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Support and Safety:
How Support Builds Resilience

Whether you are a parent, grandparent, caregiver, adoptive parent, foster parent, or someone who has made the commitment to care for your child, this space is here to explore how love and connection can build a strong foundation for their well-being and resilience.

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Parenting always comes with its own set of challenges—and when your child or young person identifies as LGBTQ+, it can bring up even more questions, emotions, and sometimes fears, especially if it challenges what you were taught or expected. This space isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about offering understanding, support, and honest conversations that honor your journey and your child’s truth. You’re not alone here—and you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.

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This space is also for you—to reflect, learn, and grow. It’s an invitation to explore your own beliefs, re-negotiate expectations you may have held for yourself, your child, and even your extended family. Parenting an LGBTQ+ child can be a mirror, revealing where healing, unlearning, or deeper connection might be needed. There’s room here for that work, too—done at your pace, with compassion and care.

Why It Matters:

Children who feel loved and supported by their families are:

  • 50% less likely to attempt suicide.

  • 30% less likely to misuse substances.

  • More likely to report positive mental health and a sense of belonging.

Four Actions you can Take Today

Every person deserves to feel loved, seen, valued, and supported. By embracing diversity and championing mental health, we can create a world where LGBTQ+ individuals survive and thrive.

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Together, let’s empower minds and embrace identities.

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Support & Safety

  • Unconditional Love Doesn’t require agreement

  • You can love your child even if you don’t fully understand or agree with their identity.

  • Love means prioritizing their health, happiness, and safety.

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The Power of Connection:

  • Show your child they matter through your actions, words, and presence.

  • Listen actively and openly to their experiences without judgment.

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Practical Steps to Show Support:

  • Use their chosen name and pronouns.

  • Celebrate their achievements and be present for milestones.

  • Learn about LGBTQ+ topics to better understand their perspective.

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What Love Looks Like in Action:

  • “I’m here for you, no matter what.”

  • “You are my child, and I love you unconditionally.”

  • Hugging, spending time together, and offering a listening ear.

The Power of Family Support:
A Lifeline for LGBTQ+ Youth

Family Acceptance and Mental Health: A 2022 study by The Trevor Project found that LGBTQ+ youth who reported high levels of family support were significantly less likely to attempt suicide compared to those with low or moderate family support.

Love
Reaching Out
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"It's really scary to make decisions on behalf of your children. And you have to do this because it is also deciding for them if you're not making a decision. If I allow a guy to go through puberty and develop a body that they don't feel right in, then that is also deciding for them. And every parent has struggles, and they will have struggles regardless, but this is such a big struggle."

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Parent of a 14-year-old LGBTQ+​

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