Family Resources & Engagement

Family and parental engagement is the primary level of support necessary for positive self image and overall self success with LGBTQ+ children. Family involvement and encouragement has been proven to reduce adolescent risk and increase mental health development. This page is designed to provide families with information and resources on how to best support their child in order create a safe, supportive, communicative environment and bridge connections between school and home.

My Child Identifies as LGBTQ+

How Can I Best Support Them? Why is that Important?

Somos Familia. Family Acceptance: How being supportive of our LGBTQ youth makes a diference. Retrieved from http://www.somos.dreamhosters.com/newwp/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Infographic-eng-791x1024.png

Transgender Children Talk About Being Raised By Their Families | them

Three transgender youth - Penelope (he/him/his), Nicole (she/her/hers), and Rhys (he/him/his) - share their journeys embracing their identities and the challenges they overcame, and will continue to overcome, in life. Meanwhile, their parents discuss how they have become social justice advocates after being hesitant and unsure at first about how to accept and support their children.

them. (2017, December 21). Transgender Children Talk About Being Raised By Their Families | them [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLNdExzuKwc

Jodie Patterson on Raising a Transgender Child in the Black Community | BCS

Jodie Patterson (she/her/hers) , who is Penelope's (he/him/his) mother, explains that having a support system in the Black community, specifically in Brooklyn, helped her to finally understand her son's identity, especially after being told "your community is not going to be down with this [because] Black people have to think about mass incarceration...and housing crisis and things that are primary to the Black community" (Brooklyn Community Services, 2017, 3:03).

Brooklyn Community Services. (2017, September 18). Jodie Patterson on Raising a Transgender Child in the Black Community | BCS [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgpNOHYLURU

The Coming Out Process

Should I ask my child if they are LGBTQ+?

As a parent, guardian, or family member, you might already be aware that your child is part of the LGBTQ+ community. Should you ask them, if they haven't come out to you? Read this discussion post to gain some insight into what other parents say!

Read the post here: http://mykidisgay.com/should-i-ask/

Mayeno, L. (n.d.). Should I Ask? [weblog]. Retrieved from http://mykidisgay.com/should-i-ask/

How Did You Come Out? • In The Closet

Watch from 1:50-3:40 to hear Tan, Jen, and Niki share their experiences coming out to their parents and families. They discuss how family values impacted their coming out processes.

As/Is. (2016, October 11). How Did You Come Out? • In The Closet [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVo21BoUFhI

Latin[x]s Talk About Coming Out

Cultural, ethnic, and racial identity play a role in the coming out process. Watch this video to get insight and perspective into what it was like for these Latinx self-identified youth to come out.

Pero Like. (2016, October 11). Latinos Talk About Coming Out [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkQ2kTa4Rgk

Mental Health Resources

"How do we as parents get involved and make a difference?"

"The Family Acceptance Project® is a research, intervention, education and policy initiative that works to prevent health and mental health risks for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) children and youth, including suicide, homelessness and HIV – in the context of their families, cultures and faith communities. We use a research-based, culturally grounded approach to help ethnically, socially and religiously diverse families to support their LGBT children. "

Family Engagement for Positive Mental Health

Click on the link below to access family resource and education booklets with best practices to reduce suicide risk and promote the social, emotional, and mental health development of a child who is LGBTQ+.

Booklets available for download in English, Spanish, and Chinese:

Videos showcasing family engagement, cultural, ethnic, and racial identity and the role they play in the mental health of a person that is LGBTQ+:

Addressing Bullying

"Bullying can take many forms, such as: hitting and/or punching (physical bullying); teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying); intimidation through gestures or social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional bullying); and sending insulting messages by phone or computer e-mail (cyber bullying). "

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) developed the two guides below for parents and families who may suspect or has been told their child is being bullied.

GLSEN. (2013). For Parents and Families: What to do if a Child is Being Bullied [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/For%20Parents%20and%20Families-%20What%20to%20do%20if%20a%20Child%20is%20Being%20Bullied%20%20.pdf

GLSEN. (2013). For Parents and Families: How to Talk with Educators at Your Child's School About Bullying [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/For%20Parents%20and%20Families-%20How%20to%20Talk%20with%20Educators%20at%20Your%20Child%E2%80%99s%20School%20About%20Bullying%20.pdf

"If you want to combat bullying and make a difference in your community, look to the young people who have faced and are facing bullying to learn what they wish the parents, educators, and other adults in their lives would do to support them and end bullying."

Read the article here: https://www.glaad.org/amp/lgbtq-youth-share-stories-offer-advice-adults-to-end-bullying

Kenny, C. (2018, October 18). lgbtq youth share their stories, offer advice to adults to end bullying [weblog]. Retrieved from https://www.glaad.org/amp/lgbtq-youth-share-stories-offer-advice-adults-to-end-bullying

Advocating for Transgender & Gender-Expansive Youth in Schools

Schools In Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools is geared toward parents as well as administrators, teachers, and other adults who work with youth. It can help you understand issues transgender and gender-expansive students may face in schools such as being addressed by their correct names and pronouns or having to follow a certain dress code. It also covers different school and district policies and state and federal laws that can protect students and families.

Baum, J. & Orr, A. (n.d.). Schools in Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/Schools-In-Transition.pdf?_ga=2.188637800.1742163931.1556325840-898378786.1556199620

Vice News. (2018, May 22). Gavin Grimm's Right To Use The Bathroom Was Appealed All The Way To The Supreme Court (HBO) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvjXJIJzxF8

Gavin Grimm's Right To Use The Bathroom Was Appealed All The Way To The Supreme Court (HBO)

"For two months, [Gavin] used the boys’ bathroom without interference. But after parents sent in complaints to school officials, the school board voted against allowing Gavin to use the boys’ bathroom. A federal appeals court overturned the school board’s vote, but Gavin’s case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court," which ruled in his favor.

While Transgender Students and School Bathrooms: Frequently Asked Questions is geared toward school leaders, it contains basic information about creating a Gender Support Plan (GSP) and how to combat questions or concerns from other parents, family members, students, or staff at the school who may be unsupportive and hold cis heteronormative views.

Gender Spectrum. (n.d.) Transgender Students and School Bathrooms: Frequently Asked Questions [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.dropbox.com/s/cq5rl1l90bvkqh9/Transgender%20Students%20and%20School%20Bathrooms%20-%20Frequently%20Asked%20Questions.pdf?dl=0