Tomorrow is National Coming Out Day. I came out well before I became a parent; other LGBT parents may be motivated to come out because they are becoming parents (like celebrity gay dads Ricky Martin and Clay Aiken each did). Still others of us come out to our children after they thought we were straight or cisgender. For those in the latter category, here are some resources to help you do so. Tomorrow, I’ll post about my own experience and why I think being visible still presents challenges, no matter how out we think we are.
For parents coming out to your kids:
- First, I recommend the excellent articles, “Tips for Coming Out to Your Kids About Your Sexual Orientation” and “Transition Tips for Parents” by the folks at COLAGE, themselves children of LGBT parents.
- On the flip site, COLAGE also offers a “Guide for When Your Parent(s) Come Out as LGBTQ.”
- Slightly older, but still worthwhile, are the answers given by Abigail Garner, author of Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is, in the “Coming Out to Children” category of her blog. (She also handles questions from gay aunts and uncles about coming out to nephews and nieces.)
- Finally, HRC’s extensive set of coming out resources offer non-parent-specific tips for coming out in various ethnic communities as well as coming out at work and to your doctor. They also offer a guide for coming out as a straight ally.
Wherever you are in your journey of coming out, may you find a warm welcome and companionship along the way.