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Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays

PARENTS AND CHILDREN SWITCH ROLES

When you come out to your parents, you may find your parent-child roles reversed for a while. They will need to learn from your experience. As your parents deal with your disclosure, you must assume the 'parenting' role by allowing them time to express their feelings and make progress toward new insights. This will not be easy. You'll want them to understand and grasp this important part of your life right away.

It will be easy for you to become impatient. you'll need to repeat many of the same things. Just because you've explained something once does not mean they heard it. Their understanding will evolve slowly, painfully slow, at the beginning. Their emotional reactions will get in the way of their intellectual understandings.

Allow them time and space. Consider your own journey. You've been working on this issue for years! Although the issues that your parents will work through are similar to those you've dealt with, the difference is that you're ahead of them in the process. Be patient.

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