Your Child Jt Told You He's Gay. Now What? | Psychology Today

Contents:

• WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD SAYS: "I'M GAY"
• MY SON MIGHT BE GAY. WHAT SHOULD I SAY TO HIM?
• HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR GAY CHILD
• 7 TIPS FOR TALKG TO YOUR GAY SON ABOUT PREP
• I NNOT AL WH FACT MY SON IS GAY
• HOW TO TALK TO YOUR CHILD WHO IS QUTNG OR INTIFI AS LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR, QUEER OR ASEXUAL (LGBTQA)
• YOUR CHILD JT TOLD YOU HE'S GAY. NOW WHAT?
• THE NEW NORMAL: HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT GAY PARENTS, BY A GAY DAD
• HOW TO TALK ABOUT BEG GAY

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD SAYS: "I'M GAY"

When parents learn that their child is gay, lbian, bisexual, or transgenr, they n experience a range of emotns.

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

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.

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR GAY 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.

7 TIPS FOR TALKG TO YOUR GAY SON ABOUT PREP

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. Contact Parents, Fay, and Friends of Lbians and Gays (PFLAG).

I NNOT AL WH FACT MY SON IS GAY

List of Helpful Books for Parents of Gay and Lbian Children.

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR CHILD WHO IS QUTNG OR INTIFI AS LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR, QUEER OR ASEXUAL (LGBTQA)

Straight Parents Gay Children: Keepg Fai Together (revised edn).

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. Mom, Dad, I'm Gay: How Fai Negotiate Comg Out.

YOUR CHILD JT TOLD YOU HE'S GAY. NOW WHAT?

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.

We had no gay people our liv back then, no way to gge my fay's level of tolerance. We had no gay people our liv back then, no way to gge my fay's level of watched as they livered a rendn of what I remember as "Somewhere Over the Rabow, " bee eher they or my memory are unfivably basic. Stirrg and brave and subversive, g as did a time before marriage equaly was on the map, a time when you only saw gay people on the news.

THE NEW NORMAL: HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT GAY PARENTS, BY A GAY DAD

Good on you for not pot-blank askg your son whether he's gay.

HOW TO TALK ABOUT BEG GAY

It means one simple, pable thg: Once you have told your dad you're gay, there is no gog back.

Right now, he has to be secretive, not bee he's gay, but bee he's 17. I'd love to say that you should do a big, showy "Hey, I sure do like those gay people" at the dner table.

I wish were as simple and CBS-smy as ve the gay guy om work to fay bowlg night. It’s no different for parents of LGBTQ (Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, and Queer) children.