Gay kids are g out earlier — sometim middle school — and many are fdg acceptance. But some parents and teachers wonr if the kids are too young to really know their sexual orientatn.
Contents:
- WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD SAYS: "I'M GAY"
- RPONDG TO TEEN CHILD WHO SAYS HE’S GAY
- YOUR CHILD JT TOLD YOU HE'S GAY. NOW WHAT?
- WHEN YOUR CHILD TELLS YOU THEY'RE GAY
- HOW TO TALK TO YOUR CHILD WHO IS QUTNG OR INTIFI AS LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR, QUEER OR ASEXUAL (LGBTQA)
- MY SON THKS HE’S GAY
- OUR SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SON TOLD HE WAS GAY
- GAY KIDS COMG OUT YOUNGER, BUT PARENTS ASK "HOW DO YOU KNOW?"
- PARENT SPECTS THAT CHILD MIGHT BE GAY
- RPONDG TO ADULT CHILD WHO SAYS HE’S GAY
- HOW CHRISTIAN PARENTS SHOULD RPOND TO THEIR CHILD'S GAY INTY CRISIS
- THIS IS HOW I REALLY REACTED WHEN MY SON TOLD ME HE WAS GAY
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD SAYS: "I'M GAY"
"My 16-year-old son has been chattg onle to a teenager the UK. Now he thks that he is gay like the teen. Should I let him ntue this terchange or cut off?" * my 12 year old thinks 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.
RPONDG TO TEEN CHILD WHO SAYS HE’S GAY
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. * my 12 year old thinks he is gay *
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.
YOUR CHILD JT TOLD YOU HE'S GAY. NOW WHAT?
* my 12 year old thinks he is 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).
WHEN YOUR CHILD TELLS YOU THEY'RE 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.
Mom, Dad, I'm Gay: How Fai Negotiate Comg Out.
HOW TO TALK TO YOUR CHILD WHO IS QUTNG OR INTIFI AS LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR, QUEER OR ASEXUAL (LGBTQA)
Before we say anythg else, know that our hearts go out to you the pa and nfn of hearg your teen son tell you that he’s gay. You might even feel that you need to qutn or re-exame your own beliefs about homosexualy. What led you to believe that you might be gay?
There’s no need to jump to nclns by llg yourself “gay, ” “bi, ” “trans, ” or anythg else. After all, many people have felt same-sex attractn whout adoptg the “gay” label.
MY SON THKS HE’S GAY
Enurage him to openly exprs the feelgs, wants, hop, and fears he’s gog through whout assigng them to any specific tegory such as “gay” or “straight. When Homosexualy Hs Home. The Complete Christian Gui to Unrstandg Homosexualy.
101 Frequently Asked Qutns About Homosexualy. Unrstandg Male Homosexualy: God’s Power to Change Liv. Someone I Love is Gay.
When a Loved One Says, “I’m Gay”. How to Talk to Your Children About Homosexualy. Homosexualy (rource list).
OUR SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SON TOLD HE WAS GAY
Support for Parents of Child Who Says He’s Gay. Unrstandg Homosexualy.
Parent Concerned That Teen Might Be Homosexual. Is My Teen Stgglg Wh Homosexualy?
Parent Spects That Child Might Be Gay. Are People Born Gay? Reliable Rourc for Teachg Children About Marriage, Sexualy and Homosexualy.
GAY KIDS COMG OUT YOUNGER, BUT PARENTS ASK "HOW DO YOU KNOW?"
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.
PARENT SPECTS THAT CHILD MIGHT BE 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;. They immediately clocked as gay, while we immediately clocked them as we warmed up to another, one mom anxly said: "I have a qutn: I am pretty sure my son is gay, but I don't know what to do.
RPONDG TO ADULT CHILD WHO SAYS HE’S GAY
"For example, if someone the word "gay" place of "stupid, " remd them that the two are not terchangeable, and suggt they should say what they actually mean stead. "The rourc n help:PFLAG: The untry’s largt anizatn ung parents, fai, and alli wh people who are lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and Spectm: Offers groups, trag, and rourc promotg genr sensivy and cln for all youthGLBT Natnal Rource Database: LGBTQ+ digal directory of rourcNatnal Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network: Directory of therapists/unselors who are people of lorNatnal LGBTQ Task Force: The progrsive advocy arm of the LGBTQ+ movementDurg LGBTQ Pri Month, TODAY is sharg the muny’s history, pa, joy and what’s next for the movement. The problem is, even many of those articl are really jt a llectn of stance the Calgary Journal, an article entled, "When do most homosexuals know they're gay?
Until you read on and disver that the source for their data is "many the homosexual muny. "And then went on wh even more actual facts as they ced a natnal survey of 1, 752 llege stunts:* 48% of self-intified gay and bisexual llege stunts beme aware of their sexual preference high school while 26% found their te sexualy llege. * 20% of self-intified gay and bisexual men knew that they were gay or bisexual junr high school, and 17% said they knew gra school.
* 6% of self-intified gay or bisexual women knew that they were gay or bisexual junr high school, and 11% knew gra school. "My son jt told he thks he is gay.
HOW CHRISTIAN PARENTS SHOULD RPOND TO THEIR CHILD'S GAY INTY CRISIS
Often, the nversatns start after a kid has met someone who intifi as lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer or asexual (LGBTQA). Exampl: lbian, gay, bisexual, queer, asexual, pansexual, and Inty: The genr a person feels they are si.
MorePart 1: Talkg to Your Child About What It Means to Intify as Lbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgenr (LGBT). Rather than emphasizg whether or not to try to cut off his terchange — there is, after all, nothg wrong wh beg gay — a more important, longer-term qutn would be, “How n I help him improve his social skills?
This strategy would hopefully provi a long-term solutn, whether or not he ntu to intify as gay. He took a be of chicken and announced, his matter-of-fact way, “I hope you know I’m gay.
THIS IS HOW I REALLY REACTED WHEN MY SON TOLD ME HE WAS GAY
In a flood of words, he told me he wanted to tell his iends that he was gay— felt like he was keepg a secret om them, and when he thought about too much, ma him feel heart ached, and I wished I uld rewd to the time when kiss and cuddl fixed absolutely everythg. ” to “Who are you gay wh? So when another stunt said somethg to him like, “Well, at least I’m not gay!
Gay kids are g out earlier — sometim middle school — and many are fdg acceptance. Enuraggly, beg young and openly gay seems to be gettg easier.