- Be open. Talk about having gay friends, family or colleagues.
- Ask questions, especially when you aren’t sure about the acronyms, terminology or words to use when talking about your gay friends, family, colleagues or acquaintances.
- Educate yourself. Learn about the issues affecting the lives of LGBTQ people though websites, books, documentaries, and educational materials.
- Speak up when you hear anti-LGBTQ slurs or jokes. Model inclusive language.
- Be mindful of the day-to-day messages your LGBTQ child is receiving from TV, the web, in school, and friends.
- Let go of anti-LGBTQ memberships that you know discriminate.
- Support gay, lesbian, bi, and/or transgender-owned and friendly businesses. Know if businesses have policies in place to ensure equal treatment for all.
- Encourage your workplace or house of worship to consider inclusive policies that protect the LGBTQ community from discrimination.
- Write opinion pieces to newspaper editors to let them known why you think it’s important to be a straight ally on why you support respectful and equal treatment for LGBTQ people.
- To be an advocate, call, write, email your state representatives.
(from PFLAG’s Straight for Equality campaign & Brookdale Community College)
When Your Child Is Gay: What You Need To Know
For more detailed advice, see book, co-authored with a mother of a gay son and a psychiatrist, Jonathan L. Tobkes, M.D.
