Daniel Flores is a 41-year-old English teacher from Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. He recently sat down with Strong Family Alliance to talk about coming out to his parents, love, sexual health, and Valentine’s Day for the LGBTQ+ community.
View ResourceNavigating the terrain of communication with your child is a process that can evolve as they grow and develop. Parents often struggle to adapt to the ever-changing needs of their child. Strategies that have worked well in the past may not work as well in the present.
View ResourceIt’s easy to solely focus on your child exploring their gender or sexual orientation instead of getting curious with yourself about these topics. As your child practices reflecting on who they are, I encourage parents to do the same.
View ResourceMake it a habit to touch base with your child. Try to be consistent. It’s important to routinely check in with them to talk about what kind of support they need.
View ResourceIn 2008, a group of allies and activists created International Lesbian Visibility Day to raise awareness about the issues that lesbians face all over the world.
View ResourceJune is Pride Month, a great opportunity to celebrate your unique, beautiful LGBTQ+ child. Today we’ll share some suggestions for parents who want to show support but aren’t sure where to start.
View ResourceOne of the unique things about the Strong Family Alliance website is our collection of first-hand accounts written by parents of LGBTQ+ children. These stories are valuable on many levels for both their authors and readers. The act of writing the stories is often cathartic for struggling parents, and reading about others’ experiences is empowering and inspiring for families of LGBTQ+ kids.
View ResourceFor LGBTQ+ youth, playing sports can be tricky. On one hand, participating could be beneficial to your child and give them a sense of belonging.
View ResourceSending a child off to college is a big, emotional step for any family. We hope these tips will help ease the transition and make sure you and your LGBTQ+ child have a fulfilling and positive experience.
View ResourceNational Coming Out Day, observed on October 11th, is a great time to think about ways to support your LGBTQ+ child.
View ResourceToday we’ll talk about why LGBTQ-friendly care is so important and how you can best help your child.
View ResourceLearn about how some LGBTQ+ people experience the holiday season and how their families can help.
View ResourceToday we’re tackling one of the more difficult questions many parents ask when their child comes out. Luckily, these days there is a place in religious and spiritual communities for LGBTQ+ people…
View ResourceSFA board member and mom of three reflects on the extra-heavy burden of worry that parents of LGBTQ+ children unfairly have to carry, and the beauty that is often born from that struggle.
View ResourceInternational Transgender Day of Visibility, is an opportunity to uplift and amplify the lives and voices of transgender people everywhere. Today, we’ll talk about why this day is so important, and some ideas about how to mark the occasion with your child.
View ResourceIf your child just came out, you’ve got some learning to do. Today we’ll talk about some surprising things you might not know about the LGBTQ+ community.
View ResourceOn our website is a treasure trove of personal testimonies from parents of LGBTQ+ youth coming out who are doing their best to navigate new territory. We come back to these stories again and again because they are inspiring and help other parents feel less alone. Today, we’ve compiled these first-hand accounts of children coming out to their parents.
View ResourceGay pride parades are famous these days and with all the festivities it’s easy to forget why Pride exists in the first place. Today we want to share some history you might not know about this important holiday so you can better understand your LGBTQ+ child’s struggle and the struggle of LGBTQ+ people everywhere.
View ResourceSo you’ve cleared the hurdle of your child coming out to you, but now they’re wondering about telling extended family members. This can be a scary prospect for many LGBTQ+ young people, so our job as parents is to make sure we’re helping them in the most respectful and loving way possible. Today we’ll share some tips and insights about how to do that while always following your child’s lead and instincts about who to tell and how to tell them.
View ResourceWhether your LGBTQ+ child identifies as trans or not, understanding the use of pronouns and why they are so important is a key part of being an ally to your child and other members of the LGBTQ+ community. Today we’ll explore the use of pronouns for gender diverse people, their significance, and how to feel more comfortable using them properly.
View ResourceNearly half of Americans who identify as LGBTQ+ report to be bisexual, and the number grows every year. Despite how common it is, this sexual orientation is often misunderstood and stigmatized, even by people within the LGBTQ+ community. In honor of International Bisexuality Day on September 23rd, today we’re talking about the basics for parents who want to be good allies, but especially those parents of youth who identify as bisexual.
View ResourceOctober 11th is National Coming Out Day, a day of awareness that started in 1988 to honor the bravery of people who come out of the closet and live openly as LGBTQ+. For most LGBTQ+ individuals, coming out is a lifelong journey, and the actual experience varies wildly from person to person. As the parent of an LGBTQ+ child, you might have mixed feelings about your child being out, which is perfectly normal.
View ResourceWhen a child comes out, it’s common for parents to describe the loss and grief they feel as a result of the news. While this is a perfectly normal part of the process, it’s easy to get stuck in those negative feelings about how hard things are going to be for you and your child. In honor of gratitude month, we want to turn this idea around, and list some of the reasons why having an LGBTQ+ child is actually a wonderful, eye-opening experience that changes your life for the better.
