My daughter is struggling with her sexual identity. Any advice on how to support her?
41 Answers
Moderated by Sarah Robb, LISW-S (Licensed Independent Social Worker, Supervisor Designation) and LICDC (Licenced Chemical Dependency Counselor)
Updated: May 30, 2022
Uniqueg
on
Dec 21, 2015
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Be open and try not to judge her, and communicate to her that no matter what her sexual identity is that you love her regardless and that you accept her and her lifestyle
UnknownAngel
on
Dec 22, 2015
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All i can say is just be there for her and listen to her. Supporting her is the best decision. Let her choose her path in life.
Anonymous
on
Jan 4, 2016
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Be there for her. Accept her no matter what. Even if she's got some really obscure, only-occurs-in-less-than-1%-of-the-population identity, she's still the same person she was before. Also, researching different identities, both sexual and romantic, can help open the door to communication between you and her about what she's feeling. The more you know, the more you can talk to her about it.
Tastica
on
Jan 19, 2016
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Listen to her, take her seriously, and above all else, make sure she knows you love her unconditionally.
neverletlifetakeyourspark
on
Apr 5, 2016
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Just show her that you are there for her. Support her no matter what she decides. Don't laugh at her or make fun of her. This is
Anonymous
on
Apr 8, 2016
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As long as she understands that her belonging/identifying with any section of the sexual identity spectrum makes little difference to your opinion of her...or your love for her, that would be the first step in trying to help her. The message you said out should be that it's absolutely normal for her to feel the way she does, it shouldn't be treated like something that needs to be looked after.
After THAT, you need to support her as a friend, and not a parent, because the society is still not ready for that sort of maturity.
Greatlistener87
on
Apr 11, 2016
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Give her the time and space to figure it out for herself. Accept that whatever comes next from her is what she wants and support her for it.
Anonymous
on
Apr 11, 2016
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Don't judge her. That is the best advice, Because right now your daughter is going through so many changes that I'm sure even scare her, and the last thing that she needs is judgment, So tell her how much you love her, how much you care about her, that your there for her no matter what and anytime she comes to you to talk, Just be as open minded as you can so that she feels comfortable enough to come to you for anything even if you don't agree with what she tells you, Still try and be open. No judgment.
Anonymous
on
Apr 12, 2016
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It is very important that your daughter is aware that she has someone to support her. Be sure to let her figure things out herself, but that you also let her know you're there for her.
Claudiaka
on
Dec 27, 2016
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Make sure you let her know you want to be there for her and to support her in whatever she decides to do.
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