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LGBT children

This board is primarily for parents of LGBTQ+ children to share personal experiences and advice. Others are welcome to post but please be respectful that this is a supportive space.

Ds 13 said he’s gay today

32 replies

0hCrepe · 14/07/2018 00:06

DS told us he’s gay today, he said it just kind of clicked. One of his best friends is also gay. He’s always liked dance etc and has mainly female friends but I was still quite surprised. Dh is quite effeminate so I thought he was prob like him. Anyway he just said it and we said whatever makes you happy and hugged him. He said he doesn’t fancy any boys. He seems content with it and he’s always been a very happy boy. Dd 11 was shocked and a bit freaked out, worried about friends talking about it.
Part of me thinks it might just be a phase, not that I want it to be, I guess it’s just getting used to it. But when do you tell wider family? Do we just leave that up to him? I said to dd it doesn’t change anything he’s still the same person. I’d like to talk about it with my friends, before I told my mum, but is that bad? I just think my mum would get ott about it and tell everyone and want to talk about it all the time!

OP posts:
Justamum07 · 11/10/2018 15:43

I don't at all mind it is very helpful.

I have told my sister who I trust implicitly and I am very close to.

steppemum · 11/10/2018 16:49

It is interesting, as a parent I have always encouraged mine to do everything, with no gender bias, and dd1 was always into stuff which was traditionally 'boys' stuff. She hasn't worn a skirt since she was about 8. To the extent that I would not have been able to send her to a school without a trouser option. I have never thought anything of it, I pretty much live in jeans and boots for example, but when she said she was gay, I realised that in some ways it was obvious, she has been typical gender non conforming for ever.
As I said it really won't be a surprise to anyone when they find out.

I do think for butch girls and effeminate boys it is very hard to negotiate these lines. Are they just an effeminate straight boy, or are they gay?
One of the reasons I am so worried about some of the trans stuff floating around is that it is these 2 groups who seem to be being pushed towards trans, instead of just letting them work out who they are.

My response to dd has been to continue life as normal, but in the last 6 months the topic has come up many times subtly. And she really appreciates it when I 'get' a gay joke. As an example, she was really routing for Dan on GBBO, because he was gay, and made some funny supportive comments of him which went right over dd2s head, and she and I just exchanged a grin.

In the end, to me, in this age of teenage mental health worries, I just want her to feel safe, loved and free to be herself.

FekkoTheLawyer · 11/10/2018 16:56

In the end it doesn't matter of he is or he isn't. The main thing is that he is confident and protected - there's a whole lot of utter crap on social media and some of itnos really scary stuff.

Focus on him, just studies, hobbies - boring day to day stuff. He is still a kid right now. If he is confident and comfortable within himself then he can get on with life without labels.

Ohyesiam · 11/10/2018 16:59

Ask your son if he wants any announcements, or maybe he wants to tell people himself.
It’s personal stuff , and it’s new to him. Particularly with how you described your mum, I’d go slow and let it get myegrate a bit.

Ohyesiam · 11/10/2018 16:59

Integrate

FekkoTheLawyer · 11/10/2018 17:26

Announcements? He's 13! Let the boy be. Wait and see. This is just one aspect of his life and not the focus - don't let it be the thing that defines him.

EthicalMaggie · 28/01/2019 15:06

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