In a youngsters life the most important thing to them, is feeling loved by their family before anyone else. But when say, a gay or lesbian child feels secure with themselves, and feels like they have the guidance and support of their parents it can literally save their lives.
Rates of AIDS, substance abuse and attempted suicides are considerably higher among homosexual youths than among their heterosexual peers. Ensuring a youngster's safety requires educating and advocating. Educate by giving your child the facts about how he can keep himself healthy; advocate by getting involved in the fight to end discrimination against gay people.
When discussing sexual responsibility with a gay teenager, make sure that he understands the dangers of unprotected anal sex. In contrast to the previous generation of gay men, which was decimated by the HIV virus, a homosexual teenager might not know anyone with AIDS-or might not know he knows anyone, since drugs now can keep people alive for many years. To him the disease is abstract and not an immediate threat.
Help your youngster find opportunities for socializing with other gay teenagers. Some communities have gay and lesbian youth centers where youngsters can come just to hang out or to participate in social events, discussion groups, and other services. State departments of health may fund crisis centers and hot lines exclusively for gay youngsters. Such services are most likely to be found in the Yellow Pages under "Social and Human Services"; in the White Pages' Business Listings, under "Gay"; or by searching on-line.
Stand up to prejudice, discrimination and violence against homosexuals. Lesbians and gays are the most frequent victims of hate crimes in the United States-hate crimes being acts perpetrated because of a person's sexual orientation, race, religion or other defining characteristic. You can help to make the world safer for your youngster. For example:
- Refuse to tolerate homophobic remarks or jokes.
- In one survey, more than half the young people polled said that their teachers portrayed homosexuality in a negative light. If that describes your child's school, suggest to the administration that it present a community education assembly, to enlighten students about anti-gay harassment and violence. Gay and lesbian community centers and crisis centers often have speakers available to address schools and youth organizations.