Natalie Perry

Dad #1, Dad #2 Natalie Perry

When Natalie was twelve years old, her life changed dramatically. After a difficult year with multiple deaths in the family, she was sitting at the kitchen table for another family meeting. "I'm gay," her dad declared. He moved out the next day.

Today there is a lot of talk about gay families, but twenty years ago in Boise, Idaho, the climate was different. Natalie's dad is a former Chief Judge of the Idaho State Court of Appeals. He would have lost his job if he'd come out publicly. So, for twenty years Natalie lived in a closeted gay family.

Dad #1, Dad #2 is the first memoir written by a child growing up in a closeted LGBTQ family and chronicles the highs and lows of growing up with gay dads in one of the most conservative states in the country. While Natalie's family kept their secret for two decades, they have now all agreed to share their story. They hope this book starts conversations about how to accept families some still do not understand.