Straight Parent, Gay Kid
Holiday No-Nos for Straight Parents
Christmas is a wonderful family holiday. A chance to regale about the past get-togethers, to guffaw about the near misses with the gravy.Subject Verboten, For Now…However, one topic that should be off limits in this group setting is your daughter’s or son’s sexual orientation. Even if you are bursting to divulge the news or feel…
When Homophobia Greets You For The Holidays
If you’re LGBT, you know that the holidays can be particularly stressful. You can feel like an outsider in your parents’ home. The feeling may be so uncomfortable that you want to crawl back in the closet. Treated Differently Your Auntie Claire may not ask you about your significant other, but she inquires your sister…
“Stop, Look, and Listen”
The no. 1 complaint I hear from gay teens or adults whom I interview is that their parents don’t listen to them. When they summon their nerve to come out to their parents and should have the mike, the parents interrupt by saying “You can’t be!” “You’re too young to know!” “It’s just a Phase!”…
November is National Adoption Month
Did you know that LGBTQ parents are four times more likely to be raising an adopted child? And six times more likely to be raising a foster child? Erroneous Studies Yet there are judges who still contend that children are better off (more emotionally and mentally stable) when raised by a mother and…
Holidays Not A Good Time For Introductions!
While visiting at Thanksgiving with your new boyfriend in tow may seem like a perfect time for a quorum of your family to meet your special one, think again. Norman Rockwell, it’s not! It’s not a pretty picture when you can’t ingratiate your significant other – when everyone is preoccupied with unlumping the…
Talking To Your Kids About Sex
Perhaps, it would make it easier for a parent to adapt to the realization that her child is gay if she considers it a possibility from the start. In today’s society, you can’t presume that everyone is heterosexual. (Sex Education classes that preach abstinence-only or have information only applicable to heterosexuals are missing…
National Coming Out Day
Tomorrow, October 11, you may see more pink triangles on clothing and rainbow flags waving in the air. Rallies, parades may be more prominent. Why? It’s National Coming Out Day. As of 1990, it is observed in fifty U.S. states and seven other countries. WHY WE HAVE IT It’s observed annually to celebrate coming out…
“Do I Look Fat?”
“Do I Look Fat?” Every teen wants to look sharp so they can fit in. Whether they’re emulating the hottest celebrities or have their own style, they hope their own brand will propel them into popularity and give them persona. To an LGBT kid whose look may be different than the mainstream, who may feel…