When my son told he was gay, I wanted to protect him om the meanns of the world, but I also uldn’t image askg him to hi who he really is.
Contents:
- YOUR CHILD JT TOLD YOU HE'S GAY. NOW WHAT?
- WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD SAYS: "I'M GAY"
- RPONDG TO ADULT CHILD WHO SAYS HE’S GAY
- OUR SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SON TOLD HE WAS GAY
- 5 POWERFUL THGS YOU CAN DO IF YOUR CHILD TELLS YOU, "I'M GAY."
- RPONDG TO TEEN CHILD WHO SAYS HE’S GAY
- HOW TO ACCEPT THAT YOUR CHILD IS GAY, LBIAN OR BISEXUAL
YOUR CHILD JT TOLD YOU HE'S GAY. NOW WHAT?
* when your son tells you he is 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.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD SAYS: "I'M GAY"
Fdg out your child is gay n lead to a flood of emotns. Yet, the first five mut of your rponse are cril to your child. Learn what to do. * when your son tells you he is gay *
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;.
RPONDG TO ADULT CHILD WHO SAYS HE’S GAY
Lovg unndnally don’t mean lovg whout ncern. Get to the heart of your teen sayg that he's gay — and offer God's tth. * when your son tells you he is gay *
When parents learn that their child is gay, lbian, bisexual, or transgenr, they n experience a range of emotns.
As a matter of fact, you might someday look back and fd that you are grateful for the experience of havg a gay or lbian child. Well, my study of 65 fai of gay and lbian youth for the book, Comg Out, Comg Home: Helpg Fai Adjt to a Gay or Lbian Child, I found that some parents get to the pot where they believe that the experience of havg a gay child actually ma them a better person—more open-md and sensive to the needs of others, particularly those other mory groups.
If you jt found out your child is gay, lbian, bisexual, or transgenr, you may be thkg that such ias are prepostero. The tstworthy nfidants let them vent but also rrected some of the misperceptns they absorbed om society, such as that gay people are lonely, unhappy, promiscuo, not fay-oriented, unable to have children, or sted for an unhappy life.
OUR SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SON TOLD HE WAS GAY
Contact Parents, Fay, and Friends of Lbians and Gays (PFLAG).
List of Helpful Books for Parents of Gay and Lbian Children. Straight Parents Gay Children: Keepg Fai Together (revised edn).
5 POWERFUL THGS YOU CAN DO IF YOUR CHILD TELLS YOU, "I'M GAY."
Beyond Acceptance: Parents of Lbians, and Gays Talk About Their Experienc. Somethg to Tell You: The Road Fai Travel when a Child is Gay. Comg Out, Comg Home: Helpg Fai Adjt to a Gay or Lbian Child.
Fortunate Fai: Catholic fai wh lbian dghters and gay sons.
RPONDG TO TEEN CHILD WHO SAYS HE’S GAY
Mom, Dad, I'm Gay: How Fai Negotiate Comg Out.
Don’t be surprised if you feel shaken or pelled to qutn or exame your own beliefs on the subject of homosexualy the light of this experience.
HOW TO ACCEPT THAT YOUR CHILD IS GAY, LBIAN OR BISEXUAL
What led you to believe that you might be gay? There’s no absolute need to foreclose on a label for yourself by llg yourself ‘gay, ’ ‘bi, ’ ‘trans, ’ or anythg else. After all, many people have felt same-sex attractns whout adoptg the ‘gay’ label.
This means enuragg your son to talk openly about the feelgs, wants, hop, and fears he’s gog through whout assigng them to any specific tegory (“gay” or “straight”).