Just a Mom

At the end of her first book (Love, Ellen: A Mother/Daughter Journey), the mother of comedian Ellen DeGeneres invited readers to send her questions, comments and letters. This much slimmer volume collects that correspondence and offers DeGeneres senior, the spokeswoman for the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming-Out Day Project, a chance to issue nurturing, practical advice and affirmations, and to gently dismantle myths, stereotypes and fears. Never at a loss for a book to recommend, a Web site to visit or an organization to join, DeGeneres is for many gay people an ideal mother. But parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals will probably benefit most from her ""straight talk"" on coming out, antigay legislation, homophobia, teen suicides and ""real"" family values. As a peer, DeGeneres is able to address issues, concerns and questions that parents face when their children come out. But DeGeneres is not all soft sound bites. Comparing discrimination now to 22 years ago, when her comedian/actress daughter came out to her, she finds that ""today the prejudice is meaner, nastierDa vindictiveness rooted in hatred, not ignorance. It's hard to believe that most of this homophobic venom emanates from churches."" The book's chatty style and loose structure makes for easy digestion in short intervals, although some readers may be miffed by the now outdated references to Ellen's former partner, Anne Heche. (N0v.)