durber, Katherine Park and Jamie Joy Gatto. Three cheers for the boys and girls at BiPress, looking forward to volume two.

A happy Bi Bunny

Rasey

I write this as a straight spouse, 02 Sep 2003
I bought this book just after my husband of 9 years told me he was leaving me and our two children for another man, I had hoped to find answers to my many questions,hope for the future,even a story of mixed orientation marriages that have worked. However while I read many pages thinking "thats just like us", the book, I felt, painted a bleak picture. One chapter, concentrating on the children on gay parents terrified me, told the tale of how the children, while being acepting of their dads sexuality in early childhood, rebelled and suffered metal illness in young adulthood-just what I didn't want to hear! I felt there should have been some stories of hope, because when you are in this situation, sometimes hope is all you have left

The other side of the closet, 07 Jun 2003
When my husband told me that he was gay my world fell apart. This book helped me realise that I was not the only one in the world that this had happened to and that my feelings were not abnormal. It was a life saver to read that other people were in the same situation and had got through it. It is such a relief to find help for me and my children. This book offers help for wives, husbands and partners of gays, lesbians and bisexuals from all different situations. The book offers lots of different thoughts and views by real people without telling you what to think ,feel or do. The book helped me though the pain when I had no one I could go to for help.

a bad book, 11 Oct 2002
As a straight man with a wife who has come out as a lesbian I can recommend anyone in a similar situation NOT to buy this book. The author as a heterosexual woman in the extreme cannot and does not understand the lesbian woman who does not share her pleasure. If a straight man and his lesbian wife want help to come to terms with this and perhaps save a marriage then read Carol Stocks book ¡Married Women Who Love Women¡. The Other Side of the Closet for me was a total waste of money and if this reflects her counseling then those couples have my sympathy.

A good analysis, 18 Jan 2000
This book is a good balance, analysing both the str8 and gay spouse's position as well as that of the children involved. I personally would recommend it to anyone who is going through the struggles involved. Im afraid it doesnt give much hope to those couples who are trying to make it work but has given me much input into what my wife is and has gone through and how I need to keep the channels of communication open both with her and our children.

Offers no hope, 10 Aug 1999
This book is so negative. The main message is that the marriage is doomed and that the straight spouse has to suffer while a dysfunctional bi/gay partner makes up his/her mind about where he wants to go. It also offers all sorts of solutions involving sex arrangements with spouses and gay partners - an anathema to most straight spouses. The book convinced me that I must leave my straight wife, because there was no way I could save my marriage. I went as far as putting our house up for sale and making financial arrangements. Then I realized the book was wrong. Over the years I had lost my ability to think with my heart. I had become depressed and used gay sex for comfort. I am trying to save my marriage, no thanks to the book. The book is useful to those couples who maybe didn't have real love there in the first place.

Original and thought-provoking essays on body image., 21 Dec 2000
A fascinating collection of essays and personal accounts dealing with how lesbian/gay/bisexual and transsexual people see themselves and how the LGBT communities treat people with differing appearences and abilities. This is perhaps the first book to deal specifically with intersexuality (people born without a clear gender) and the controversy over surgical intervention for such people. It is also interesting to read John Stoltenbergs personal history of coping with being overweight and how this affected his politics. Highly recommended.

This is an amazing book!, 07 Sep 1998
I would buy any book that has an essay by sarah schulman in it! However, this book is worth it for many other reasons. Beautifuly written essays, stories, and excerpts from books make Surface Tension a good book to read. I found it moving, thought provoking, and fullfilling. I was not disappointed. All the authors had very different ways at looking at the same thing. One essay (The FeMale Gaze) mentions the popular folkrock band, the Indigo Girls.

This is a great book for women, gay or straight! I couldn't put it down, you won't be disappointed!

The Best Bi Far, 30 Oct 2001
Simply put this book is a must for anyone nervous about their bisexuality. The first book I read on the subject, back in the days before the information superwhatnot, it is informative, thought provoking and entertaining.

Highly highly recommended

A remarkable moving text which makes my community visible, 21 Jun 1998
The essays compiled in this anthology address the many struggles and contradictions that characterize bisexuality known to anyone who idenitifies as bisexual. As I bisexual woman I was very affected by the poetry and prose of many entries and often found myself re-reading passages multiple times. This text documents the personal experiences of bisexual individuals, indicating to me that I am not alone even though I often feel without a community or place to belong. This text is wonderful read for any individual, regardless of sexual orientation, as it explains the beautiful reality of bisexuality by referencing the lives of a diverse group of bisexual men and women. Its approach to defining bisexuality and explaination of what it means to form a strong bisexual identification in society today is extremely adequate. The editors of this text deserve much praise for developing a resource which discusses the discrimination and exclusion of bisexuals from many communities while simultaneously encouraging those who identify as bisexual to assert themselves with pride and seek alliances in order to form strong, supportive communities.

a great introduction to the bisexual community, 15 Jan 1998
This is a wonderful book. After reading a plethora of gay and lesbian coming-out anthologies, I was so happy to come upon a book that talked about *my* community.
This book also serves as a great introduction to the various schools of thought on this subject. A-plus.

A necessary read for anyone contemplating sexuality, 16 Dec 1997
This book is a necessary read for anyone who has ever questioned, contemplated, or experimented with his or her own sexuality. It dispels many of the myths surrounding bisexuality, and affirms the myriad facets bisexuality contains. The voices in this book are at times angry, touching, warm, joyful, you name it! This book prooves there is no pigeon hole to file sexual behavior away in. However, it also demonstrates the need for a bisexual community that bisexuals can identify with and draw strength from. With the variety of stories told in this book, Bi Any Other Name, affirms that this community does in fact exist. Read it!

The best introduction to bisexuality available., 03 Jan 1997
More than five years after its initial publication, this is still the best introduction to bisexuality available. Hutchins and Ka'ahumanu are two of the women who made the bisexual movement happen. Their insight and access to the community shows in the strength of the essays in this book.

Wayne Bryant
- Author of "Bisexual Characters in Film: from Anais to Zee"

Essential reading for practitioners and trainees., 14 Jul 2000
This book takes the reader inside the multiple worlds of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and examines the different kinds of 'problems in living' that can confront counsellors working with clients from these groups. the book is humanisctis, in the broad sense of representing and reinfor