Middle school gay/bi kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do all you parents care so much? Being a closeted person with no internet in the 80’s was HELL.

At least these kids can express themselves and talk to other ppl that might be like them. Social media can be harmful but it can also be helpful.

I don’t care about labels and my kids or their friends can change their labels and pronouns daily for all I care. As long as they are having and kind. The End

Get a life ppl

I care because my kid and her friends care a lot. I don’t get involved but I like to be at least aware of what my kids are talking about and into, and I especially recommend that all parents of teens know who their kids are talking to online. The harmful/helpful line in social media is really, really fine when it comes to kids being influenced by strangers on the internet.

Yes this. I also care because it changes the dynamic of friendships. I wouldn't let my DD have sleepovers with boys or let her hand out with a boy in her room, with the door shut for hours. Does this now apply if her new BFF says she is bi?

[Anonymous]

This thread is so absurd. Are a bunch of girls (kids?) identifying as LGBT when they're just cishet girls? Who knows. If they are, it really doesn't matter because they'll figure out who and what they are. It's much easier to be straight, even today. It shouldn't matter if you're cis or trans, gay or straight. You should be treated the same but that just isn't the case.

The queer kids tend to gravitate together. If your kid's friend group is all gay/lesbian/trans, there's a good chance that your kid might actually be gay. Despite the claims that they're all faking it, there are still gay kids out there. And yours might be one of them. That's perfectly find and normal. I agree with the other poster that was saying that the implication here is that there's a problem if your kid identifies as queer. There is no problem there. Some kids are gay. Maybe your kid. If you're scared they're gay or transgender then you need to look into yourself and think about why it's scary for that to be the case. It's homophobia or transphobia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so absurd. Are a bunch of girls (kids?) identifying as LGBT when they're just cishet girls? Who knows. If they are, it really doesn't matter because they'll figure out who and what they are. It's much easier to be straight, even today. It shouldn't matter if you're cis or trans, gay or straight. You should be treated the same but that just isn't the case.

The queer kids tend to gravitate together. If your kid's friend group is all gay/lesbian/trans, there's a good chance that your kid might actually be gay. Despite the claims that they're all faking it, there are still gay kids out there. And yours might be one of them. That's perfectly find and normal. I agree with the other poster that was saying that the implication here is that there's a problem if your kid identifies as queer. There is no problem there. Some kids are gay. Maybe your kid. If you're scared they're gay or transgender then you need to look into yourself and think about why it's scary for that to be the case. It's homophobia or transphobia.

I don’t think there’s a problem. I don’t care if my daughter is gay or not. I do find the upward trending percentages very interesting, though, from a societal and cultural standpoint. There are a lot of factors interwoven here and I’ve had a front row seat observing my teen daughter and her friend group, who she’s had since elementary school. That’s all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so absurd. Are a bunch of girls (kids?) identifying as LGBT when they're just cishet girls? Who knows. If they are, it really doesn't matter because they'll figure out who and what they are. It's much easier to be straight, even today. It shouldn't matter if you're cis or trans, gay or straight. You should be treated the same but that just isn't the case.

The queer kids tend to gravitate together. If your kid's friend group is all gay/lesbian/trans, there's a good chance that your kid might actually be gay. Despite the claims that they're all faking it, there are still gay kids out there. And yours might be one of them. That's perfectly find and normal. I agree with the other poster that was saying that the implication here is that there's a problem if your kid identifies as queer. There is no problem there. Some kids are gay. Maybe your kid. If you're scared they're gay or transgender then you need to look into yourself and think about why it's scary for that to be the case. It's homophobia or transphobia.

Everyone understands that it's a problem when a gay kid pretends to be straight. But why do some think it's no problem at all when a straight kid identifies as gay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so absurd. Are a bunch of girls (kids?) identifying as LGBT when they're just cishet girls? Who knows. If they are, it really doesn't matter because they'll figure out who and what they are. It's much easier to be straight, even today. It shouldn't matter if you're cis or trans, gay or straight. You should be treated the same but that just isn't the case.

The queer kids tend to gravitate together. If your kid's friend group is all gay/lesbian/trans, there's a good chance that your kid might actually be gay. Despite the claims that they're all faking it, there are still gay kids out there. And yours might be one of them. That's perfectly find and normal. I agree with the other poster that was saying that the implication here is that there's a problem if your kid identifies as queer. There is no problem there. Some kids are gay. Maybe your kid. If you're scared they're gay or transgender then you need to look into yourself and think about why it's scary for that to be the case. It's homophobia or transphobia.

