Top 5 Great Ways Parents Can Support Their LGBTQ Children
1.    Accept your child/family member.
Be a safe person to talk to about their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.  Let them know that you love and accept them for exactly who they are.

2.    Engage with your child/family member.
Ask questions, listen, empathize, share and just be there for your child. Ask children what their day was like and if there was anything good or bad about it. Talk about LGBTQ people in a positive way and demonstrate that you affirm and are supportive of LGBTQ people. Offer to go watch or march in a local Pride parade together.

3.    Get educated.
Learn terminology. Find out about local, state and national policies regarding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Ask about a preferred name or pronoun and practice if it’s different from what was assigned at birth.

4.    Connect with support. 
Identify supports including online local and national resources, blogs and vlogs, and people/groups that provide safe spaces to talk about how to best support LGBTQ, non-binary and gender-expansive children and youth.

5.    Provide resources. 
Have a list of LGBTQ themed books, movies, and other resources to include hotlines and online social media such as trevorspace.org and translifeline.org to provide education and guidance.
Dear Ally is an anonymous online question and answer forum for Jewish lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, parents and family members of LGBTQ individuals, and professionals who have questions pertaining to their work with the LGBTQ community. We can learn from others’ questions. Submit your letter anonymously and it will be publicly posted with our response so that other readers are supported.
ASK ALLY A QUESTION
Dear Ally,
Being a Jewish mom-mom and tending to be over-protective at times over my nine year old grandchild, I wonder if there is an age appropriate time to start informing her about the LGBT community and being aware of the bullying done to people because of their differences.
- Loving Mom-mom
Click Here For The Response
Dear Ally,
I am a Jewish mother of two boys, both teenagers.  I suspect that my youngest son who is 13 years old may be gay. Our family is very religious and my husband has expressed negative views on homosexuality.  I’m worried about my son and want him to know that I love him. How do I know if he is gay and what do I say so that he isn’t scared to talk to me about it?
- Concerned Mother
Click Here For The Response
Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia provides a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for members of the LGBTQ community throughout your life.  
Dear Ally, a JFCS initiative, is a critical resource for our region, which serves as a safe space for youth, parents, and family members who are struggling to find answers to questions surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity. Click Here to learn more.
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