Every person is different. Not every person is going to go through same experiences because not everyone's story is the same. As part of the LGBTQ+ community, we all have different experiences but they often can be more similar then not. One of our jobs as adults, is to take care of the youth.
Did you know most LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to go through a violent situation and have mental health issues then heterosexual children?
Mental health issues are on the rise for both the LGBTQ+ and the heterosexual community, so why do we add to the pain by not supporting our youth LGBTQ+? Children need the support of a parent or a guardian in order to go through life safely.
Imagine your son or daughter telling you that they fell in love with the boy next door. How would you react? Parents of heterosexual children would be fine with their daughter falling in love with a boy, but the parents of a LGBTQ+ child react one of two ways. They either flip out over it or they support them.
When someone doesn't feel supported, they don't feel safe.
When someone doesn't feel safe their health deteriorates due to the rise of Cortisol.Cortisol is a hormone produced in your body that triggers the fight or flight response. Too much Cortisol, according to Live Strong, can cause a lot of problems in your body.
If you decide to have children, what is the first thought that you have when they are born? If it's that you are going to protect them and love them then why does it change when your child comes out as LGBTQ+?
Every parent has a plan for their child when they are born, but one has to accept that not all children are going to follow that path. Would you rather have your child be depressed, addicted to something or hurt than have them love someone that happens to be the same gender or gender-less?
Did you know that suicide is higher in the LGBTQ+ community than in the heterosexual community?
If you don't want to see your child in a grave, then get them the help they need or be there as a support system for them.
Did you know that LGBTQ+ youth are 34% likely to be bullied at school and the percentage increases if they are a person of color? Other children can be just as mean as adults according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
18% of LGBTQ+ youth are forced into sexual relations by people they know or are dating.
Imagine your child being forced into sexual acts when they aren't ready. We jump and rally over rape cases that happen to be heterosexual in nature, but what is the difference if it happens to be homosexual in nature? Nothing, and that's because sexual assault is never okay.
If you kick your child out of the house due to religious beliefs it is no better than child abuse. Wouldn't you do anything to protect your child? Kicking them out or isolating them because of who they love is not the way to protect them. It's a way to protect yourself.
With all the violence and the rise of mental health issues in the world, how do you protect your child? Teach them how to live in the world, but always allow them to come home to regroup or heal. Don't trigger the Cortisol response that could lead to more health problems in their future. Protect them from bad people not those who love them for who they are.
The phrase "I need an adult" has never been truer than nowadays because of all these problems arising about those in the LGBTQ+ community.
