Coming to terms with your child being gay

There are lots of questions you can ask your kid to gauge what kind of support they need right now. If your child comes out to you, how you react matters. Are they ready to come out to anyone else in your family, or do they want to keep this between the two of you right now?

If your child comes out to you, or a friend’s child comes out to them, there are plenty of things you can do (and some things you should definitely not do) to best support your child. If you do nothing else, tell your kid you love them.

What should you do?. If you child comes out as asexual, biromantic, and gender expansive, take the opportunity to learn more! Do they feel comfortable being out at school, or is there a bullying situation that needs to be addressed?

Thank them for being vulnerable and trusting you with this information, and assure them that they are safe and loved. Follow her on Twitter gracemanger. Unfortunately, LGBTQ youth are at an increased risk for various physical and mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, and drug and alcohol abuse.

We aim to educate parents so they can, in turn, provide their child with the care, support, and validation they need to thrive. To accept that your child is homosexual or bisexual, the first and most important thing is to make sure your child knows that you love them.

Instead, you can respectfully ask them about this journey, and learn a little something new about your kid in the process. Instead, be proud that you have an introspective and inquisitive kid who is capable of opening themselves up to new truths as they grow!

Though the risk of rejection may be less if your parents also identify as LGBTQ, the potential is still there. My Kid Is Gay is a website dedicated to supporting parents, families, and teachers of LGBTQIA young people by answering their questions and providing resources and education around queer and trans issues.

If your family is religious, chances are your kid is already carrying some shame and conflict between their identity and their religious upbringing. Your child has probably come to terms with their sexual orientation or gender identity and felt comfortable enough about it to ‘come out’ to you.

We know that it can be tough on a parent when their child comes out. Our society has successfully crafted many powerful stereotypes around what LGBTQ people look like, talk like, or are interested in. Yes, they may roll their eyes or hide under a blanket, but trust me: they need to hear you say these words.

We turned to experts to learn more about what to say and how to offer support to your LGBTQ+ kid. Prove them wrong by learning about the world of LGBTQ religious followers and leaders who welcome people with all different sexualities and gender identities.

Support organizations that are working to make the world a better place for your kid and other kids like them. Now it’s your turn to deal with this in the best way that you can. LGBTQ terminology and understanding of identities is always evolving.

Remember that coming out is a process and should entail more than one conversation. To answer these questions, we chatted with Marea Goodman, midwife and founder of PregnantTogether.

My child came out

You can also sign up for Coming Out with Careour free e-care package for parents of newly-out LGBTQ kids, which contains a welcome video from our founder, Kristin Russo, answers to all your most pressing questions, a free excerpt from This Is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids, a guided journaling page, a self-care music playlist, and more!

Trust me, you cannot say these words enough right now. This is a big deal for you, too, and finding support for yourself will equip you with the tools and knowledge to better support your kid. Even the out, queer family on the block needs resources and support sometimes.

Coming out to your parents is usually a pretty monumental moment for most LGBTQ people. However, we also know that LGBTQ kids who are supported by their families and communities are more likely to have physical and mental health outcomes on par with their straight and cisgender peers, which is exactly where our work comes in!

Even years after coming out, LGBTQ parents often still experience these challenges, like when their own children come out or someone they know comes out to them. Your child has just come out to you as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.

Focus on being non-judgmental and calm instead of accusatory, and let them know you’re proud of them for trusting you enough to tell you. Despite all the progress our world seems to have made in recent years and decades around LGBTQ rights and equality, coming out can still be an intensely emotional and personal experience for many.