Unsure, Sexuality and Family.

[DimethiconeHedera]

Hello, I'm Ivy. I'm a teenager, not yet old enough to move out of the house and struggling with fitting in in my house hold. I really hate to say this, but my mother and father are homophobes. I'm bisexual, and I've tried to come out to my mother, I've sat there down and told her I have feelings for males and females, but she says it's just a phase I'm going though. I keep trying to explain it and she came up with trying to tell me there's no such thing as bisexual. My father I can't even talk to, he brings in religion every time I try to talk about my 'bisexual friend' (really I only have one gay male friend). I want to be accepted by my family, but if that means living a lie for the rest of my life just to please them I'd much rather be dead. I just can't stand going home anymore, I have to hide the fact I'm dating a girl by saying I'm going with more than one friend to some place, or her house.

[Jennifer]

You have talked to them and been honest with them, that is all you can do. It is up to them to decide how to respond to you and what you are going through. Teenagers do go through phases so your mom does believe you will grow out of this, whether you do or not I'm sure it didn't feel good to hear from her. Do you have other people that you can confide in? Have you given your parents some space to accept this or just told them and expected them to immediately warm up to the idea? Sounds as if your family can benefit from family counseling and you might want to suggest that to them.