Then when it becomes apparent that it is true, the next emotion is one of blame-shifting. I get calls all the time from parents who are usually panicky. The parents that call always wonder that. That's a vitally important message to communicate to anyone who is struggling with this issue. What parents actually do and what parents should do are two very different things.
Most parents have an angry confrontation.
A parent should take their child aside and seek knowledge about their life and emotions. The child should experience the love of both parents before the parents begin to speak into their life. Hopefully there is good communication already going on between the parent and the child. I think that I would go into the situation and just bring up the subject, say that I'm concerned, I've noticed that you are spending time with these people, they appear to be homosexual or lesbian, I'm just wondering why you are drawn to these friendships and whether there is something here that we need to talk about. I think that I would go into it a little bit of a step at a time - not accuse the child of being gay.