'Return the key': the parents who reject their gay children | Society | The Guardian

Contents:

• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH MAJOR U.S. PRO LEAGUE TO E OUT AS GAY
• I TRIED TO STOP MY SON FROM BEG GAY. I WISH I HADN'T
• 'RETURN THE KEY': THE PARENTS WHO REJECT THEIR GAY CHILDREN
• LETTERS TO THE EDOR: I’M GAY AND DON’T WANT TO PATRONIZE BIGOTS. THANKS, SUPREME COURT
• PARENTS OF GAY CHILDREN AND THE ISSU THEY FACE
• GAY AND CAN'T FD A PARTNER?

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH MAJOR U.S. PRO LEAGUE TO E OUT AS GAY

Michael Sam beme the first openly gay player to be drafted when the then-St. He had been anonymo until Wednday's his openg statement, Ziegler emphasized that he is a gay man and a registered Democrat who has been acced of betrayg his party.

By now u probably have an ia of what i am about to I am gayRyan: i n’t believe i jt told youMom: Are you jokg? Ryan: i know i amRyan: i don’t like hannahRyan: ’s jt a ver-upMom: but that don’t make you gay…Ryan: i knowRyan: but u don’t unrstandRyan: i am gayMom: tell me moreRyan: ’s jt the way i am and ’s somethg i knowRyan: u r not a lbian and u know that.

Ryan: i am jt gayRyan: i am thatMom: I love you no matter whatRyan: i am whe not blackRyan: i knowRyan: i am a boy not a girlRyan: i am attracted to boys not girlsRyan: u know that about yourself and i know thisMom: what about what God thks about actg on the sir? Not that we didn’t know and love gay people — my only brother had e out to several years before, and we adored him. I tried to pray the gay away wh my teenage son.

I TRIED TO STOP MY SON FROM BEG GAY. I WISH I HADN'T

The feelgs you’ve had for other guys don’t make you gay.

So please don’t tell anyone that you ARE gay.

'RETURN THE KEY': THE PARENTS WHO REJECT THEIR GAY CHILDREN

Your inty is not that you are gay — is that you are a child of love you.

He read all the Christian books that explaed where his gay feelgs me om and dove to unselg to further disver the orig of his unwanted attractn to other guys.

And we lost the abily to love our gay son, bee we no longer had a gay son. What we had wished, prayed and hoped for — that we would not have a gay son — me te. But not at all the way we had, when I thk back on the fear that erned all my reactns durg those first six years after Ryan told he was gay, I crge as I realize how foolish I was.

LETTERS TO THE EDOR: I’M GAY AND DON’T WANT TO PATRONIZE BIGOTS. THANKS, SUPREME COURT

Now, whenever Rob and I jo our gay iends for an eveng, I thk about how much I would love to be visg wh Ryan and his partner over dner. That’s how I feel’The armageddon refers to his mum’s strong Jehovah’s Wns beliefs about the sfulns of homosexualy. ’”Chris, sadly, isn’t alone his story of parental fa of equalyAt the time I terviewed him, a Brazilian mother who killed her teenage son for beg gay is sentenced to 25 years prison.

Celebry stori of heartbreakg parental rejectn are also November, the Amerin thor and producer Robyn Crawford released a book nfirmg she had had a romantic relatnship wh Whney Hoton – but had to abandon out of fear of the repercsns om Hoton’s by Oprah Wey if would have bothered her if her dghter was gay, Cissy Hoton said “Absolutely. “She even worked Brisbane’s gay bar, ” Chris says. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angel Tim) To the edor: I wonr if the LGBTQ+ muny realiz that the Supreme Court lg favor of a webse signer who didn’t want to create weddg s for gay upl n work our favor as well.

(“How the ripple effect of the Supreme Court’s 303 Creative cisn uld swamp civil rights, ” Opn, July 12)As a gay man, I am always ncerned if the bs where I spend my money are supportive of my muny. Parents of gay children may be shocked when their kids e out of the closet, but once the dt settl, most parents realize that their child is the same one they have loved and red for all their liv, they jt happen to be gay.

PARENTS OF GAY CHILDREN AND THE ISSU THEY FACE

And while parental acceptance is one hurdle for a gay child, there are many other issu facg gay kids and their parents. Issu for parents of gay kids as intified by Parents, Fai and Friends of Lbians and Gays (PFLAG), clu:1.

Fay acceptance – n the rt of the fay accept the gay child as the parents of the gay child has. Hate crim preventn – workg to prevent gay bashg and other forms of hate crim agast gay kids. Health – addrsg the health ncerns of gay kids as they e to adulthood.

GAY AND CAN'T FD A PARTNER?

Relatnship regnn – workg to achieve equal rights and regnn for gay relatnships as for heterosexual relatnships. Safe schools – parents of gay children ensurg a safe learng environment. Workplace fairns – supportg the gay child and any issu they face when enterg the workforce.

Parentg a Gay Child – Signs of a Gay Child.