Contents

1. 1 Information and support lines
   1. 1.1 Books for Parents
   2. 1.2 Websites for Parents
   3. 1.3 Resources for young people
      1. 1.3.1 Television Programmes
      2. 1.3.2 Fiction
   4. 1.4 Books for young children with a lesbian or gay family member
      1. 1.4.1 Good films to see with your son or daughter
   5. 1.5 Glossary
2. 2 Parent groups
3. 3 Resources for your son or daughter 
4. 4 Finding positive role models for your son or daughter
5. 5 Good films to see with your son or daughter
6. 6 Books for young children with an LGBT family member
7. 7 Glossary   

Information and support lines

Hatta 07806 746 780

Jane 07951 104 745

or contact FFLAG (Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) - www.fflag.org.uk

Books for Parents

'Gays the Word' is a very helpful bookshop which holds a wide range of books on issues of sexuality, including those for parents and young people: Gay's the Word, 66 Marchmont Street, London WC1N 1AB (Russell Square Tube) 020 7278 7654 - www.gaystheword.co.uk

The following are books which Families Together London members have found helpful:

'Is it a Choice? Answers to the most frequently asked questions about gay and lesbian people' Marcus, E. (1993) HarperSanFrancisco. A very helpful and sensible book. The parts in which the law is discussed refer to US law, not British.

'My Child is Gay: How parents react when they hear the news'. B. McDougall (2006). Allen and Unwin.

'A Guide for Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays'. Produced by www.fflag.org.uk.

'Beyond Acceptance: Parents of lesbians and gays talk about their experiences'. Welch Griffin, C., Wirth, M. J. and Wirth, A. G. (1996) St Martins's Griffin.

Websites for Parents

Good films to see with your son or daughter

Glossary

Parent groups

For information about Families Together London's monthly meetings, click here.

Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (FFLAG), the national organization for friends and families - provides information on other parents groups around the country - www.fflag.org.uk

Manchester Parents Group - www.manpg.co.uk

Parents of Jewish Gays and Lesbians - www.parentsofjewishgaysandlesbians.co.uk

Parents Enquiry North East - www.parentsofgays.co.uk

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), the US version of FFLAG -www.pflag.org

Support for Parents of Lesbians and Gay Men in Wales - www.splagwales.org.uk

Resources for your son or daughter 

You may be anxious about your son or daughter accessing information on the Internet. However, for some young people, this is the only way they can make contact with other young people like themselves. Good sites can also be excellent sources of information and advice.

Finding positive role models for your son or daughter

If you have a young daughter or son who has told you, or who you think may tell you eventually, that he or she may be gay, lesbian or bisexual, it is worth thinking about what they read and what they see on television about lesbian, gay and bisexual people. It will be helpful to them if they can experience strong, positive and realistic images. 

Your local library may have a lesbian/gay teen section, although many don't. If you can, ask - this is something you may find easier than your son or daughter. Much of the available fiction comes from the USA and is available here.

TV programmes for older young people which provide positive gay role models include: 'Beautiful People', 'Torchwood', 'Hollyoaks' (which won an award from Stonewall for its representation of gay relationships). 'East Enders' currently carries a story line involving a young gay Muslim.

'Shameless', whilst a bleak but funny portrayal of life on a Manchester estate, includes several good (and some bad!) role models.

Good films to see with your son or daughter

Fire An exploration of the role of women, arranged marriage and sexuality in India

Milk  The story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk

Maurice Based on the book by E. M. Forster, shows attitudes towards homsexuality in the past

Victim  A prominent lawyer goes after a blackmailer who threatens gay men with exposure (homosexual acts still being illegal). But he's gay himself...

Wilde The story of Oscar Wilde

Glossary   

Coming out is the term which describes the act of communicating with another person about one's sexuality.

Genderqueer is a term used by some young people who do not feel that they can easily slot into either gender category.

Heterosexism refers to the way in which society is built on the assumption that everyone should be heterosexual.

Heteronormative refers to cultures where heterosexuality is encouraged and other identities are ignored or responded to negatively. A heteronormative society disregards the reality of sexual diversity. The educational and social needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual people, and others, and the needs of their families, are ignored.

Homophobia This refers, not only to the nastiness and hatred that is sometimes directed towards lesbian and gay people, but also the act of standing by and doing nothing in the face of obvious discrimination. (Also biphobia and transphobia).

Intersex An intersex person is born with anatomy that does not conform with contemporary views of what constitutes a male' or a 'female' body. This mean that the gender of that person should not be assigned permanently.

LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) and LGBT (lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender) are commonly-used abbreviations. 

Transgender is an umbrella term which covers a range of situations where there is a mismatch between assigned gender and gender expression. Transgender people may identify as heterosexual or LGB.

Transsexual people have the physical characteristics of one sex, but feel that they belong to the other.

Transvestites have no desire to change their gender but feel more comfortable in certain circumstances when they cross-dress.