The Parents Guide to Supporting LGBTQIA+ Kids

In this week's 'Teen Talk' column, a teenager who began to understand her queer identity in middle school shares how parents can be positive guides through their child's coming out experience.

Transgender and queer advocates Rebekah Bruesehoff and her mom, Jamie, discuss the intersection of faith and queerness by sharing their own experiences between the church and their identities.

When children and teens come out as nonbinary or transgender to the adults in their life, they have to do a lot of internal work to understand how they fit into the world again. We need to think about gender differently so our children don't need to break through the binaries. 

"Coming out" looks different for every person, and it's even more complicated for families. Here is one queer mom's take on what coming out as a family can look like.

Your child's label within the LGBTQ+ community is a part of how they live and understand the world. By sharing this with you through coming out, they are allowing you to know their true selves and making it easier for you to support them. 

As more adults living their authentic lives in queer relationships have children, kids are navigating the unique experience of coming out to a parent who can relate to their journey.

Those who come out later in life or after having kids experience a unique set of challenges that those who come out in adolescence or their early twenties don't. For me, seeing my relief in being my true self helped my children support me.

Parents, you might not be the first person to know everything about your child's life, especially regarding their gender and sexual identity, but that's not a bad thing. Here's why they might tell their friends first and how your reaction can make all the difference.

It is incredibly affirming to have LGBTQ+ allies in our lives, and even more incredible when it comes from a non-LGBTQ+ family. Here's how to encourage your family to be allies.

Parents and adult caregivers are the greatest advocates to help children feel supported and included in their education. Here are ways you can work with your school's administration to bring representation into the classroom.

Are you looking to support your child as they explore their gender and sexuality, but are not sure where to start? Being there to create safe, inclusive spaces is a great first step. Experts share how to do this and more.

LGBTQ youth often have to deal with negativity. But parents and caregivers can make all the difference in helping them feel comfortable in their skin. Experts offer advice on how to help, especially during the pandemic when there is more opportunity to bond.

LGBTQ+ families need strong support and grandparents can make all the difference. Here are simple ways grandparents can show support for their queer children's families.

Pronouns that we use are as much of us as the rest of our identity. If your child tells you their pronouns, it's important to listen.

Only one in three queer youth say their home is a supportive and safe space for them to be their true selves. Let's do better for our kids; experts share how.

Leaving home for the first time can be intimidating for LGBTQ+ teens. Experts share what parents should know and how they can best support their teens during this transition.

The key is and will continue to be for foster parents to listen, learn, and practice empathy for kids in the LGBTQ+ community.

Parents and allies of transgender youth have the duty to listen, learn, and be gender-affirming caregivers. It takes a village of support to thrive—here are ways you can be part of theirs. 

Understanding what asexual means is the first step to being there for them as a caregiver. 

Being raised in a Catholic household, I struggled to balance my queerness, my religion, and my relationship with my family. Parents can help their kids avoid this issue. Here are ways you can create a safe space for your LGBTQ+ children within your religion and boost your relationship at the same time.

Integrating LGBTQ+ history, content, and representation into school curriculums is critical for the well-being of all students. Here, experts explain how to do it and why it matters.

Self-identifying labels are important to the queer community. Here's what labels mean to kids and why they are important in supporting identity exploration and mental health.

In this week's 'Teen Talk' column, a nonbinary teen shares what they want parents to understand about their experience with gender identity.

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.

In the wave of anti-transgender medical and sports bans, caregivers and parents discuss what is truly at stake: joy.

When we look beyond the construct of gender and sexuality, we can help our children explore their identity without limiting their interests, joys, curiosity, and self-expression.

These out and proud LGBTQ+ role models show kids what's possible.

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.