I don’t think there’s a problem. I don’t care if my daughter is gay or not. I do find the upward trending percentages very interesting, though, from a societal and cultural standpoint. There are a lot of factors interwoven here and I’ve had a front row seat observing my teen daughter and her friend group, who she’s had since elementary school. That’s all.

The number of closeted older queer people is a lot higher than I think most people want to acknowledge or realize. There are a lot of LGBT people that have sex on the DL or transition when they're older. This is because it was so hard to be queer when they were younger and internalized a lot of homophobia. It takes time for people to work through the hate that they were taught and to accept that it's okay to be gay and that it's not shameful to be gay. This is the case with a lot more people than you might realize. I'm out of the closet. I know people like this. I encourage them to live their best lives but it takes time to work through the bigotry we were taught. It's like chipping a penny out of a concrete side walk with a screwdriver.

If a kid is straight and identifying as queer, they will still be straight on the inside and will eventually realize it when they're attracted to the opposite sex. They're going to date and eventually form lasting relationships the people they're attracted to. Unless of course they have parents that tell them that it's all a trend and that they're faking it to be popular. Then they may very well internalize the homophobia and try to live as a straight person for decades before finally coming out as gay. Let's not pretend that the people in this thread all have straight kids that are pretending to be gay. Some or all of them are actually gay and telling them that they're making it up is causing your kid trauma. If they make a mistake, so what? A lot of people experiment and realize it wasn't for them. I know cishet guys that wanted to experiment in college and after the first time were like, yep I'm definitely straight. So what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so absurd. Are a bunch of girls (kids?) identifying as LGBT when they're just cishet girls? Who knows. If they are, it really doesn't matter because they'll figure out who and what they are. It's much easier to be straight, even today. It shouldn't matter if you're cis or trans, gay or straight. You should be treated the same but that just isn't the case.

The queer kids tend to gravitate together. If your kid's friend group is all gay/lesbian/trans, there's a good chance that your kid might actually be gay. Despite the claims that they're all faking it, there are still gay kids out there. And yours might be one of them. That's perfectly find and normal. I agree with the other poster that was saying that the implication here is that there's a problem if your kid identifies as queer. There is no problem there. Some kids are gay. Maybe your kid. If you're scared they're gay or transgender then you need to look into yourself and think about why it's scary for that to be the case. It's homophobia or transphobia.

Everyone understands that it's a problem when a gay kid pretends to be straight. But why do some think it's no problem at all when a straight kid identifies as gay?

Gay kids pretend to be straight so that they won't be bullied. If a straight kid pretends to be gay when they're attracted to the opposite gender then they're pretty unlikely to actually try anything with anyone. Eventually they'll date someone of the opposite gender and be in a straight couple. Straight people aren't going to get into gay marriages when they're straight. No it's not a problem because society is built for straight people. They're going to be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so absurd. Are a bunch of girls (kids?) identifying as LGBT when they're just cishet girls? Who knows. If they are, it really doesn't matter because they'll figure out who and what they are. It's much easier to be straight, even today. It shouldn't matter if you're cis or trans, gay or straight. You should be treated the same but that just isn't the case.

The queer kids tend to gravitate together. If your kid's friend group is all gay/lesbian/trans, there's a good chance that your kid might actually be gay. Despite the claims that they're all faking it, there are still gay kids out there. And yours might be one of them. That's perfectly find and normal. I agree with the other poster that was saying that the implication here is that there's a problem if your kid identifies as queer. There is no problem there. Some kids are gay. Maybe your kid. If you're scared they're gay or transgender then you need to look into yourself and think about why it's scary for that to be the case. It's homophobia or transphobia.

I don’t think there’s a problem. I don’t care if my daughter is gay or not. I do find the upward trending percentages very interesting, though, from a societal and cultural standpoint. There are a lot of factors interwoven here and I’ve had a front row seat observing my teen daughter and her friend group, who she’s had since elementary school. That’s all.

