When a young person comes out as LGBTQ+, parents and caregivers might not know what to expect. They might not know much about LGBTQ+ identity, might not know other people who are LGBTQ+, and might have misconceptions about what this could mean for their future. And while parents and caregivers often want to be supportive, many LGBTQ+ youth grow up in households that aren’t accepting. We hope some of these articles below can help parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth before, during and after the coming out process, at home and at school.
- Block Club Chicago List of LGBTQ+ Family Resources
- The Family Acceptance Project
- John Hopkins Medicine: Tips for Parents of LGBTQ Youth
- HealthyChildren.Org – The Four Stages of Coming Out
- PFLAG – Our Children: Questions and Answers For Parents and Families of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Youth
- PFLAG – TransKidsSoFierce
- Celebrate Pride Month – Support Adolescents’ Developing Identity – Intuition Wellness Center
- So You Think Your Child Is Gay, Lesbian, Bi and/or Trans? – from Stonewall.org (UK site)
- Pew Research Study on Parental Acceptance of LGBTQ+ children
- Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth – A Guide for Foster Parents – Child Welfare Information Gateway – despite the title, an excellent resource for any parent or caregiver
- Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health During Pride Month and Beyond – Visions
- Schools In Transition – A Guide from the Human Rights Campaign
- Chicago Public Schools – LGBTQ+ Supportive Environments
During the COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely difficult for everyone, LGBTQ+ youth struggled with the extended time away from spaces that might have been more accepting than their home. This Healthline article discusses the positive impact an accepting home can have on LGBTQ+ youth’s mental and physical health.
Books For Parents and Caregivers of LGBTQ+ Youth

So where do you turn when you have questions about your child coming out? Both PFLAG and the book review site Book Riot have some helpful lists of reading material for parents and caregivers who need the reassuring voice of people who have been there before – and some recommendations for their children to check out as well!