A is for Acknowledge

Last week I introduced my new program A.C.C.E.P.T.™. Everyone deserves to be accepted for who they are and where they are right now, don’t you think?

When a child* comes out to his or her parents as LGBT, sometimes the parents have a hard time accepting it, even when they love their child. That causes difficulty for both the parents and the child. The child wants to be accepted for who they are. But the parents also needs to be accepted for where they are and the process they need to go through. I know – I’ve been there.

You’re A-OK!

The first part of the A.C.C.E.P.T.™ program is “Acknowledge.” For the child, they need a place where they will be acknowledged for their own unique self. A place where they know they are loved and accepted and where it safe to share their stories, ask their questions. When their parents haven’t accepted them, they need somewhere else to go. They need another adult who can act as a surrogate parent.

For the parents, they need to be acknowledged for where they are. They need a non-judgmental, neutral third party who will accept them, acknowledge their process and answer their questions and concerns. If they don’t accept where they are, it will be difficult to move on.

For both the parents and the child, the first step toward acceptance is to acknowledge and be acknowledged.

*I use the term child loosely. Everyone is someone’s “child.” They can be any age, but we’re usually talking about teens and early 20’s.

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