How can I explain homosexuality to my parents?

Dear Parents, You see how you are attracted to your significant other. You spend time together. You have that mutual understanding for each other. You are just 'you' around each other; No facades, or act jobs. You can fight but you know you will get back together. You can spend countless hours talking forgetting that time passes. That's how I feel, but instead of my significant other being an opposite sex, we are of the same gender. I know that is not what you may characterize 'natural'. But you of all people should know love, and that it breaks down it boundaries. No matter what.

Explain it to them the same as heterosexuality. It's simply the same foundation with people of different genders or sexes. They fall in love, they have to still communicate to improve their relationship and have the same feelings. If they're open-minded to learning more about homosexuality, try to ask them to envision what it would be like to have the same emotions and feelings as someone else but just as different beings. Homosexuality isn't a new concept or topic as love in itself isn't. So, the most I can say to do would be to say it's love with the people loving being of the same sex or gender :)

This is a hard thing to express to our parents. Although we have known for a while before telling them, maybe even our whole lives, it is obviously new to them and going to take some time to get used to. Once you know how to bring it up, it may become easier for a lot of people. It may start by explaining or talking about a popular lgbt+ couple on a tv show or movie etc. If they are positive about it and seem to be supportive, it may be easier to start hinting towards your sexuality and take the conversation from there. It's important to know if you are under 18 or are in a living situation where you can't support yourself on your own that they won't kick you out. Although it may be hard to hide, sometimes that is the only safe option. Just never forget that you are loved :)

Well I'm 46 and still in the closet and I haven't yet told my mom I'm gay I've been single now since me and my daughter's mom broke up in 1998 because I'm gay we separated my daughter don't know im gay either and id love to tell them but not sure how they will except me as there gay dad and son even tho I've known I'm gay for many years coming out is hard for all us wish me luck on coming out of the closet and I'll wish you luck as well ok id love to start dating again but I'm a chicken and have a hard time telling men im interested in getting to know them im working on it tho I'm here openly admitting I'm gay online it's a start :)

Ask if you can sit down and talk to them. When telling them remember they are your parents and are supportive and love you no matter what. If they are unsupportive explain to them what it means so they get a better understanding. Tell them how you feel and explain you like members of the same sex as you. If they understand it better they are more likely to be supportive. Do not be nervous and go into the conversation with confidence. You got this! You know you best and you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

How you would explain the topic to your parents depends largely on what your goals for the conversation are, and what (if any) obstacles your parents have to understanding it. People tend to have an easier time understanding unfamiliar concepts when they have a basis for comparison, or, when they can personally relate. Love, sex, and relationships are widely understood, highly relatable topics to most people. Your parents have likely experienced at least one of those three concepts first hand in their lives, therefore, explaining gay and lesbian love, sex, and relationships might not be as difficult as you might expect, since they already seem to have a basis for comparison. Gay and lesbian love, sex, and relationships are based on the same thing straight love, sex, and relationships are based on: connection, appreciation of another. If they can conceive of human connection and appreciation of another person, they have the basis for understanding what you want to communicate. Whether their conditioning allows them to come to terms with that understanding is another issue, however, their conditioning is not your responsibility. You can only concern yourself with expressing the topic as best you can and allowing them to reach their own understanding of it as best they can.

You can start by explaining it's not a choice and that it's completely natural! As a matter of fact, it's found in hundreds of species of animals around the world! It's simply loving, just as they love. It's just aimed at someone else. Just as they can't decide to love who they do, neither can you. There's no shame in that. After all, don't judge a book by it's cover, right? You're still their child, and they have a responsibility to love and support you until you're financially independent. That's what they agreed to as soon as you were conceived. To love and support you.

This can be a difficult and frustrating conversation for some, and understanding before you dive in that not everyone is going to think or believe the same way is important. Remember that most of our parents come from a time when things were much less accepted, and social stigmas along with judgement and lack of knowledge were huge. It’s okay that our parents don’t understand, and it’s okay that it may take some time to open their minds up to change. Introducing information, suggesting family counselling, finding books for you to read together etc. are all ways you as a family can work together to help open them up. If you need to be true to yourself, or just want them to start seeing things in a different light, be honest and give them a chance… they may surprise you:)

I think this would depend from your parents' current stance of homosexuality. Your approach will vary based on where your parents stand on it, but in any case, it is very important for you to be authentic with them, as authentic as you feel comfortable being at the time the first conversation occurs. If you do not know how your parents will take it, perhaps you could brooch the subject of homosexuality first, without coming out just yet, so that you can better gauge where they stand on it, and how they are possibly likely to respond. Also decide if you wish to have someone else along with you to support you, perhaps a sibling or best friend that your parents are comfortable around as well. There is no right or wrong way to do this, and please know that even if you do this the way you intend to, it may not necessarily mean that it will be received well. That's got nothing to do with you as you cannot control other people's responses. Also, please bear in mind that if you get an upsetting response, it doesn't mean that it will be your parents' final stance on it. Some people have strong reactions to situations that are unexpected but then they come around, once given the time, space, and even resources to help them process the change. Good luck to you, and please do not hesitate to reach out!

It’s impossible to give a proper answer that applies to everyone, but the best method is simply education! Try asking how they would feel if they were to be asked to sleep with someone of the same sex. When they explain that it isn’t something that interests them or is what they find attractive then explain that is how you feel about the opposite sex. Explain that you can’t choose your sexuality any more than your parents can. It’s not a choice because it’s not something you can consciously control. Sure you can control your actions, but you can’t control your feelings. Be considerate of their feelings as well as your own. As much as homosexuality is a part of someone’s life, it isn’t everything about them, and certainly isn’t their only characteristic