An illustration for Pride Month.
The Parents Guide to Supporting LGBTQIA+ Kids
It’s a duty for all parents and caregivers to affirm, support, and lift up LGBTQIA+ kids and families—here are tools, articles, tips, and real-life stories to help you take action and create a more inclusive community for all children.
By Amber Leventry
Credit:
Getty Images. Art: Caitlin-Marie Miner Ong and Jillian Sellers.
The LGBTQIA+ community is like a prism: when given the proper light, it shines in infinite beautiful colors into a variety of angles.
Coming Out
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We Came Out LGBTQ as a Family. Here's What We Learned
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Coming Out Is About More Than Who Your Child Dates: They’re Inviting You to Understand Their True Selves
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Kids Often Come Out to Their Parents Last and That's Okay
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Support
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5 Ways You Can Support Your Child Who Is Exploring Their Gender or Sexual Identity
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How Parents Can Best Empower and Support Their LGBTQ Child
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How Grandparents Can Be There For Their Queer Children and Grandchildren
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It's Your Duty to Support Your LGBTQ+ Child's Mental Health, Here's How
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How Catholic Parents Can Better Support Their LGBTQ+ Children
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Education
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Finding the Right Label For Your Child's Identity Helps Them Feel Seen
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It's About Time We Made Sex Ed And Pediatric Health Care LGBTQ+ Friendly
Much of what our children learn about sex and gender in the classroom is outdated. It's important to understand why inclusive education is important for the health and development of all children and teens and how we as parents can improve what is taught in schools.
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Parents, We Need to Change the Way We Discuss Gender, Sexuality, and Identity
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36 Gender Inclusive Books for Kids and Teens
These books feature trans, nonbinary, and gender-creative characters confronting challenges that range from the supernatural to the painfully real.
"Young people need to see images of themselves in order to internalize a healthy sense of self," says Lilian Rivera, who works with trans, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming youth and their families at the organization Gender Spectrum. "It's important for children to know that gender doesn't have to be rigid or very specific." The characters in these books encourage children of all genders to express their full, authentic selves.
For more resources and support, visit TheTrevorProject, Suicide Prevention Hotline, Born This Way Foundation, The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender National Hotline, Family Equality Council, Trans Lifeline, PLFAG, TextCrisesline.org, PleaseStay, itgetsbetter.org, and Qchatspace.org.