Coming out to other family members is often a process that involves parents, after discussion. Some parents leave it to the discretion of their son or daughter…

The shock of hearing our son say he is gay is one we will always live with. Although I had my suspicions, until he put it into words…

Brenda Oakes is a founder member of FFLAG. About three weeks before he was due to go to University in 1983, Mike dropped his bombshell and announced to Jim and…

When we have children we know that things will happen along the way, as they grow up… which we possibly hadn't planned for like swimming with sharks,

I originate from the Caribbean where many people hold deeply religious beliefs which informs their views about homosexuality. My Christian fundamentalist mother…

There wasn't a Damascus moment. It was more like osmosis - a drip feed of information about our daughter's lifestyle that led us to the conclusion that she was gay…

Coming from a black family I always knew that homosexuality was frowned upon in our culture.  I never thought in a million years that one day my lovely son would tell me he is gay…

Bianca and Jon have one daughter of 21 who came out 5 years ago when she was 16. They were: ‘…a bit surprised, as she is very girly, but not shocked. We were worried that other…

Claire says: ‘I have no straight children. Finding out one child was gay was bearable. Finding out both were was very, very hard. My daughters refer to…

Coming out to other family members is often a process that involves parents, after discussion. Some parents leave it to the discretion of their son or daughter. Gabrielle says: ‘We have…

Parents who have had no difficulties in accepting their son or daughter’s sexuality cite a number of helping factors. For Marcia it is her attitude to life: ‘I am very open-minded about most things…

In most cases, parents found out about their child’s sexuality when their son or daughter told them. Bianca and Jon’s daughter told both her parents