I think it is entirely fair to have a support group for the families (especially parents) of LGBT people.
The act of coming out can be a shock, their understanding of who their child is affected, and I suspect that there may even be some degree of a grief process taking place. This is because they assume that the things they want for their kids – a partner, a home life, a kid if they want one – are denied to them now due to institutionalised homophobia and a lack of representation in media.
When the image of LGBT people is no longer under attack, when groups stop telling lies about us, when parents realise that – with one minor difference – their children are no different from who they think they are, that shock and grief will go. And if there is someone there to help them with that process and that understanding, it’s a good thing.
FFLAG, unlike its model in the US, PFLAG, does not support transsexual, transgender, or gender variant children or their parents. Its purely LGB and, all credit to them, they have never claimed otherwise. So talking of LGBT in this thread is totally wrong.
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Not that I’d want them, with no expertise, claiming to to do, because the last thing that is needed is people mixing the issues. Transsexual kids are sure of their sex-identity years earlier than most LGB ones seem able to say their orientation, and confusion with LGB children leads to them being disbelieved, their identity denied, and therefore their whole lives harmed.
She once said to me to pass on to bullied youngsters that the next time the bullies confront you step forward and approach the main bully and say to them (when they have there entourage around them) “why” do you keep on having a go at me, is it because you like me and cant get me out of your head?
It’s a brave thing to do, but it works every time.
Now you see, that’s a good example, because whilst it might (if you say) work a total treat for, say, a 13 year-old gay boy or lesbian, it is not something a 5 year-old transsexual girl could or would ever want to say. Thus it is better FFLAG doesn’t advise transsexual children’s parents.
I was being called “faggot” within weeks of starting school at four-and-a-half (as I was right through school), although knew I was really a girl who would live as a woman, or die, and wasn’t interested in boys, or anything boyish. I had known already for over 2 years. Suggesting someone of the same sex fancied me would not have either been honest, or improved understanding.
.
What worked for me was just loudly repeating “Why are you hitting me?”. They soon got bored.
In years gone by, the Sun newspaper had a poor track record with LGBT issues. While it is great that Deidre Sanders of the Sun is now on board with us, the reputation of that newspaper almost seems to preceed it. Remember when they slandered Sir Elton John accussing him of child abuse? Many Scousers still don’t buy it because of the lies it printed about Hillsborough. I am quite surprised that it did not go the same way as the News Of The World.
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I think it is entirely fair to have a support group for the families (especially parents) of LGBT people.
The act of coming out can be a shock, their understanding of who their child is affected, and I suspect that there may even be some degree of a grief process taking place. This is because they assume that the things they want for their kids – a partner, a home life, a kid if they want one – are denied to them now due to institutionalised homophobia and a lack of representation in media.
When the image of LGBT people is no longer under attack, when groups stop telling lies about us, when parents realise that – with one minor difference – their children are no different from who they think they are, that shock and grief will go. And if there is someone there to help them with that process and that understanding, it’s a good thing.
[p]p
FFLAG, unlike its model in the US, PFLAG, does not support transsexual, transgender, or gender variant children or their parents. Its purely LGB and, all credit to them, they have never claimed otherwise. So talking of LGBT in this thread is totally wrong.
.
Not that I’d want them, with no expertise, claiming to to do, because the last thing that is needed is people mixing the issues. Transsexual kids are sure of their sex-identity years earlier than most LGB ones seem able to say their orientation, and confusion with LGB children leads to them being disbelieved, their identity denied, and therefore their whole lives harmed.
Sue is now the Chair!
She once said to me to pass on to bullied youngsters that the next time the bullies confront you step forward and approach the main bully and say to them (when they have there entourage around them) “why” do you keep on having a go at me, is it because you like me and cant get me out of your head?
It’s a brave thing to do, but it works every time.
Now you see, that’s a good example, because whilst it might (if you say) work a total treat for, say, a 13 year-old gay boy or lesbian, it is not something a 5 year-old transsexual girl could or would ever want to say. Thus it is better FFLAG doesn’t advise transsexual children’s parents.
I was being called “faggot” within weeks of starting school at four-and-a-half (as I was right through school), although knew I was really a girl who would live as a woman, or die, and wasn’t interested in boys, or anything boyish. I had known already for over 2 years. Suggesting someone of the same sex fancied me would not have either been honest, or improved understanding.
.
What worked for me was just loudly repeating “Why are you hitting me?”. They soon got bored.
In years gone by, the Sun newspaper had a poor track record with LGBT issues. While it is great that Deidre Sanders of the Sun is now on board with us, the reputation of that newspaper almost seems to preceed it. Remember when they slandered Sir Elton John accussing him of child abuse? Many Scousers still don’t buy it because of the lies it printed about Hillsborough. I am quite surprised that it did not go the same way as the News Of The World.