'Trmatized' woman of LGBT parents: 'My gay moms opprsed me'

Contents:

• GAY MEN AND THEIR MOTHERS: IS THERE A SPECIAL CLOSENS?
• A GAY BOY’S FAL PORTRA OF HIS MOM
• WHY DO GAY MEN TEND TO HAVE CLOSER RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR MOMS STEAD OF THEIR DADS?
• MOM, I’M GAY. CAN MY FRIENDS SLEEP OVER?
• ‘TRMATIZED’ DGHTER OF LGBT PARENTS: ‘MY GAY MOMS OPPRSED ME’

GAY MEN AND THEIR MOTHERS: IS THERE A SPECIAL CLOSENS?

Perhaps is not surprisg that mothers and their gay sons often scribe their relatnships as close. This was found to be te for many of the mothers and sons I terviewed for the study scribed the book: Comg Out, Comg Home: Helpg Fai Adjt to a Gay or Lbian Child (). Neverthels, this closens uld have a downsi, at least temporarily, as many mothers ially blame themselv and the close relatnships for their sons' homosexualy.

So, perhaps is not pletely surprisg that once they learned their sons were gay, some of the mothers I terviewed felt that they had done somethg to damage them. The fact is that I am the mother and I was told growg up that men bee gay bee their mothers are too motherg.

A GAY BOY’S FAL PORTRA OF HIS MOM

For a long time, the psychiatric profsn blamed overly close maternal relatnships for g the "disease" of male homosexualy. Even though rearch sce the 1950's has bunked , this theory persists people's mds and rears s ugly head for mothers when they ially learn their sons are gay. Fortunately, for many mothers of gay son—wh time and tn, they learn that the ia that they had somehow ma their son gay is ad wrong This was te of the mothers my study who also me to see the benefs havg a gay son as will be scribed later this post.

My rearch, clil and personal experienc suggt that there is ed a al lk between male homosexualy and a close maternal relatnship but flows the oppose directn than what was prevly thought. In other words, havg a close relatnship wh your mother don't make you gay—beg gay mak you closer to your mother.

WHY DO GAY MEN TEND TO HAVE CLOSER RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR MOMS STEAD OF THEIR DADS?

The young gay mal this study relled sharg terts mon wh their mothers, such as fashn and okg, and were also sensive to their feelgs.

MOM, I’M GAY. CAN MY FRIENDS SLEEP OVER?

I thk personally [beg gay] ma me a more emotnal person, more sensive, more touch wh both the male and female sis of myself, but allowg me to even acknowledge that other si ma me closer to my mother. Once mothers this study got over their feelgs of guilt and got ed to the ia that their sons were gay, they were able to regnize the benefs of havg a gay son.

Closens between mothers and their gay sons is a stereotype and like all stereotyp, sometim they rg te.

However, we get to hot water when we allow stereotyp to get the way of unrstandg the uniquens of dividuals and their circumstanc—so is important to remember that not all mothers and gay sons are close.

‘TRMATIZED’ DGHTER OF LGBT PARENTS: ‘MY GAY MOMS OPPRSED ME’

Sadly, some mothers simply nnot adjt to their sons' homosexualy, due to their guilt, relig ncerns, or abily to "let go" and accept the ways they live their liv. For sure, gay men, their mothers and those who assist them need to explore and unrstand the val relatnships.

It’s a tism that our earlit selv are shaped large part by our bonds wh our parents, and nowhere is this more te than when a son is gay. Gay Sons and Mothers llects, curat, discs, celebrat, and prerv narrativ that te, spire, and brg hope to dienc around the globe. Gay Sons and Mothers chronicl lived experienc of pa, joy, and persistence that spire and provi a sense of hope.

Gay Sons and Mothers is honored to jo a proud tradn of prervg and passg along stori that reflect the strengths and stggl related to the formatn of sexual inty and sexual exprsn the ntext of the parent-child relatnship. Gay Sons and Mothers is a 501-©3 nonprof anizatn created to te and spire, not jt gay men and their fai, but whole muni about what diversy and acceptance look like—and why ’s so spectacularly ’re glad you’re here wh on the journey!