Workshop #2: When Parents Come Out of the Closet
November 18 at 7PM

What's the best way to come out to my child? When is the best time? What should I say? How do I answer her questions? Will he be okay? Will she still love me?

We want to give our children the gift of honesty, as well as empower them to handle it in a world where they may encounter homophobia and gender phobia. We want to teach them to live their lives openly, and yet we ourselves may have struggled with fear and secrecy about who we are.

We may know other people's stories, but every child and every situation is unique. All things being equal, the guidelines are that coming out is better than not coming out, and earlier is better than later. But of course, all things are rarely equal and there is much to be considered: the quality of the parents' relationship with each other, the age of the child, the child's own personality and views, the degree of support from extended family, the openness and tolerance of the school and neighborhood communities, to name just a few.

This workshop will address the concerns that we have, as loving parents who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender about how to discuss these issues with our children. It will also address the concerns of spouses, grandparents, teachers, social workers, and others who want to insure the child's best interests.

Dr. April Martin is a psychologist in private practice in New York City, and the author of The Lesbian and Gay Parenting Handbook, She and her partner of 30 years have two sons through donor insemination who are now 27 and 24 years old. She has appeared on television and radio and in print extensively on the topic of queer parenting.

To make a reservation for any workshop, contact:
ihi Family Q @ 212-243-2830 or ihicenter@juno.com