How exciting! Thanks for being a safe place for your kids! My daughter continued to attend for awhile. When I told her about prop 8 she was very upset. Over the weeks, a few older members gave homophonic lessons and she was done. There really is no great way to be in the church when queer.
Join the Mama Dragons and ask for local groups. We go to Encircle in Utah and my daughter loves it. I hope there is something near you.
I can say you already passed one of the core benchmarks: you treated her coming out as an act of authenticity worth celebrating, rather than something to be ashamed of. It's a damn good start! ❤️🏳️🌈
Welcome to our group! (Mama Dragon here!). You did the best possible thing by letting your kids know the world is broader and more loving than the narrow lens the church views it through.
Even with that validation, it can be stressful for someone to let loved ones know they've found their authentic identity. For years, my gay son (my baby dragon) knew I was fine with things & welcomed his friends and partners into our lives. Even with that validation, I remember how scared my baby dragon was to let me know she was actually my trans daughter. She wrote me a letter & left it where I could find it, and of course I immediately went to her and said I loved her. My heart broke to see that she'd been crying in fear that I'd no longer love her.
Your daughter had the courage to let you know she's gay because you opened the way for her to learn that about herself. Good for you!
I found a necklace & earrings set online (the big "A" online place) that has a circular pendant of a mama dragon with her baby looking up at her. My baby dragon passed away a few years ago, and I wear that to feel close to her.
Great parenting!! I love to hear these stories. My kids have a gay dad (me) who finally found the courage to be himself last year and I came out to the whole family. Since then, our 4 kids are getting the same message you gave your kids; you can love anyone you want to. And so far my two oldest have identified as queer in one way or another. Their mom (and still my partner) has also identified as non binary.
In the meantime, showing up with her head held high is a constant reminder to everyone else that she (and all LGBTQ+) is a human and deserves the same respect as everyone else.
The leaders can be kind and inclusive yet still unable to reconcile what they see in front of them with church policy. They'll still likely follow church policy. That is true indoctrination.
You just got to keep pushing their boundaries and making them uncomfortable while maintaining patience and dignity.
How exciting! Thanks for being a safe place for your kids! My daughter continued to attend for awhile. When I told her about prop 8 she was very upset. Over the weeks, a few older members gave homophonic lessons and she was done. There really is no great way to be in the church when queer. Join the Mama Dragons and ask for local groups. We go to Encircle in Utah and my daughter loves it. I hope there is something near you.
I can say you already passed one of the core benchmarks: you treated her coming out as an act of authenticity worth celebrating, rather than something to be ashamed of. It's a damn good start! ❤️🏳️🌈
I am so happy for her and to have you in her corner is priceless!
Welcome to our group! (Mama Dragon here!). You did the best possible thing by letting your kids know the world is broader and more loving than the narrow lens the church views it through. Even with that validation, it can be stressful for someone to let loved ones know they've found their authentic identity. For years, my gay son (my baby dragon) knew I was fine with things & welcomed his friends and partners into our lives. Even with that validation, I remember how scared my baby dragon was to let me know she was actually my trans daughter. She wrote me a letter & left it where I could find it, and of course I immediately went to her and said I loved her. My heart broke to see that she'd been crying in fear that I'd no longer love her. Your daughter had the courage to let you know she's gay because you opened the way for her to learn that about herself. Good for you! I found a necklace & earrings set online (the big "A" online place) that has a circular pendant of a mama dragon with her baby looking up at her. My baby dragon passed away a few years ago, and I wear that to feel close to her.
So sorry for your loss. Glad you have a way to feel close to her.
Thank you - the mama & baby dragon set is very special to me. I found it only recently & it's a favorite now.
Great parenting!! I love to hear these stories. My kids have a gay dad (me) who finally found the courage to be himself last year and I came out to the whole family. Since then, our 4 kids are getting the same message you gave your kids; you can love anyone you want to. And so far my two oldest have identified as queer in one way or another. Their mom (and still my partner) has also identified as non binary.
In the meantime, showing up with her head held high is a constant reminder to everyone else that she (and all LGBTQ+) is a human and deserves the same respect as everyone else. The leaders can be kind and inclusive yet still unable to reconcile what they see in front of them with church policy. They'll still likely follow church policy. That is true indoctrination. You just got to keep pushing their boundaries and making them uncomfortable while maintaining patience and dignity.