Austin and his parents, Diana and Michael, share their story. They touch on coming out twice, the importance of research, education and advocacy for your child, and the value of supporting, even if you do not fully understand.

Sylvia and her mom, Karina, share their journey living in a single parent household and how their openness to talk about mental health since a young age made Sylvia’s coming out process a little bit easier. Their story touches on coming out to conservative grandparents, the impact religion had on their journey, and the power of genuinely supporting and accepting your child.

D’Andrew and his mom Maxine share the struggle of coming out twice in a religious and Caribbean household, and a parent’s journey of choosing learning and acceptance over having their child go through his transition alone.

Jonas and his brother Jesse share their family’s journey of self acceptance, grief, the importance of normality and balancing multiple family struggles while transitioning. Also growing up in a single parent household, they recount how education and love helped solidify a foundation of family support during Jonas’ transition.

Some ways that you can foster an inclusive household are:

• Try to use inclusive, gender neutral language.

• Being mindful to not use, and to speak out against derogatory slurs, stereotypes, and misinformation about the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

• Read books, and watch movies and television shows with inclusive themes, and diverse characters and subjects.

• Inform yourself & your kids about 2SLGBTQ+ History, & prominent figures. 

• Go to places where you and your child will be exposed to diverse people.

• Have open communication with your child about supporting them no matter what.

• Make your acceptance visible and heard - children learn a lot from their parents so teaching your children to be respectful of people in the community will allow them to see that your home is a safe place for them or their friends!

To let your child know they can talk to you, try: 

• Telling them from a young age they can come to you about anything.

• Allowing them to come to you on their own time. For example, instead of persistently asking questions like “Are you gay?”, give them time to figure it out. They might not know yet themselves! 

• Instead, you can say something like, “You know I love you and you can talk to me about whatever you need,” and leave it there.

• Being honest when you don’t know or need time to process information and asking for that.

 Here are a few tips on ways you can validate your child during the coming out process: 

• Tell them you love them. 

• Ask them how you can support them and try to follow their suggestions.

• Avoid asking questions like “Do you think this is just a phase?” Instead, respect what your child is saying, and their opinions.

• Ask respectful questions. 

• Don’t be afraid to talk with your child about their 2SLGBTQ+ identity. Casual conversations can help normalize things, and avoid feelings of discomfort.  

• Look for resources to educate yourself and follow up with your child to check you’re on the right track.

If you’re looking for some places to start, consider checking out some of the trustworthy resources linked below:

There are so many things you can learn about, but try not to get overwhelmed! You don’t need to be perfect - we learn from our mistakes just as much as we can learn from a book, movie or podcast.

For someone coming out, support might look like:

• Going to support groups and/or therapy together.

• Using their chosen name and helping others do the same (as long you’ve been given permission to do so).

• Respecting their pronouns (even if they change) is important and validating.

• Helping them find resources in the area.

• Advocating for your loved one, especially when they are young, is very important in their journey. This could mean making sure their rights and needs are being respected, i.e at school, in the healthcare system, legally.

• Not sure where to start or how you’re doing? Try asking! “How can I support you?” or, “Hey! I just wanted to check in: how am I doing? What could I be doing better?”

 None of this would have been possible without our sponsors. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to the Pride Run, to Birks, and to the Kiwanis Foundation for giving us the ability to create this very important resource. We appreciate your support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.