"When your child 'comes out' to you, thank them. Thank them for loving and trusting you enough to share this important part of themselves with you. They have given you a gift, an opportunity to interact with them in an open and honest way. It means they want your approval and your love and they feel like they have a better than 50% chance of getting it or they wouldn’t have risked the disclosure."

Lisa Allred, LCSW, is our Work/Life Parent Senior Program Manager and a former child therapist.  She also parents a LGBT youth.  In this podcast, Lisa shares what to do if a parent suspects their child is gay, how to respond when your child “comes out” to you, and what not to do as a parent whose child has come out.  Lisa also explores how your life can change after your teen comes out.

Additional Resources:

• TED Talk by Andrew Solomon: “Love, no matter what”
• Article for parents: Sexual Orientation
• Article for teens: Sexual Attraction and Orientation