Parents, Families & Friends of Atlanta's LGBTQ Community

Category: Reacting to Coming Out

Derek Schell: 32 things I learned after coming out as gay

“I was blessed to find out who in my life was real; which relationships were based on love,” writes Derek…

Don’t Hate Someone You Love « FreedHearts

A mom from a small, conservative town said to her son: “There aren’t any gays in this town.” Her son…

You Have Two Options: Love or Fear | FreedHearts

John Lennon said, “There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from…

Never Make Your Kids Feel Ashamed of Who They Are | Freedhearts

Shame. It says, “There is something fundamentally wrong with me.” It is the lie at the very root of our identity. If…

A Mom, Some Gays, and the Bible | FreedHearts

I am a Mom of five (nearly) grown kids I homeschooled, married to Rob for 26 years, and a churchgoing…

Just Because He Breathes: Learning to Truly Love Our Gay Son | Huffington Post

On the night of Nov. 20, 2001, a conversation held over Instant Messenger changed our lives forever. Our 12-year-old son…

Mother Of Young Gay Son Discusses Her Unexpected New Life In The Spotlight

Almost two years ago, a mother posted a blog on Tumblr about her then 6-year-old son telling her that he…

Christians, Why Are You Afraid of Gay Marriage? | FreedHearts

A group of prominent evangelicals recently declared that if marriage equality becomes law, they will disobey it. These God-fearing meticulous…

A Love Letter to the LGBTQ from a Christian Mom | FreedHearts

“They kicked me out on my 18th birthday for being gay… I’ve tried to contact them… I don’t know if…

To Christian Parents of Gay Children

You want to shove those words back in and put the lid on. But you can’t. Your child is gay.…

A Mother’s Heartbreaking Tale of Losing Her Gay Son

The Religious Right hates it when we point out that their teachings are directly related to the problems of bullying,depression,…

Helping a Child to Come Out

Parents aren’t blind, and the clues are often there. Some research suggests that sexual orientation can show itself even at…

‘I’m having a lesbian’ billboard launched for gay marriage campaign

Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays spokeswoman Shelley Argent said the campaign was designed to garner support from mainstream…

A Courageous Move! Coming Out is Not Easy for Anyone

Your son or daughter just sat you down and announced that he or she is gay or lesbian. While not…

My Friend Says He Is Gay, What Should I Do?

The first thing you need to do is take a step back from your feelings of shock and confusion and…

When You Think Your Son or Daughter is Gay

If you are concerned your child is gay, I’m glad you are here. It tells me you’re trying to accept…

Advice For Parents And Friends

I’ve had a lot of letters over the years from the friends and family of gay loved ones, asking how…

Helping Your Daughter Cope With Being Lesbian In Sports

Today’s tweens and teens are different. This may come as no surprise to you if you are a parent of…

5 Things You Should Not Do When Your Child Tells You He is Gay

I have been blessed. I have amazing parents, amazing children, and now I have an amazing partner to share them…

Understanding Biological Gender, Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sexual Orientation in one picture

Originally posted 2013-02-15 10:59:28.

Parents of LGBT Children Speak Out about their Journeys

On Dec 16th 2012, we had an incredible panel of parents — a father of a gay man, mother of…

An Open Letter to Christian Parents of LGBT Children

For many parents, this can be a difficult time, one that challenges their faith. After all, doesn't the Bible promise "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it"? How then can your child abandon the clear teachings of scripture for such an identity? It seems the only clear choices are either that the Bible promise is untrue or that you did something wrong as a parent.

WATCH: The Ellis Family talks about coming out and family acceptance

I thought our journey started December 17, 1997, but actually it started August 31, 1981, the day Adam was born. That day we were given a gift of a baby boy. Each year of his life was a gift and our love grew deeper. The day he told us he was gay sent us to the bottom of the mountain. We were stuck there until we slowly began our journey to seek the truth because this is our child and he was worth it. While we prayed that God would change Adam, we finally came to understand it was us, his parents, who needed to change, not Adam.The world we lived in used the Bible as a weapon against us. However, it was our faith that gave us strength and comfort. That faith kept us searching for what God wanted us to do as Adam’s mom and dad. After much prayer we found our way to creating the Family Acceptance website. Our blessing now is to know we can help other families in their journey and maybe one day this will not have to be a journey at all.

A Letter To Louise: A Biblical Affirmation of Homosexuality

INTRODUCTION I have been asked if Louise is real. Yes, and this was a real letter to her. Shortly after…

“I’m Christian, unless you’re gay”

Today I want to write about something that has bothered me for the better part of a decade. I’ve carved…

What to do when your child says: “I’m gay!”

You have just learned that your child is gay, lesbian, or transgendered. You’re experiencing self-blame (“Did I do something wrong?”),…

My Child is GAY! Now What Do I Do?

Bewildered? Confused? Angry? Feeling guilty? Worried? Believe me, you’re not alone. As the gay community comes out of the closet,…

Could Your Teenager Be Gay?

Secretly, many parents hope not. But if the answer is yes, there’s a lot of support to help you and…

When Your Child Says He/She is Gay/Lesbian

Q: My 14 year-old claims to be gay. Help. A: Right now, you may feel that you’re the only parent…

When Your Child Tells You He’s Gay

Your 16-year-old son comes to you for help on everything from friendships to French homework. The two of you banter…