ABSTRACT
All these questions are those that almost inevitably arise in the process of getting to know a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender person. Families supply physical and emotional sustenance, connect us with our past, and provide a context within which we learn about the world, including the attitudes and mores of our society (Berzon, 2001). An LGBT person’s family is very important. Although some radical right ideologues erroneously promote the belief that homosexuality is a threat to the family, as if it were intrinsically antithetic to the idea of family life, nothing could be further from the truth. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons need to be as much a part of their families as much as other individuals. Given the stigmatizing status that LGBT identity continues to hold for many in Western society, the family is one place where an LGBT person needs to feel accepted most. Most LGBT people hope that their families will continue to love and care for them after they disclose their gender or sexual identity. For many, this is the case, but sadly, for others, acceptance by one’s family is not forthcoming.
