A Different Approach to LGBT Youth and their Families

By Laura Duncan on 02/13/2011 @ 03:10 PM

Based on the idea that families love their children and want the best for them, Dr. Caitlin Ryan and her team have developed an evidence-based family model of wellness, prevention and care for LGBT children and adolescents. I recently heard her speak at an event sponsored by the Center for American Progress.

Starting in 2002, the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco University has gathered information about the link between specific rejection and acceptance behaviors of families towards LGBT youth and their physical and mental health in adulthood. They tracked behaviors such as isolating children and adolescents from gay or transgender friends, physical or verbal abuse, supporting the child’s gender expression and requiring that family members respect their child’s LGBT identity. Their research has shown that gay and transgender children and adolescents who were highly rejected by their families were:

• More than 8 times as likely to have attempted suicide, and

• More than 3 times as likely to be at high risk for contracting HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.

Their research also shows that acceptance behavior has a very good impact on LGBT young people’s lives. When extremely accepted by their families, 92% of youth believe they can be a happy adult.

With this information, Dr. Ryan believes she can encourage parents to change their behavior and learn to accept and be proud of their child’s identity. She has worked with families from several different backgrounds, ethnicities and religions, such as African-Americans, Latinos, Mormons and Catholics.

We believe the LGBT community should be safe from discriminatory laws, hate-based violence and isolation from their family. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said: “LGBT rights are human rights, and human rights are LGBT rights.”

For more information on Dr. Ryan's work, please visit the Family Acceptance Project’s website.

“When we hold our baby in the nursery for the first time, no one tells us that our baby might be gay. By the time we know who our children are, we may have hurt them in many ways. No one teaches us how to help and protect our gay or transgender children. We may think we can help by trying to change them – but we need to love them for who they are.” Erica, mother of a 14-year-old transgender youth.

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