View ResourceThis can be a difficult time of year for LGBTQ+ people and their families. This year, we’ve gathered all the articles and information in one place so you have what you need for a joyful, fulfilling holiday season.
View ResourceThe presidential elections are behind us, but the future is uncertain for LGBTQ+ people in the United States. What the new president and incoming lawmakers will or will not do is all over the news, and figuring out what is true can feel overwhelming or even impossible at times. Today we’ll address how to manage the flood of information, and provide some resources that will help you stay up-to-date on the issues affecting LGBTQ+ people this year and beyond.
View ResourceIf you are a parent whose child just came out, you may be struggling or wondering how to respond. We are parents too and want to help you through this crossroads. Coming out is a process that takes time, both for the LGBTQ person and their families.
View ResourceMy journey was one revelation after another about thoughts and beliefs I never questioned before.
View ResourceTo avoid rejection takes a far more difficult goal – changing actions and eventually minds.
View ResourceAfter a child comes out, some questions have one solid, certain, no-question-about-it answer.
View ResourceBring your LGBTQ loved ones home, bring their friends as well, and start building new memories around family and holidays.
View Resource"I still think that I maybe at some point I must have done something wrong. Perhaps it would have made a difference if I had painted her room pink or had her watch more Disney princesses."
View ResourceIn recent months my lesbian daughter has commented she felt this growing counterflow to acceptance...I was hoping it wasn't true, but it appears it is.
View ResourceCan Pride Month remind parents of ways to show pride in their own child?
View ResourceYou may not be able to change another parent's mind, but you can model respect and acceptance, for both kids. And your child will be watching every step of the way.
View ResourceGoing beyond ‘I love you” means more than love and affection. It means getting in the trenches and trying to help others grow in acceptance and understanding.
View ResourceResearch finds it takes around 2 years for parents to find it less difficult to accept their LGBTQ child.
View ResourceHelp your child believe in and build a strong new life. The understanding, communication and support you give helps them dream new dreams.
View ResourceIf your child recently came out to you as LGBTQ, you may be wondering who else they told and how they’re dealing with the coming out process. For students who are newly out, going back to school can be an intimidating and confusing time and they’ll need your love and support more than ever.
View ResourceWe hope this website can reach every community and any parent searching online in a sleepless night.
View ResourceMany parents of LGBTQ children feel an overwhelming sense of fear for their kids’ safety. Fear of the challenges they face at school, in the workplace, and in the community. While that fear is completely understandable, your child is counting on you to help make their world less scary.
View ResourceLet’s face it, this isn’t the “most wonderful time of the year” for a lot of LGBTQ people and their families. Holidays can be a joyful and beautiful time of family togetherness, but if you’re a parent struggling with the news that your child is LGBTQ, this season can be overwhelming.
View ResourceThere’s something exciting and inspiring about the beginning of a new year, full of possibilities. It gives us a great opportunity to do a reset and evaluate how things are going. We’re sharing these 5 New Year’s resolutions that will make your family stronger than ever.
View ResourceIf your child recently came out as LGBTQ, the idea of them dating might make you pretty uncomfortable. Actually meeting your child’s significant other may make you feel nervous and awkward. We offer tips that may be helpful.
View ResourceAt Strong Family Alliance our overarching mission has always been to save lives and preserve families. More research comes out all the time to support what we hear over and over again from youth and their loved ones: family acceptance of LGBTQ children is the best way to keep them safe.
View ResourceIn this article we’ll cover some of the basics about what it means to be transgender, provide some concrete examples, discuss some of the challenges parents face when their child comes out as trans, and provide specific questions that can help navigate the process in a respectful and loving way.
View ResourceJune is Pride Month, which often makes people think about bright, colorful parades and dancing in the streets. If that's not really your cup of tea, don't worry. There are many other ways to support your LGBTQ child.
View ResourceThe recent flood of anti-LGBTQ policy in states all over the U.S., specifically the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida, might have you and your child worried about going back to school. You’re not alone, we’re worried too about what they might face and what the future holds.
View ResourceShow support on October 12th, National Parents Coming Out Day. Held the day after National Coming Out Day on October 11th, it’s a day when parents and allies can come out in support of LGBTQ+ children.
View ResourceIn today’s blog, an SFA board member shares her personal experience with parenting a gay child and how she discovers that, contrary to popular belief, there is a place in the church for LGBTQ+ Christians.
View ResourceFrom his childhood as a scared kid who suppressed his identity to being a happily-married gay man decades later, SFA board member Scott Collen openly and honestly shares his story as an encouraging message to other LGBTQ+ people: it will get better!
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