As a member of the gay community, I have seen first-hand common LGBT issues for families to deal with. In my series on common issues facing the LGBT community I have written on individual issues, and couple issues. Today I am going to share some common LGBT issues for families. This post will be a little longer than most and split into two different categories: raising an LGBT child and forming a same-sex family.

Rasing An LGBT Child

“Is my son gay?”

Maybe you think your son our daughter is gay. Or they already came out to you at an early age. You might have found love letters or something in a journal that suggest that they are identifying as LGBT. No matter if you just suspect your child is gay, or they have come out. You might not know how to deal with this. Frist off, it is ok to need time to adjust. There have been books that share how to parent an LGBT child. Click below to a list of resources that can be helpful.

Click Here for books on coming out. These books link to amazon. There are books on how to deal with your child coming out, how to come out, and what to do if you spouse come’s out of the closet.
Click Here for books for parents of LGBT children and LGBT teenagers.

LGBT parenting issues

Raising an LGBT teen is no different than raising a heterosexual child. They still have the same struggles of learning how to from their own identity. Issues that I see families deal with is navigating what coming out means to the family and building a comfortable level of talking openly about your teenager’s sexuality. Working on nurturing and improving relationships and communication skills during this transition is critical for developing self-acceptance in your child.

LGBT Family Rejection

40% of homeless youth are LGBT. This high percentage is connected to family rejection. Family rejection of a gay child is more than the child being kicked out because of their sexuality. Family rejection comes from not feeling loved and accepted by your parents. Family rejection leads to poor self-esteem, increased risk of suicide, drug use.

Your children’s sexuality is only one part of them. They are still the same child you love unconditionally before finding out about their sexuality. While you have to learn to be comfortable it is important to change the way you talk about the gay community and become an ally to this part of your child’s identity. The most common reason why parents struggle with their child’s sexuality is because of their relationship beliefs.

Gay Christian

You can be 100% accepting of your child and still be a Christian. (I am only focusing on Christianity in this blog post due to the dominance of Christianity within the United States). From the Gay Christian Network to specific books that talk about what the bible says about homosexuality. You can still hold your Christian beliefs and fully love and accept your child.
Check out my list by clicking here for books on this topic if your belief system appears to be in conflict with homosexuality.

Forming A Same-Sex Family

You and your partner have decied that it is time to from a family. There are common issues that all same-sex familiy deal with. Luckly there are loads of resouces for the formation of LGBT families. Some greate site specific resocuse incldue:
Gay’s with Kids
Proud Parenting
The Next Family

These are just some rescouse for same-sex families.

Starting a Same-Sex Family

Unlike our heterosexual counterparts, when a gay couple wants to start a family it takes planning. From adoption, sperm donation, to surrogacy. LGBT couples must take extra spaces in starting a family. Make sure that you answer some common questions before you start your family. What will you both feel most comfortable with in starting a family? How are you going to raise the kids? Who is going to stay at home (if anyone)? what about discipline? What about religion? Talking with a therapist can help you think of questions you might not have thought of, and help you figure out the best way to start a family.

What the Research Says About Same-Sex Families

That children of same-sex couples show normal gender identity development and gender role behavior.
Children of same-sex couples were no more likely to have same-sex attractions than children of heterosexual couples.
Gay fathers are no different from heterosexual fathers in their ability to parent and to foster the healthy development of their children
Children with lesbian mothers are equal in their emotional and behavioral adjustment to their counterparts raised by heterosexual mothers
These are just some facts learn more by about what research says about same-sex families by clicking here.

What Things Same-Sex Parents Must be Perpared for
While this video makes light of some common questions that outsiders might ask. As you form your family you must be able to work through these issues. You can check out my resouce page that list lots of book that can help. There are loads of questions that will get asked from outside the family. Yet there will also be just as many questions that can be asked from the kids. I think each type of question can be answered in a different blog post. Overall same-sex parents must be able to answer openly and honestly. Giving age appropriate answers and always share how special and loved your children are.

Starting a family is one of the biggest life decision that you can make. It will be a decision that changes the rest of your life. From starting a family to raising a child. To your child coming out, these common LGBT family issues can strengthen any family. If you are dealing with you child coming out, or you’re a same-sex couple starting a family I would suggest to seek out a therapist who can help you. If you live in the las vegas area and are dealing with any LGBT issue click here to learn schedule a session ith a therapist who can help.