Eric Rosswood

My Uncle’s Wedding is a children's picture book about marriage equality. The main character is a boy named Andy who finds out that his uncle, Mike, is going to marry his long-term boyfriend, Steve. In the book, Andy talks about his uncle's wedding, how it affects him, and the things he gets to do in preparation for the ceremony. Tracy K. Greene created illustrations and the author is credited as Eric Ross instead of Eric Rosswood because he wrote and published the book prior to getting married and changing his last name.

Rosswood stated he intentionally left the word "gay" out of the book because the story was about a wedding, not a "gay wedding."[1] My Uncle’s Wedding was praised by Marriage Equality USA[2] and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. During the official book release, California Senator Mark Leno presented Rosswood with a Senate Certificate of Recognition for My Uncle's Wedding, stating the book's "vital role in creating a brighter future."[3]

In various interviews, Rosswood explained that the reason he wrote My Uncle’s Wedding was because he didn't like how opponents of marriage equality would always use kids for political gain, so he decided to write about the topic from a child's perspective.[4]

While the book was typically well received, the anti-LGBT group National Organization for Marriage (NOM) was quick to condemn it.[5]

While trying to expand his own family, Rosswood realized there was a lack of resources available to help same-sex couples compare paths to parenthood. He wrote Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood to help same-sex couples start their own families.[6] The book compares adoption, foster care, assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and co-parenting to help LGBTQ people decide which path is right for them. It includes 19 real life stories from parents around the world, including the United States, the UK, Ireland, and South Africa.[7] One of the stories was written by a serodiscordant couple, and it is believed that Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood is the first book that gives an example for how a gay couple can have children when one of the prospective parents is HIV-positive.[8]

The book also includes legal tips and advice contributed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Actress Melissa Gilbert wrote the foreword and Charlie Condou wrote the introduction.

Rosswood's third book, The Ultimate Guide for Gay Dads, covers general parenting information, but instead of topics focusing on mothers, it highlights information relevant to gay dads. The book includes parenting tips and advice from pediatricians, school educators, lawyers, and other gay parents. The foreword was written by Golden Globe nominated writer, director, and producer Greg Berlanti, best known for his work as executive producer and co-creator of The CW’s Arrow.[6] The audiobook is narrated by Paul Michael Garcia.[9] The book became the #1 New Release in the Adoption category on Amazon.[10] The book received positive responses from Shawn Moore, Board Member for the Modern Family Alliance, and Stan J. Sloan, CEO for The Family Equality Council.[11] The Washington Blade called it a "generous resource."[12]

In 2018, Rosswood partnered with Kathleen Archambeau to write We Make It Better: The LGBTQ Community and their Positive Contributions to Society.[13][14] The book is split into ten sections: activism, business, dance, film & television, government and military, music, religion, science, sports, and literature. It features many biographies, including Oscar Wilde, Emma González, Bayard Rustin, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, Leonard Matlovich, Johanna Siguroardottir, and Tim Cook.[15] Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, stated, "This book is sure to empower the next generation of LGBTQ youth to find their passions and transform the world."[16]

Rosswood collaborated with American strongman Rob Kearney to write Strong, a children's book that tells Kearney's life as a gay strength athlete who learned to embrace his authentic self. The book is illustrated by Nidhi Chanani. Rosswood said that a book like Strong was needed when there were few LGBTQ+ role models in children's literature, especially in light of the recent "don't say gay" bill in Florida.[17] The book was released on May 10, 2022.[18][19] At a book signing in Pleasantville, New York, President Bill Clinton happened to come into the bookshop during the event. He called Rosswood's work "inspiring", further stating stories like Strong could "change the world."[20] Publishers Weekly ran a photo of the two photographed together with Rosswood holding his book.[20] Rosswood stated:

There are very few LGBTQ+ role models in children's literature and I think that needs to change. When I heard Rob's story, I thought this is something kids need to know about. They need to see openly queer people thriving and succeeding in life. Because when a young person sees another person like them achieving greatness, they think to themselves, I can do that too. And that's how we create positive change.[21]