Why do I have to tell my parents that I am queer but my straight friends do not have to tell their parents that they are straight?

Due to stigma in the past about being queer being "unnatural" probably. It's frustrating, as all relationships and preferences should be treated equally. People are becoming more accepting of things outside the traditional norm set up though, to the point that in the future it won't look anything like it does just now!

We live in a hetero-normative world, which means, unfortunately, that most of the people expect you to be straight. In order for them to recognise your true self and your sexual orientation, you need to tell people. And while doing that you make change to this world - so maybe one day, queer people would be no different to straight.

Sadly in our society being heterosexual is considered default so if we never clarify our sexual orientation people just sort of assume we are straight, sometimes it’s an honest mistake and people don’t really mean anything by it. So coming out to our parents is almost always necessary because though some people can be quite perceptive most need to be told to let go of preconceived assumptions. Remember that coming out, specially to family, is a very important moment, be honest and open with your feelings, and no matter the outcome remember that your sexuality does in no way alter the way you are as a person and how much you are worth.

Straight is assumed to be the default in today's society. Unfortunately, that means that parents will generally assume that you are the "default" unless proven otherwise. This does not mean that being straight is right or wrong, just that it is the norm. While some parents have committed to raising children in a gender-neutral environment, that situation is unfortunately not the norm yet either. Ultimately, you do not have to tell your parents that you are LGBT; that is your decision to make. You should do whatever you feel will be best for you. Hopefully society will continue to normalize LGBT people more and more until people are not forced to come out to anybody if they don't want to.