Family

Most lesbian and gay teens are pretty involved with their families and issues like dealing with homophobia, coming out, and just plain getting along, often come up.

Will My Parents Treat Me Differently If I Come Out?
Teens often have really valid coming out concerns. A big one for many is, "Will my parents treat me differently after I come out?" The fact of the matter is, some parents will and others won't. Coming out to a parent is never easy and they are a whole bunch of ways they may respond. However, the period when you first come out is usually the hardest. Many families who react negatively at first, become more comfortable with the idea that a child is LGBTQ over time.

How do you think your family would react? AND/OR did react?
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What Can I Do About Homophobic Parents?
Gay teenagers are "coming out" earlier than ever, and many feel better about themselves than earlier generations of gays, youth leaders and researchers say. The change is happening in the wake of opinion polls that show growing acceptance of gays, more supportive adults and positive gay role models in popular media. Unfortunately, a lot of teens have homophobic parents. And having a parent who is anti-gay can be really tough. It can also be depressing and isolating. But just because you have parents who discriminate doesn't mean you will feel isolated.

How do you/would you handle the homophobic adults in your life? Or if you have successfully created a supportive family environment, share with others how you did so.
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