How to Best L.O.V.E. Your 2SLGBTQQIA+ Children
Being a youth can come with many challenges and “growing pains”.
When our youth identify as being a part of the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex and Asexual (2SLGBTQQIA+) community, these challenges can grow with bullying, difficulties in school and complications between friends and families that can impact their mental health and can cause a sense of isolation. As parents, it is our role to support our children and understand how to do so effectively to maintain a strong, trusting relationship with our youth.
So how can we best support them? We learn to L.O.V.E! By loving unconditionally, having open discussions, validating and recognizing changes in identity, and expanding your knowledge, you can provide so much support and allow youth to feel comfortable in their sexual or gender identities.
Here’s a bit more detail on how to effectively L.O.V.E your youth:
L – Love Unconditionally.
Ensure your youth knows that you will love them no matter how they identify or who they love. By providing a non-judgemental space for them to feel comfortable and confident in their true selves you can both feel safe and loved.
O – Open Discussions.
Allow your children to ask questions and share their feelings openly without fear of punishment or ridicule.
V – Validate and Recognize.
Give validation in the youth becoming confident and understanding more about their personal identity and sexuality. This may require time for youth to find what fits them best; recognize that titles or names may be switched and validate the youth in whatever they prefer.
E – Expand Your Knowledge.
As a parent, understand the terminology and how to best support your youth. Find local supports that may help to reduce stigma surrounding sexual and gender identity and provide additional supports for your family.
To start, let’s look at 2SLGBTQQIA+ and understanding the acronym more:
2S (Two-Spirit) – Two-spirit is a term used by Indigenous persons who have both male and female spirits in their spiritual, gender and sexual identity.
L (Lesbian) – a woman who is sexually attracted to women.
G (Gay) – a man who is sexually attracted to men.
B (Bisexual) – a person who is sexually attracted to both men and women.
T (Transgender) – a person who was biologically born one gender and identifies with another. FTM – female to male transgender MTF – male to female transgender
Q (Queer) – an umbrella term for non-cisgender or heterosexual identities.
Q (Questioning) – a person who is questioning their sexual and/or gender identity.
I (Intersex) – a person with a variation in their biological sexual organs.
A (Asexual) – a person who has no sexual attraction or interest in sex.
+ (and more) – there are many individuals who may not feel the above definitions fit right. Sexual and Gender Identity are very personal journeys and can involve titles not as common as those found in the 2SLGTBQIA+ acronym, such as Pansexual, Aromantic and Gender-Fluid.
The most important thing you can do is to spread the L.O.V.E in your homes, schools, and communities. All you need is love!
Kate
