Page 4 - LGBT Families

Chapter Three

How the World Sees

Me and My Family

At some point in their lives, most young people growing up with
LGBT parents have to contend with the attitudes and opinions of
people outside their families. Youth in LGBT families face a wide
spectrum of reactions—from merely inquisitive at one end to bel-
ligerent at the other. These reactions can infl uence how young
people feel about themselves and their families, and they can lead
them to react in different ways.

Peer Reaction

Typically, kids experience the fi rst reaction to having LGBT par-
ents when they go to school or fi rst start interacting with other
children. Early on, these reactions are usually expressions of cu-
riosity or questioning. Other kids might ask why they have two
moms or two dads or where their father or mother is.
As kids get older, the questions sometimes turn into teasing
and even bullying. Max Blacker was seven before he experienced
any negativity directed at his family. Blacker has grown up with
two dads in Los Angeles, which is a city that is generally accept-
ing of LGBT persons. One of his fathers, David Blacker, recalls
the fi rst time his son came home upset about a peer’s reaction to
his family. According to Blacker, Max told him the following about
what happened:

My friend (we’ll call him MB, short for misinformed boy)
MB said being gay is illegal. Max explained to his friend
that his dads were gay and that it’s totally normal and most

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