The number of closeted older queer people is a lot higher than I think most people want to acknowledge or realize. There are a lot of LGBT people that have sex on the DL or transition when they're older. This is because it was so hard to be queer when they were younger and internalized a lot of homophobia. It takes time for people to work through the hate that they were taught and to accept that it's okay to be gay and that it's not shameful to be gay. This is the case with a lot more people than you might realize. I'm out of the closet. I know people like this. I encourage them to live their best lives but it takes time to work through the bigotry we were taught. It's like chipping a penny out of a concrete side walk with a screwdriver.

If a kid is straight and identifying as queer, they will still be straight on the inside and will eventually realize it when they're attracted to the opposite sex. They're going to date and eventually form lasting relationships the people they're attracted to. Unless of course they have parents that tell them that it's all a trend and that they're faking it to be popular. Then they may very well internalize the homophobia and try to live as a straight person for decades before finally coming out as gay. Let's not pretend that the people in this thread all have straight kids that are pretending to be gay. Some or all of them are actually gay and telling them that they're making it up is causing your kid trauma. If they make a mistake, so what? A lot of people experiment and realize it wasn't for them. I know cishet guys that wanted to experiment in college and after the first time were like, yep I'm definitely straight. So what?

Are you dismissing kids in your experience as an adult gay person or as a parent?

[Anonymous]

Why would I care how some else does or does not identify. Not me and not my kid so zero impact on my life. People can love or hate whoever they want as long as they treat them with respect and as human being.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so absurd. Are a bunch of girls (kids?) identifying as LGBT when they're just cishet girls? Who knows. If they are, it really doesn't matter because they'll figure out who and what they are. It's much easier to be straight, even today. It shouldn't matter if you're cis or trans, gay or straight. You should be treated the same but that just isn't the case.

The queer kids tend to gravitate together. If your kid's friend group is all gay/lesbian/trans, there's a good chance that your kid might actually be gay. Despite the claims that they're all faking it, there are still gay kids out there. And yours might be one of them. That's perfectly find and normal. I agree with the other poster that was saying that the implication here is that there's a problem if your kid identifies as queer. There is no problem there. Some kids are gay. Maybe your kid. If you're scared they're gay or transgender then you need to look into yourself and think about why it's scary for that to be the case. It's homophobia or transphobia.

I don’t think there’s a problem. I don’t care if my daughter is gay or not. I do find the upward trending percentages very interesting, though, from a societal and cultural standpoint. There are a lot of factors interwoven here and I’ve had a front row seat observing my teen daughter and her friend group, who she’s had since elementary school. That’s all.

The number of closeted older queer people is a lot higher than I think most people want to acknowledge or realize. There are a lot of LGBT people that have sex on the DL or transition when they're older. This is because it was so hard to be queer when they were younger and internalized a lot of homophobia. It takes time for people to work through the hate that they were taught and to accept that it's okay to be gay and that it's not shameful to be gay. This is the case with a lot more people than you might realize. I'm out of the closet. I know people like this. I encourage them to live their best lives but it takes time to work through the bigotry we were taught. It's like chipping a penny out of a concrete side walk with a screwdriver.

If a kid is straight and identifying as queer, they will still be straight on the inside and will eventually realize it when they're attracted to the opposite sex. They're going to date and eventually form lasting relationships the people they're attracted to. Unless of course they have parents that tell them that it's all a trend and that they're faking it to be popular. Then they may very well internalize the homophobia and try to live as a straight person for decades before finally coming out as gay. Let's not pretend that the people in this thread all have straight kids that are pretending to be gay. Some or all of them are actually gay and telling them that they're making it up is causing your kid trauma. If they make a mistake, so what? A lot of people experiment and realize it wasn't for them. I know cishet guys that wanted to experiment in college and after the first time were like, yep I'm definitely straight. So what?

Are you dismissing kids in your experience as an adult gay person or as a parent?

I don't follow. This entire thread is about straight people claiming that gay kids don't exist. then you post that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would I care how some else does or does not identify. Not me and not my kid so zero impact on my life. People can love or hate whoever they want as long as they treat them with respect and as human being.

You are an island. But maybe your DC is not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so absurd. Are a bunch of girls (kids?) identifying as LGBT when they're just cishet girls? Who knows. If they are, it really doesn't matter because they'll figure out who and what they are. It's much easier to be straight, even today. It shouldn't matter if you're cis or trans, gay or straight. You should be treated the same but that just isn't the case.

