When you find out about your child’s sexual identity, it is natural to think that it is only a temporary period. On the other hand, considering the difficulties of living as a LGBTI+ person in our society, the probability of a cishet person to choose to be gay is highly low. Your children probably have spent a long time taking on board the fact that they are LGBTI+ persons before coming out to you.
Some families feel that they wish they had never learned that their children are LGBTI+ persons. However, you should keep in mind that your children often went through a very long and difficult period of self-awareness before they come out, and the reason they tell you is because they love you and want to maintain an honest, undisclosed relationship with you without hiding an important part of their lives. Your children’s coming out process may also be the mark of their need to get support from you. According to a study, nearly 80% of LGBTI+ young persons experience a serious sense of social and emotional isolation, and this has a psychologically devastating effect on young persons.
