Summary Of Radical Relations By Daniel Rivers

In his book, “Radical Relations: Lesbian Mothers, Gay Fathers, and Their Children in the United States since World War II,” historian Daniel Rivers explains the history of gay fathers, lesbian mothers and their children in the U.S. By documenting this history, Rivers develops a comprehensive understanding of the diversity of American families and throws light on the struggles of gay and lesbian parents. In this book, Rivers also showcases how these parents challenge stereotypes and myths about their community.

Rivers’ book explores the history of homosexual parents and their families in the USA post the Second World War. Homosexuality was not only classified as a mental illness for most of the 20th century, but was also illegal. Gay and lesbian parents had to hide their sexual identity out of fear of legal and societal consequences, such as termination from their jobs, isolation from friends and family, violence and even imprisonment. For homosexual parents, exposure translated into sure loss of their children’s custody and visitation rights.
Lesbian mothers who left such marriages were able to keep custody of their children by hiding their sexual identity and moving into secret underground communities. The main objective of these communities was to protect families from exposure and harassment.

By the 1970s and early 1980s, movements for gay rights had gained momentum, along with many other social movements demanding equal rights for oppressed groups. Homosexual parents became politically active during this era, and organized themselves to campaign for rights and legal protection. While gay parents still lived in constant fear of losing custody of their children, these legal battles catalyzed political action and community