When a child comes out, parents often find themselves sorting through their own complex feelings. In the midst of this, parents may not realize how enormously their responses affect their child. It is difficult but important to remember that parents’ initial decisions or reactions may be damaging — even life-threatening — for their child.
Here you’ll find articles on:
Actions That Help offers suggestions for ways to preserve and improve your relationship. These actions help open communication and grow understanding for both parent and child.
Behaviors That Hurt your child are important to avoid. They can lead to strained relationships, secrecy, and increasing distance. These may be reactions or, sometimes, things intended to help, but all are wounding.
Tips for Supporting Your Child provides a variety of tips that show your child you support them. These also help build their self-esteem.
Coming Out as the Parent of LGBTQ has ideas for ways you can be an ally if your child is still private, ways to become more open as they become more open, and ways to find personal support as a parent.
“We just needed time to get used to the idea, what a fool I would have been to lose that precious son of mine.”