June is Pride Month, and here at Hammond Psychology & Associates, P.A. we believe in spreading love, not hate. With that in mind, we wanted to discuss how to speak to your children about the LGBTQ+ community.
First and foremost, avoid judgment
Remember that children are by their very nature, curious. They are going to see things on television, at school, and during their everyday lives in general. They will have questions about things they don’t understand. When they come to you with those questions, you need to keep an open mind, and answer them from a safe place of non judgment.
Here’s the truth – if your children don’t feel they can come to you with questions about certain topics, that is a breeding ground for them to ask someone else. Or worse, they might not ask anyone questions at all, which can be devastating to a child’s growth and development.
Be honest in your discussions on difficult topics
When your children bring a question to you, try to answer it in the simplest terms possible. You don’t need to tip-toe around the answers. In fact, doing so may make them feel uncomfortable. Though you might not feel comfortable, it’s important to do your best to stay calm, and be honest with them.
Odds are your children have already been learning some things, but aren’t fully informed. Ask them what they know, and then do your best to fill in the blanks.
What should you do if you don’t have an answer? You can simply say, “I don’t know the answer to that, but we can find it together.”
Here are some resources that might help you in answering questions your children may have:
- How to answer the question of “what does gay mean?”
- What does LGBTQ mean? There is a fabulous glossary of terms for youth here.
- What to do if your child asks “am I gay?” Start by reading this explanation of sexual orientation.
- The American Psychological Association also released a list of books that can help children and parents discuss and understand the LGBTQ+ Community.
Regardless of how you may feel about the LGBTQ+ community, it’s important to remember that everyone in this country has certain rights. One of those rights based on laws and customs in place in the United States is that people can love whoever they want to, and gay marriage is legal.
It’s not our place to judge, belittle, bully, or make anyone feel out of place. Perhaps the best advice we can leave you with is to educate yourself more, and treat others as you would want to be treated.