Learning That an Adolescent Child Is Gay or Lesbian, Essay Example

Introduction

Learning that an adolescent child is gay or lesbian has three major responses from a parent perspective. First depending on the culture of the family it could be a devastating realization, Secondly, if the parents’ culture is open to differences in sexuality it would be less traumatic while acceptable and thirdly parents could realize the changes and continue in years of denial that it is happening to their child.

The devastating realization

People who are Christians preach against what is termed homosexuality. Therefore, if the child was raised in a Christian family, especially, if parents hold positons as pastors, bishop, evangelists in s in the church a lesbian/ gay announcement is disastrous for the family. Often these parents do not accept that there is a biological predisposition to lesbian/gay. In that religious culture God made man and woman. Some televangelist declare publicly that God made a Adam and Eve and not Adam and Steve or Eve and Evadne,

Therefore, from this perspective the tenancy is to apply corrective measures to the adolescent. Some parents even turn them out of the home and disqualify them from inheritance. One the children come out openly declaring their sexuality peers within the church begin to separate themselves from them. In return parents who continue embracing their gay/lesbian children through fear of losing their position in the church adapt harsh techniques in an effort to correct an an abnormality or dysfunction. Some parents are so demoralized that they have to get counselling to cope with the situation especially, if it is a first family member demonstrating these tendencies.

Parents’ culture is open to differences in sexuality

While parents’ religious culture would deplore lesbian/gay behavior some religious cultures tolerate people who are lesbians/gays. This is practiced under the hypocrisy that everyone is a child of God. Precisely, God has no gender or sexuality. Parents with no specific background while society may abhor gays/lesbians they are more likely to accept their children’s sexuality. Gays and lesbians have not emerged in the twenty-first. However, society is now more accommodating of the philosophy. Modern thinking parents now view it not as a choice, but a biological difference which if cannot be accepted at least.

More importantly, parents who are gays/lesbians themselves often would not respond with any awkwardness to their child’s gay/lesbian sexuality. Insidiously, these children have been born into this type of gender orientation culture. While, the child him/herself may question the difference these parents are more comfortable with their children sexuality. They are no religious pressures defining how they must regulate their sexuality. These parents are aware of law protecting gays/lesbians from discrimination in the society and will validate their children’s identity through positive exposure.

Conclusion

Parents in denial that it is happening to their child.

While the situation exists and becomes obvious to everyone else except the child’s parents, issues of denial are evident. First they make excuses for the child’s behavior relating it as a joke or merely imitating someone else. Next, if at the time it is acknowledged, but not as accepted it is communicated as just a phase, which the child will outgrow later in life. It is truelearning that an adolescent child is gay or lesbian can be disturbing. At the same time it is an experiment to see how much of a parent that person is to their child, whether society/religion will determine the relationship between them after the discovery.