Ruby Swanson's life changed when her sixteen-year-old son walked to her office, closed the door, and with his hand still on the doorknob said, I'm gay. Despite her initial reaction of shock, fear, and denial, Ruby became a public advocate for equality and acceptance of the LGBT community. A Family Outing is the story of Ruby's experiences: operating spotlights at a drag queen show, and marching in Pride Parades. She addresses the deeply homophobic time in which baby boomers grew up, the emergence of the gay rights movement, and how the AIDS epidemic transformed the LGBT landscape.