Family support for LGBT children

Here is a note that Mayo Clinic's website has on how to support your LGBT child:

If you or your child is LGBTQ, look for a doctor who is empathetic and respectful of your specific needs. By doing so, the doctor can help identify ways to reduce the risk of health concerns, as well as identify medical conditions and refer you to specialists when necessary.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/basics/lgbtq-health/hlv-20049421

I want to share this video because it's a perspective directly from a young trans man who was supported by his parents as a child. He's able to look back on his experiences and share what helped and what hurt him during his transition.

Some highlights if you don't have time to watch...
1. Research! Do some research on your child's identity (online, books, or just by talking to your kid about what they want and need)
2. Respect your child's name and pronouns (it will speak volumes!)
3. Help your child with the coming out process (but talk to them first to make sure this is something they want before doing it!)
4. More research!
5. Financial support (only if this is something you're able to do)
6. Legal and medical guidance (transitioning can be difficult and complicated. One thing you can help with is finding an trans friendly doctor for your kid)
7. Validation (believe your kid. Transitioning can be confusing, and it might seem like this identity came out of nowhere. Trust your kid and it will make them more comfortable to trust you and turn to you when they need you)

@ayeshasharma A great conversation starter! Thank you for starting this discussion, and posting this video. There is definitely a period of transition for family/friends/co-workers just like the young man stated. I hope to see posts here from others. Support on a journey is so important!
Ginger

Thank you so much @gingerw !

Supportive parents of color are rarely represented in the mainstream outwardly accepting and loving their LGBT+ children. As families of color, we can sometimes think about being LGBT+ as solely an aspect of western culture, when this couldn't be further from the truth!

Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union are celebrity examples of what it means to support your LGBT+ child. Here is a short interview with Dwayne Wade about unconditionally loving his LGBT+ child, Zion:

• "As a family, we just support each other. That's our job. My job as a father is to facilitate their lives, and to support them and to be behind them in whatever they want to do. So the same effort that I'm going to put into Zaire wanting to be a basketball player, the same hours that I'm going to put in to making sure that he has the right trainer, that he eats right and has the right time with me on the basketball floor and the knowledge that I give him is the same time I'm going to give Zion with the things that he wants to do. He's a writer, he's someone who has an unbelievable mind, an [imaginative] mind, he's a reader..."

• "They all [my children] are different. And I have to get to know them where they are, and I have to be able to parent them where they are and who they are, and not saying, 'okay, well it's 3 boys–they all do the same thing. We parent them the same way.'"

Since it's Children's Mental Health Week, I wanted to share this post from the brilliant and bold British activist and writer, Monroe Bergdorf: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8Hl9hzgK70/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Here it is if you have trouble with the link:

"Create and support inclusive environments that hold space for ALL children as they are, not as they are expected to be.

If a child tells you that they're trans, listen to them, ask them what they need from you as an adult. Support them. Encourage them to be themselves. Make them feel proud to be who they are. There is nothing wrong with your child saying that they are trans, because there is nothing wrong with being trans. In shutting them down, you are sending a message that there is.

Transgender infants are not having sexual reassignment surgeries. That is not a thing. That has never been a thing. Unless those children are also Intersex, in which case they may experience surgeries - something that many intersex activists are campaigning to stop as standard practice for all intersex babies. Please see @intersexjusticeproject, @pidgeo_n, @rivergallo and @interact_adv for more information on that.

Supporting and encouraging a trans kid can consist of as much or as little as they need. From allowing them to dress differently, to taking an interest in their true interests, to changing their pronouns or name if they ask you to, to not policing the length of their hair, to letting them decorate their room in a way that reflects how they feel... Just listen to them, let them know that you are listening to them.

The worst thing we can do is expose that child to shame. Making a child feel ashamed to be trans won't make it go away. It won't give you the child that you want, you'll just end up with an unhappy one. Don't be your kids first bully. Believe trans kids.

#childrensmentalhealthweek"

@ayeshasharma - This was very enlightening. He is very articulate and engaging as a speaker.

@lisalucier I totally agree!

As an update to my previous post about Dwayne Wade's child, Wade had an interview with Ellen Degeneres recently when he spoke about his child's journey:

It can be difficult for our loved ones, but it is crucial for the mental health of trans children for parents to be supportive and curious. Switching our use of pronouns from what we are used to (in this case, he/him pronouns) to what is most affirming for our trans children (she/her pronouns for Zaya) is a process which requires flexibility, maturity, humility, and an open mind.

@ayeshasharma I agree, it was a heartfelt discussion, and very affirming. I bet there were many young trans people who wish they could have their own family be so comfortable. Zaya is to be commended, also, for feeling comfortable to be a shining poster gal for this! And let's not forget the sibling support, from her brother. What a strong family.
Ginger