What to Do When Your Child Says: "I'm Gay" | Psychology Today

Contents:

• WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD SAYS: "I'M GAY"
• IS YOUR DAD GAY—OR ARE YOU A GAY DAD?
• MANY PARENTS STGGLE TO ADJT AFTER LEARNG CHILD IS GAY, STUDY FDS
• ASK THE EXPERT: "HELP, I’M SRED TO TELL MY MOM I’M GAY!"
• “MOM, DAD… I’M GAY.” A CHRISTIAN PARENT’S RPONSE
• GAY PARENTS RAISG KIDS: HOW WILL THEY FARE?
• SCIENTISTS MAY HAVE FALLY UNLOCKED PUZZLE OF WHY PEOPLE ARE GAY
• MY MOTHER SISTED I WAS GAY - BUT I’M NOT

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.

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.

IS YOUR DAD GAY—OR ARE YOU A GAY DAD?

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.

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

MANY PARENTS STGGLE TO ADJT AFTER LEARNG CHILD IS GAY, STUDY FDS

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

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.

ASK THE EXPERT: "HELP, I’M SRED TO TELL MY MOM I’M GAY!"

Fortunate Fai: Catholic fai wh lbian dghters and gay sons. Mom, Dad, I'm Gay: How Fai Negotiate Comg Out. Are you a dghter whose dad is gay?

Or are you a gay dad? gay: 1. Most children whose dads are gay were born while their blogil mom and blogil dad were married and livg together.

“MOM, DAD… I’M GAY.” A CHRISTIAN PARENT’S RPONSE

If you have a gay dad or a lbian mom, after they separate, which of them is most likely to remarry or to remarry and then divorce?

GAY PARENTS RAISG KIDS: HOW WILL THEY FARE?

Lbian moms are more likely than gay dads to marry their same-sex partner. But gay dads are ls likely to get divorced om their hbands than lbian moms are to get divorced om their wiv. Gay men may experience more discrimatn than lbians, pecially if they are parents.

Our society is still ls acceptg of gay men beg fathers than of lbians beg mothers.

SCIENTISTS MAY HAVE FALLY UNLOCKED PUZZLE OF WHY PEOPLE ARE GAY

But perhaps the most important rearch fdg is that gay dads and their dghters have closer relatnships when dads tell the tth—and the dads are ls clilly prsed than dads who hi this important rmatn om their children (Tornello, 2018). Sadly, gay fathers are more aaid than lbian mothers to tell their children the tth, regardls of their age.

MY MOTHER SISTED I WAS GAY - BUT I’M NOT

So if you as a dghter or as a gay dad are still tiptoeg around the topic, ’s time to give yourselv a gift by gettg this skeleton out of the closet.

(2018) Adult children of gay fathers. Journal of Homosexualy, 65, 1152-1166.

” Fally, Amanda buried her head her pillow and said, “I’m gay.