The queer kids tend to gravitate together. If your kid's friend group is all gay/lesbian/trans, there's a good chance that your kid might actually be gay. Despite the claims that they're all faking it, there are still gay kids out there. And yours might be one of them. That's perfectly find and normal. I agree with the other poster that was saying that the implication here is that there's a problem if your kid identifies as queer. There is no problem there. Some kids are gay. Maybe your kid. If you're scared they're gay or transgender then you need to look into yourself and think about why it's scary for that to be the case. It's homophobia or transphobia.

I don’t think there’s a problem. I don’t care if my daughter is gay or not. I do find the upward trending percentages very interesting, though, from a societal and cultural standpoint. There are a lot of factors interwoven here and I’ve had a front row seat observing my teen daughter and her friend group, who she’s had since elementary school. That’s all.

The number of closeted older queer people is a lot higher than I think most people want to acknowledge or realize. There are a lot of LGBT people that have sex on the DL or transition when they're older. This is because it was so hard to be queer when they were younger and internalized a lot of homophobia. It takes time for people to work through the hate that they were taught and to accept that it's okay to be gay and that it's not shameful to be gay. This is the case with a lot more people than you might realize. I'm out of the closet. I know people like this. I encourage them to live their best lives but it takes time to work through the bigotry we were taught. It's like chipping a penny out of a concrete side walk with a screwdriver.

If a kid is straight and identifying as queer, they will still be straight on the inside and will eventually realize it when they're attracted to the opposite sex. They're going to date and eventually form lasting relationships the people they're attracted to. Unless of course they have parents that tell them that it's all a trend and that they're faking it to be popular. Then they may very well internalize the homophobia and try to live as a straight person for decades before finally coming out as gay. Let's not pretend that the people in this thread all have straight kids that are pretending to be gay. Some or all of them are actually gay and telling them that they're making it up is causing your kid trauma. If they make a mistake, so what? A lot of people experiment and realize it wasn't for them. I know cishet guys that wanted to experiment in college and after the first time were like, yep I'm definitely straight. So what?

Are you dismissing kids in your experience as an adult gay person or as a parent?

I don't follow. This entire thread is about straight people claiming that gay kids don't exist. then you post that.

Huh? On the contrary, this thread is about how there are a whole lot of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so absurd. Are a bunch of girls (kids?) identifying as LGBT when they're just cishet girls? Who knows. If they are, it really doesn't matter because they'll figure out who and what they are. It's much easier to be straight, even today. It shouldn't matter if you're cis or trans, gay or straight. You should be treated the same but that just isn't the case.

The queer kids tend to gravitate together. If your kid's friend group is all gay/lesbian/trans, there's a good chance that your kid might actually be gay. Despite the claims that they're all faking it, there are still gay kids out there. And yours might be one of them. That's perfectly find and normal. I agree with the other poster that was saying that the implication here is that there's a problem if your kid identifies as queer. There is no problem there. Some kids are gay. Maybe your kid. If you're scared they're gay or transgender then you need to look into yourself and think about why it's scary for that to be the case. It's homophobia or transphobia.

Everyone understands that it's a problem when a gay kid pretends to be straight. But why do some think it's no problem at all when a straight kid identifies as gay?

It is a huge problem. Talk about cultural appropriation!

[Anonymous]

I teach middle school and there is no way half of the students at my school have come out as gay or bi. Maybe a tenth of the class at most. But there is an increase in those who are saying they are non-binary which is of course totally different than sexuality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach middle school and there is no way half of the students at my school have come out as gay or bi. Maybe a tenth of the class at most. But there is an increase in those who are saying they are non-binary which is of course totally different than sexuality.

Some posters are probably combining them. And for middle school kids, I think many kids think they are all linked. Changing pronouns, non-binary, bi or pan or asexual, are all ways of staking out one's identity.

[Anonymous]

My sixth grade boy has announced he is “half gay and half bi” and also talks a lot about how he wants to get a girlfriend. What I take from all that is that we have made huge strides as a society in openness and also that he is 11 and his preferences are perhaps not fully cooked yet. (My daughter is a freshman and a lesbian and I believe her; she seems much clearer on the point. Most of her friends are something other than cis het but she acknowledges that she has a more queer circle than many.)