Are you looking for a gay child support group? Where can parents of gay children and LGBTQ youth get support? How can parents support a gay child? Where can you find parents of a gay child support group? If you are looking for answers to one or all of these questions, this article is for you.
Hi, my name is Sean Galla, and I facilitate men’s support groups, including parents of gay child support groups. As a parent to a child that just came out as gay, joining a support group gives you the opportunity to learn more about sexual orientation advocacy, gay children’s rights and meet like-minded people while at it. Taking time to understand your child’s sexual preference is an important step that ensures you offer the best support to your child.
In this article, you will get all the information you need about supporting a gay child and parents of parents of gay child support groups and why you need one.
Table of Contents:
What Is a Parents of Gay Child Support Group?
A Parents of gay child support group is a peer-to-peer meetup and discussion group for parents to gay children and children in the LGBTQ community. This supportive environment offers the right knowledge, education, and consideration in parenting gay children, including the issues gay children face in their day-to-day lives.
Parents of gay child support groups like PFLAG.org (PFLAG national and PFLAG chapters) can be great for family members to gay people. However, this is only possible if parents of gay children come out and ask for help and support.
A parents of gay child support group offers a safe space for parents to build a community, find support, and share issues they face while raising a gay child. These groups are overseen by moderators or peer-to-peer counselors. Parents are free to ask questions and access resources.
While every parent wants the best for their kid, sometimes providing the support the child needs is not always easy. As a parent to a gay child, having the right support group can go a long way in giving you the support you need to be able to extend the same support to your child.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for an Addiction Recovery Group, then join mensgroup.com now.
Why Parents to Gay Children Support Groups Are Important?
On average, gay men, bisexual men, transgender people, and any other person questioning their gender identity or sexual orientation are almost 3 times more likely to suffer from mental health issues than the general population.
Research shows that out of 10,000 youths identifying as LGBTQ aged between youth ages 13 and 17, only 24% admit that they can be comfortable in their gender expression at home. The remaining percentage is either still in the closet or afraid of living life freely for fear of judgment or discrimination at home.
The fear of coming out as gay and the fear of discrimination and bias from family often cause depression, PTSD, substance abuse, and even suicidal thoughts in the gay community. Sometimes, it hinders gay people from seeking basic services like healthcare. As parents, you can shield your gay loved ones and ensure they are mentally healthy children by taking time to understand them and support them and their well-being.
One of the greatest hindrances for gay young people, transgender children, people in intersex relationships, and generally the LGBT community, when it comes to seeking support or coming out, is the feeling that the people around them may not understand, and may even distance themselves. Most gay people choose to remain closeted for fear of being judged harshly by society, being abandoned by their family and disappointing their parents.
As parents and friends of lesbians and gays, it is important to create safe spaces and environments for gay and LGBTQ children, LGBT youth, and LGBT people to talk and get solutions. Parents have a unique opportunity to support their gay children. Taking time to listen to the child is highly recommended as part of offering support.
Parents of gay child support groups are available in different parts of America to give parents access to support and help to ensure they have the knowledge and information to help their gay children live a happy, stigma-free, and fulfilling life.
In these support groups, parents of gay children get all the help they need to overcome the challenges they face regarding stigma and discrimination.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a Bisexual Support Group, then join mensgroup.com now.
Types of Parents of Gay Child Support Groups
When looking for parents of gay child support groups, you have options between either an online group or an offline group. Numerous advocacy, non-profit and national organizations such as the family acceptance Project (FAP), the Trevor Project, the family equality council, and MensGroup.com offer online, offline, or both support groups to family members of gay children.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for Sexual Assault Support Groups, then join mensgroup.com today!
Online parents of gay child support group
Online parents of gay child support groups are types of support groups that meet on internet platforms including websites, and social media sites. There are numerous online parents of gay child support groups to choose from. Like mensgroup.com, some are open forums that encourage peer support and education, while gay support experts moderate others.
Some online parents of gay child support groups allow open sharing amongst members as they seek advice and assistance. Others meet on a schedule and follow a preset structure. A quick search on google will give you a list of online parents of gay child support groups on platforms like Facebook and Reddit.
The best benefit of an online gay support group is the fact that it is available round the clock; there is always a support group you can drop in at any time. Whether in New York or Washington, you can zoom in and join virtual meetings anywhere.
Online GLBT groups offer anonymity since the members do not need to show their faces or even talk while in attendance. Online parents of gay child support groups are the best way to get support when facing gay-related issues related to your child, especially in these Covid times.
Offline/In-person parents of gay child support group
Offline or in-person parents of gay child support groups take place in predetermined locations such as gay support centers or community centers. In these types of groups, members meet physically in a group of 15 to 20 people. When choosing the best in-person support group, it is important to keep an open mind and try a few to get a feel of different options before choosing the best one for your needs.
A major drawback of in-person local chapters for parents of LGBTQ kids is that members do not enjoy the possibility of anonymity since the meetings require the members to attend physically. This is a major hindrance to delivering round-the-clock family support.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for Sexual Abuse Support Groups, then join mensgroup.com now.
What You Learn in a Parents of Gay Child Support Group
How to support your gay child
For most gay children and children identifying as LGBTQ, coming out to their parents is the scariest part of their identity. Most children are afraid that coming out as gay will disappoint their parents and cause a strain in their families. Joining a support group for parents of gay children gives you access to advise and resources to help you show support to your gay child. Simple words like ‘I am here for you, I love you, and I support you’ do not come easy to some parents. Being part of a support group will give you the confidence to say these words and mean them.
How to encourage dialogue
A support group gives you tips on how to get your gay child to open up. You will learn how to build trust and start small. Children want to be able to talk to parents about what’s going on in their lives. Learning how to make them feel comfortable enough to talk about their lives is part of the reason you should join a support group.
Staying connected to your gay child’s world makes it easier for them to approach you with bigger, more complex issues, especially about their sexuality and sexual orientation.
How to handle family
One of the hardest parts for most parents, especially the conservative ones, is waiting to see how the other family members react to the news that their child is gay. While some family members may not approve, a support group will give you the help and advice you need to handle the situation without hurting your child’s feelings. A support group will also offer a helping hand and can be the family you need if your blood relatives distance themselves.
Whether you have a child who recently came out as gay, bisexual or transgender, or has questions about your child’s gender identity, a support group can help. It gives you a safe space to talk about your gay child, your experiences raising a gay child, and gives you access to any other information about raising a gay child.
Men’s Group Support Group for Parents of Gay Kids
Men’s Group is an online support forum with support groups specifically for men, including dads. The support groups on mensgroup.com offer emotional support to create a positive community and start conversations and forums where parents of gay children can share their concerns about raising a gay child and seek help in a safe space.
As one of the most active online forums for dads, MensGroup is the perfect place to interact with other parents of kids in the gay community who have gone through similar issues and have managed to find their way through.
Conclusion
A parents of gay child support group is the perfect place if you need to talk about gender non-conforming and gender-expansive ideas. It is also the place to share issues you are experiencing as a gay person with people who are not your family or co-workers.
During a group meeting, you join other members physically or on virtual chat rooms or forums to share your ideas, issues, and progress as a parent to a gay person. A support group like MensGroup connects you with other dads to gay children facing the same unique challenges, which takes away the shame that might hold you back from sharing and getting the support you need.
*Sources: 1. Helping Families Support Their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Children 2. Tips for Parents of LGBTQ Youth 3. Resources for Parents and Families of LGBTQ Individuals 4. Finding Support When Someone Close to You Comes Out 5. Resources for Families of LGBTQ+ Youth
