This is a great introductory book for parents who are brand new to all things LGBT. NOTE: Books marked with an asterisk are #ownvoices Nonfiction * This Is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids: A Question & Answer Guide to Everyday Life by Danielle Owens-Reid and Kristin Russo While there are certainly many excellent and compassionate books written by straight/cis authors (a few are included here), it is certainly something to look for as you seek to learn more about your child’s experience as a member of the LGBT community. Since the majority of parents of LGBT kids do not share that identity with their children, it is especially important to hear stories that offer that added level of understanding. In making this list, I’ve highlighted as many #ownvoices authors as possible, meaning that most of these books are written by authors who are part of the LGBT community themselves. The books for children can be an invaluable resource in introducing younger family members and siblings to LGBT identities. You might even invite your teen to read along with you and discuss the books together. Reading young adult fiction provides a window into the types of situations and feelings your child may be experiencing. The memoirs allow you to see through the eyes of someone who has grown up knowing they were queer, and nonfiction is helpful to fill gaps in your knowledge. The list below contains a range of books that I’ve read myself and with our book club, and other titles were recommended to me by parents of LGBT kids and members of the LGBT community. By signing up you agree to our terms of use Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. You are feeling ALL the emotions, and you definitely have questions. Or maybe you have a gender-nonconforming 7-year-old and you’re not sure exactly what is going on. Or your college age daughter came home over fall break and came out as bisexual. Perhaps your teenage son told you that he is gay. Maybe today you are that bewildered parent (or grandparent, aunt, uncle, or teacher).
We weren’t quite sure how to help, didn’t understand the terminology, and were generally clueless. We were worried how others would treat them. But as my husband and I talked alone, we admitted that we felt uninformed and completely out of our depth.
We are so grateful that our child felt safe to share those conversations and realizations with us along the way.Īt first, we just focused on making sure that our child was loved and accepted, and we tried to listen and to understand. Sometimes coming out it is a decisive declaration, but for our gender-questioning kid, coming out looked more like a meandering process of discovery. You may have to select a menu option or click a button.National Coming Out Day is this week, and I have found myself recalling when my own child came out a few years back.
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