Belinda Carlisle and James Duke Mason on Family, Supporting a Gay Child

advocate.com:

How would you define familial love?Belinda Carlisle: I would say the first thing that comes to my mind is unconditional love, and that’s it.

I mean, that’s the simplest answer.James Duke Mason: I agree with that. I’ve been so lucky that for me, from a young age, I always knew that love was unconditional from my mom and dad, and that definitely gave me the confidence and the courage to be the person that I wanted to be. Do you think there’s a special way of showing love between (often straight) parent(s) and a queer child?Carlisle: I always make jokes about that if I had a straight son, I would have nightmares about him bringing home a Kardashian.

I only have one son, who’s gay, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I really don’t know what I would do with a straight child, to be honest.Mason: I came out at a young age, so that’s just sort of been a part of my identity for a while now.

And [my mom and dad] have been super supportive of that. In what ways do you think it’s important to show your love?Carlisle: I think through acceptance.