Straight Parent, Gay Kid
Modern Family Redefined: How and When to Tell Siblings of GLB Teens
It’s hard to know what to tell the sibling of a gay/lesbian teen. Should you or your gay teen divulge the news about his/her brother’s orientation? What should the sibling hear first? and from whom: his parent or the gay brother or sister? How should you approach the subject? While some parents may regard this as…
What Do You Say to Your Child’s Coming Out?
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…
“Love you, Always” Love, Mom and Dad ox
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…
“The Child is the father of The Man” – William Wordsworth
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…
Celebrate Humility Day, Jan. 3, 2012, but keep the Humble Pie Recipe
Have you, the straight parent of a gay kid, burst into volcanic eruptions over your gay child’s pronounced sexual identity? Maybe it’s time you ‘fess up that you don’t have all the answers. It’s never too late to apologize – the time to start is now to mend the relationship. Recipe for Humble Pie• Unconditional…
A New Year’s Resolution That Lasts Beyond Next Year
A New Year’s Resolution That Lasts Beyond Next Year As the holiday season comes to a close, New Year’s resolutions abound as we typically vow to lose that extra five pounds we gained. Many of us go to a Pilates class for our “Core,” only to drop out after two weeks. But how about a…
Aids Awareness Starts at Home
You know your kids, whether homosexual or heterosexual, are sexually active. Sure, they’ve heard of HIV that causes AIDS, but because they’re teens, they think they are immortal and will not transmit or “catch” the virus. They are too young to remember the scourge of the 80’s that rendered AIDS an automatic death sentence. No…
“Over the River and Through the Woods, To Straight Relatives We Go”
“Over the River and Through the Woods, To Straight Relatives We Go” All traditional family relatives revisit roles of your childhood: “the black sheep” who disappoints the family, the perfect sister who visits with her baby, and you, who always felt estranged for being “different.” Somewhere between the cracked walnuts and the football game, the…
GLB Servicemen Finally Get Respect
Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day. While we remember all our servicemen who nobly fight for our country, let us not forget the more than 13,000 members who were discharged since 1993 from the military for being gay, lesbian or bisexual. It has been less than two months since the military’s eighteen year-old policy “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”(DADT)…