Coming Out, Coming Home: Helping Families Adjust to a Gay or Lesbian Child

Author(s): Michael C. LaSala

Parenting LGBTIQ+ Kids

The discovery that a child is lesbian or gay can send shockwaves throug a family. A mother will question how she's raised her son; a father will worry that his daughter will experience discrimination. From the child's perspective, gay and lesbian youth fear their families will reject them and that they will lose financial and emotional support. All in all, learning a child is gay challenges long-held views about sexuality and relationships, and the resulting uncertainty can produce feelings of anger, resentment, and concern. Through a qualitative, multicultural study of sixty-five gay and lesbian children and their parents, Michael LaSala, a leading expert on this issue, outlines effective, practice-tested interventions for families in transition. His research reveals surprising outcomes, such as learning that a child is homosexual can improve familial relationships, including father-child relationships, even if a parent reacts strongly or negatively to the revelation.


Product Information

General Fields

  • : 9780231143837
  • : Columbia University Press
  • : Columbia University Press
  • : June 2010
  • : July 2010
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : 304
  • : Paperback
  • : Michael C. LaSala