This needs to be brought up
I am Catherine, 42 years old and I am a single mother living in Connecticut. I believe this is something that needs to be addressed, because it seems like it is some type of a taboo in many parts of the world still.
Living in a small community means you need to make certain concessions once in a while. And as far as small communities go, unusual behaviors are not usually tolerated. Like that of being gay, among other things. And it is that much more drastic as it is a kid that finds himself in that position.
In short, my 15-year-old boy is gay.
Know what you’re dealing with
When you are having a gay child, you need to interpret the signs. They will be there, if you know where to look. I have noticed that Adam, my little boy, was special for the past 4 years, but I was not really sure until early this year. He used to play with dolls instead of cars and he somehow always favored admiring male models. Which I thought it was normal for a boy to do.
Except that, as time passed, he began manifesting an obvious attraction towards the same sex. I immediately suspected the truth, but I could see how he avoided talking to me on the issue and how he would constantly deflect the subject immediately as it popped out.
Now, for all you parents out there, you need to understand that this is a sensitive period in a boy’s life. Especially for boys. Girls might handle the situation a bit better, but boys are meant to be more masculine and when they manifest homosexual tendencies, they will immediately become stigmatized by the other children.
It is, therefore, crucial that you stand by his side and support him 100%.
Being a good parent means making a positive impact
I knew right from the get-go that it was up to me to make things better for him. In such a delicate situation, your kid will always look for your support, because where else is he going to get it from? And I knew that my job as a parent was to guide him through the situation, so that he would come up on top. I also knew how the community will react as a whole, but I couldn’t care less and I thought him to enter the same state of mind.
You have to understand that, when dealing with problems of this nature, your child could quickly fall into depression and develop a low self-esteem, making him do things he will grow to regret. If he will end up hating himself, it will partially be your fault, as a parent.
I knew I had to make sacrifices for my baby boy, so I have sacrificed everything else for him to grow confident and strong and not care about what others think about him, but about him being happy.
I will always stand by his side
All that matters, in the end, is for my boy to be happy, which means I will support him in every way I can, in this regard. Because, no matter what you would want for him, as a parent, he will always ignore you, if he feels your goals for him don’t match his.
Him being gay doesn’t change the fact that I love him and the more people will realize this, the better.
