My boy is not so glad to be gay | Life and style | The Guardian

Contents:

• THIS IS HOW I FELT WHEN MY SON TOLD ME HE WAS GAY
• IS MY SON GAY OR IS A PHASE?
• MY SON MIGHT BE GAY. WHAT SHOULD I SAY TO HIM?
• I NNOT AL WH FACT MY SON IS GAY
• HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SON IS GAY
• IS YOUR CHILD GAY?
• MY BOY IS NOT SO GLAD TO BE GAY

THIS IS HOW I FELT WHEN MY SON TOLD ME HE WAS GAY

For straight parents, havg a child reveal that he is gay n be a jolt. You might ask how long he or she has known, and why he feels he is gay, bi, or trans, suggts Jonathan Tobk, M.D., a psychiatrist private practice New York Cy and the -thor of When Your Child Is Gay: What You Need to Know. You n fd one through the Associatn of Gay and Lbian Psychiatrists.

Take the extra step and show your child that you are terted beg the parent of a gay child.

IS MY SON GAY OR IS A PHASE?

Edute yourself on what means to be gay, lbian, bisexual or transgenr. PFLAG, or Parents for Lbians and Gays, which now has a group for transgenr youth, and holds natnwi chapters and meetgs;.

As I relayed When Your Child Is Gay: What You Need To Know (Sterlg, 2016), I found out that my son was gay om a note wh our son's name entwed wh another boy's, surround by a heart.

MY SON MIGHT BE GAY. WHAT SHOULD I SAY TO HIM?

I had spected at tim that he was gay. Had I asked him if he were gay when he was 13, he probably would have fensively said "No! San Berland, the mother of a gay son who ach parents of LGBTQ kids, utn, "It's not a good ia to ask.

I NNOT AL WH FACT MY SON IS GAY

Acrdg to my -thor, psychiatrist Jonathan Tobk, "Gay children feel credibly vulnerable when g out to their parents, and tak time to work up the urage to do this. Mol acceptance by not g gay slurs and never tellg gay jok. Watch gay-themed shows together such as "The Fosters" and "Will and Grace.

" How do they pict gay people? React kdly to gay people the news or on televisn.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SON IS GAY

In a way, you have an advantage by not knowg; giv you more time to prepare for the day (if ever) when he do reveal he's gay.

If you’d like to jo the Fom, drop a le at do feel like to fd out that your son is gay? So my 19-year-old son told me he is gay last night. He don’t “act gay, ” but ’s not a huge leap to image him beg still put me to shock.

IS YOUR CHILD GAY?

”“Don’t get stuck on thkg about the mechanics of gay sex. Bee I’m obvly the person who is gog to have trouble unrstandg that he’s gay. My 17-year-old son and I got to a b of a heated argument this weekend and the midst of my son said he's gay.

My hband says that he has always thought that our son is gay and that if he's gay, he's gay. There are no other gays our fay as far as I know.

It is highly unlikely that your son told you that he is gay simply to upset you. Gay kids often tell their parents about their sexualy the middle of a fight bee they feel that they have nothg left to lose sce you are already upset wh them. It is probably more likely that he has known that he is gay for some time.

MY BOY IS NOT SO GLAD TO BE GAY

I suggt that you and your hband talk to your son durg a lm moment and ask him how he is pg wh beg a gay teen.

Also, please keep md that gay teens need the opportuny to talk to their parents about relatnship issu jt as straight kids do. The nversatn wh gay teens do not end after an acceptance of their sexual choic. Dave, I have a 17-year-old son, and I am fairly sure he is gay.

I psed on our lol PBS affiliate, where a huge choir was sgg, and after a few sends I realized was the Gay Men's Chos of some cy or another dog a fundraisg ncert. At this time my life, I was 99 percent certa I was gay, though nowhere near ready to sprg on my parents.