The Kid

Dan Savage's The Kid chronicles his experience adopting a child with his partner Terry in the late 1990s. The memoir follows their journey through the open adoption process as a gay couple, documenting each step from initial decision through completion. Savage details the complex web of emotions, paperwork, and preparations involved in adopting a child. The narrative includes his interactions with birth mothers, social workers, and family members, while highlighting the unique challenges faced by same-sex couples seeking to adopt. The book captures the intricate realities of the American adoption system and the evolution of two men preparing for parenthood. Their story became the basis for an Off-Broadway musical and attracted interest from Hollywood for television adaptation. The memoir examines broader themes of family, identity, and the changing definition of parenthood in American society. Through their personal story, the book explores how traditional notions of family structure continue to evolve.

Readers describe this as an honest, raw account of the open adoption process. The conversational writing style and humor make it feel like listening to a friend tell their story. Readers appreciated: - Clear details about navigating adoption as gay parents - The candid portrayal of anxieties and setbacks - Balanced perspective on birth mother relationships - Humor mixed with emotional moments Common criticisms: - Too many tangential stories and meandering passages - Some found Savage's tone smug or self-centered - Occasional insensitive comments about birth mothers - Several readers wanted more focus on the child Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (115 ratings) "A refreshingly unvarnished look at adoption" - Goodreads reviewer "Could have been shorter without losing impact" - Amazon reviewer "His humor sometimes undermines serious moments" - LibraryThing reviewer

And Tango Makes Three by Jerry Mahoney A single gay man's memoir of becoming a father through surrogacy provides insights into the legal, emotional, and practical challenges of creating a modern family.

Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight? by Dan Bucatinsky A television writer chronicles his path to parenthood through adoption as a gay father, detailing the complexities of the adoption process and early parenting experiences.

The Family of Five by Jennifer Grant A mother shares her family's international adoption journey, focusing on the bureaucratic process and cultural transitions involved in adopting from Guatemala.

Love Makes a Family by Zach Wahls The son of lesbian parents describes growing up in Iowa and his experiences advocating for LGBTQ+ families in front of the state legislature.

An Unexpected Life by Andrew Solomon A journalist explores diverse family structures through interviews with parents and children who have navigated adoption, surrogacy, and non-traditional family formation.

🌟 The book was adapted into a musical called "The Kid: The Musical" which premiered off-Broadway in 2010 at The New Group theater in New York City. 🌟 Dan Savage is also the creator of the "It Gets Better Project," a viral video campaign launched in 2010 to combat LGBTQ+ youth suicide. 🌟 The memoir was published in 1999, just two years after New Jersey became the first state to explicitly allow same-sex couples to adopt jointly. 🌟 The author wrote the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column "Savage Love" for over 30 years, which began in 1991 in Seattle's The Stranger newspaper. 🌟 In the years since The Kid was published, same-sex parent adoption has increased by over 300%, with an estimated 114,000+ same-sex couples raising children in the United States today.