For LGBT Mental Health, Family Makes All the Difference
December 13th, 2010
Many recent studies have highlighted the psychological, social, and emotional burdens that queer stigma places on youth who are, or who are perceived to be, LGBT. But one factor that can protect youth and teens from the brunt of these struggles is support from their family. When families openly support their children, including advocacy against mistreatment, those kids go on to have much lower rates of depression, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts during their early adult years. Supportive parents are a great model for their kids, promoting self esteem and encouraging them to treat others with respect, acceptance, and compassion.
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A great example of the most supportive parents and how they encourage healthy self-esteem, not-surprisingly, comes from this Time article about Lesbian parents: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1994480,00.html
I love my son and have brought him up best I can to be nonjudgmental about a person’s life choices. If he told me tomorrow he was gay, I would accept that and love him just the same. How could I not? He’d still be the same boy I’ve brought up and loved all his life.
I had openly gay friends of my own and seeing their parents cast them aside when they came out was heartbreaking. I don’t know how they can do that to their own flesh and blood over their sexuality. Thankfully attitudes are swinging more towards positivity and acceptance every year.
I couldn’t turn my back on my daughter. Much as I have always wanted to be a grandmother, if that didn’t happen, c’est la vie. I had my freedom to love who I wanted to. She is entitled to that very same freedom.
I can only hope that if my own child decides that this is who he is then I can be open minded enough to accept this and not have a battle over this. It is easy to sit back and say that you think that it is something that is ok for others but a little more difficult when it comes to accepting this of your own child. But I have to think that I love my own kids enough that nothing that they could say or do would ever force me to turn my back on them forveer. It would be difficult because I know how hard a decision like this would make for them the rest of their lives but I think that I would be willing to give him the love that he needs to get through it.
I think the Kurt’s dad in Glee, Burt Hummel–played brilliantly by Mike O’Malley–is a very positive role model for parents with LGBT children. He supports his son unconditionally, stands up for him and accepts him for who he is. We need more characters like this on TV.
if your family deserts you there is not too many people you can rely on…this can get very depressing for emotional people,you know…
“High religious involvement in families was strongly associated with low acceptance of LGBT children.” Ah, the hypocrisy of the churches who preach “love thy neighbor as thyself” on one hand and declare gays an abomination on the other. I’d love to be there when they stand before God and explain that one. It would never enter my mind to choose my religion over my son or daughter.
I’m a supporter of gay rights. And not a closet supporter either. From the time I was a kid, I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many qualities that make up a human being… by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant. -Paul Newman.
Well said, sir!
No family support equals a very sad existence for LGBT people
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