Does It Mean Your Daughter’s Gay?

It can be alarming for a parent when they suspect that perhaps their daughter might be gay. Even if you are typically open minded about lifestyles you might find yourself hoping that your suspicions are wrong. This is often because regardless of the changing world, you know in your heart that anything outside the social norms is simply a harder road to walk down.

She may not really appreciate the crystal necklace that is fit for a princess. Does this mean that she doesn’t have interest in the typical girl things and that you should be concerned? Not necessarily. There are all kinds of signs that can misconstrued while there are also definite signs that she might be developing into a young woman that prefers other young women.

Just because she wears girls sweatshirts that announce her preference for girl power doesn’t mean that she is into girls romantically. There are all kinds of clothes out there that show the world that girls have more power than ever. Gender pride is not the same as gender identity issues.

Not all girls take a shine to jewelry sets, even if they loved them just two years ago. Even if she is shopping for boy’s clothes all of a sudden doesn’t necessarily mean that she is starting to prefer girls over boys. In many cases she might just be looking for a way to deal with her changing body and feel like she is still averting the developmental stages that can be awkward.

Girls that display boy tendencies are not necessarily gay. Often the most feminine girls end up being the ones with a same sex preference. It can be almost impossible for a parent to be sure without actually having that uncomfortable moment when they ask their daughter the question.

If you are prepared for the potential to hear what you may not want to hear, it’s a good idea to start talking about it as early as possible. Allowing your daughter the freedom to come out to you and still be loved can be the one thing that prevents future drug or alcohol abuse, as well as self abuse. Believing that you’ll hate her will push her toward self harm more often than not.

It’s not easy to find yourself questioning her changes and wondering about her sexuality. You may even want to guide her toward being heterosexual. However, guiding her in either direction is likely to cause emotional harm. While honest discussion is essential, directive and manipulative discussion on the topic is harmful. Just love her and let her work it through. In the end, she’s still the same child she was before you started wondering.