Sylvia Hacker, a human sexuality expert at the University of Michigan, recommends that parents who know little about gay issues admit that up front to their children. I tell parents to say to their children, 'This is an important topic because it gets into values and treating people decently. The Internet, she notes, is a great resource. Hacker and other experts point out that parents can use gay-themed movies and TV programs or news about gay celebrities or their own relatives as a way to start a comfortable gay discussion with their kids. Lynn Ponton, professor of psychiatry at University of California in San Francisco, warns parents not to accidentally send their kids negative messages about homosexuality.
Children tend to learn by role modeling.
Your child is really looking and watching and taking in those values. More than any past generation, today's parents have learned there's nothing wrong with being gay. They need to do more to teach today's children the timeless values of respect and kindness. Let us hear from you.