Tyler Clementi, a gay Rutgers University freshman jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge in 2010. Halyee Fentress and Paige Maravetz, two lesbian 14-year old girls, took their lives in sleepover suicide pact in Minnesota a year later. Eric James Borges, a gay filmmaker in California, killed himself last month. It seems as…

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I recently wrote a guest post for the Radical Parenting site. Here’s an excerpt: As a straight parent, you probably will find his announcement shocking, painful, and off-putting. Try not to respond with volcanic anger, silence or remarks negating his/her same-sex orientation. Remember that it is a supreme compliment that your child has revealed his…

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It’s not always easy to love unconditionally, especially when your lifelong dreams for your child have been shattered. Like most straight parents, your child’s coming out has probably precipitated intense uncomfortable feelings in you such as anger(Why our family?), denial(how could she know?), guilt(what did I do to cause this?), shame(I can’t tell anyone), fear(what…

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Question:  What causes ·      parents and teens angst? ·      religious organizations to consider it a “choice”? ·      9 million U.S. citizens under age 20 and 9% of high school students to identify with it? ·      Its lack of acceptance accounts for 20-40% of runaway and homeless youth? ·      Is the leading cause of suicide among…

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