All around the world, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people face discrimination in almost all aspects of their lives, but this all hits the fan when the person is your parent. Parents are shaming their child for being a part of the LBGT community. This has a major effect on the child when the parent puts down their child because of their sexuality.

“LGBT young people who were rejected by their families because of their identity have much lower self-esteem and have fewer people they can turn to for help. They are also more isolated and have less support than those who were accepted by their families,” said Caitlin Ryan, director of the Family Acceptance Project.

When a child is rejected by family they have a higher chance of drug use, suicide attempts, HIV or STDs, and depression because they isolate themselves due to feeling like they have no one to turn to, causing self-esteem and self-worth to decrease, so what should parents do?

“Don’t panic and lash out! You can never take those words back. Instead take a deep breath, hug your child, tell them you love them and if you need to remove yourself, please do,” said psychologist Shane Perrault.

The parent must choose between their feelings and their child, the child admires their parent’s values and approval, and the child will have a very hard time processing rejection.

“Despite the evidence that Americans are getting more tolerant of gay and lesbian people, parents still reject their children when they come out- rejecting them from their homes and ceasing all financial support. Some even react with violence. Other parents may feel as if their child had died- and they no longer recognize the person they raised from infancy,” said Michael LaSala, social worker for LGBT individuals and families.

It is not safe to tell one’s parent if they make anti-gay comments, threaten to harm their child if they ever found out they were LGBT, the child is financially and physically dependent on their parents, or they could not be emotionally stable if they reacted badly.

If you plan on coming out of the closet, gather anyone who supports you, have a backup plan on where to go if you get kicked out of your home, and consider the worst scenario before you tell your parent so you are prepared and emotionally stable.

“In many states and school districts, though, LGBTQ sexualities are simply overlooked; LGBTQ-inclusive sex education is often overlooked in national discussions about LBGTQ rights,” said Josh Goodman a student who is studying psychology and LGBTQ issues.

America needs to be educated on the LGBT community, therefore there should be a LGBT sex-ed in all schools, this will improve the environment in all schools, positive outcome for LGBT students, answer questions or misunderstandings people have, and helps students find out their sexuality.

Overall, parents should join PFLAG which is parents, families, and friends of lesbians and gays or they should join the Family Acceptance Plan (FAP) to be more educated on the LGBT community.