How To Be the Parent of a Bisexual Child...

A few years ago, our second-born son, Blaize, came to us and shared his good news that he was bisexual.

He's happier and more self-confident than I've ever seen him before.

He's no longer hiding an extremely important part of himself.

He's exactly who he was born to be.

How did this news impact me as his mom?

Truthfully, as he was sharing his thoughts and finally got the words out of his mouth, I blurted, "Is that all?"

I had been afraid it was something serious!  I had thought he might have been going to tell us he had cancer or had been kicked out of college. When it turned out he was simply sharing his sexual orientation, I couldn't have been more relieved!

Fast forward to the present time.

Blaize sent Ed and I a questionnaire asking what it meant to us to be parents of a bisexual child. He wanted the answers for an upcoming article he will be writing.

He sent us the questionnaire via email.

I haven't read Ed's answers and he hasn't seen mine yet. But, I'm guessing the words we typed might be quite similar.

How do you 'parent' a bisexual child?

Advice is difficult to give because everyone's situation looks different. 

However, if I learned one thing it's that there isn't a correct way to react or to respond when your child comes out. 

It may feel like your child is suddenly a person you don't know because they've had to hide their sexuality. While, in reality, they're the very same child you gave birth to and raised all these years.

I've never discussed, with our three other children, whether or not they were heterosexual and it's sad that our bisexual child had to 'come out' and that he just couldn't 'be.' 

Unfortunately, it's our society which makes the LGBTQ community feel like they're a minority.

As parents, these are just our kids. 

Love them.

Listen to them. 

Defend them. 

Challenge them. 

Accept them, unconditionally, as you always have. 

BE A PARENT. 

I'll screw up while parenting Blaize just like I do with my other three children.  I'm a parent.  I'm not perfect.  

But, he's my flesh and blood.

My gift from God.

I'll continue to cherish all four of my children.

Parenting a child who is part of the LGBTQ community is exactly the same as parenting a child who is a member of the heterosexual community.

It is what it is.

p