Straight Spouse

Gay family support was designed to help and support parents, families, friends and the straight spouse as they come to terms with finding out their loved one was gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.

It is hard enough for a parent to learn to cope with their child telling them that they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

It is also extremely hard for a wife or husband to learn that their partner and often parent to their children is gay, lesbian, bisexual or wishing to change their gender.

This website has been receiving questions from people who are a straight spouse.

Questions that are being asked are

What help is available?
Are they the only people this has happened to?
What about their children?
Have they done something wrong? Etc, etc.

All very important questions that need to be addressed with care and correct information.

As I am a parent of two gay sons and not a straight spouse, I don’t have the personal experience to be able to support you in the way I would wish to.

What I will say however, is this is not your fault and there is help out there for you and you are not the only one this is happening to. You have not done anything wrong.

Yes, you will need support and guidance and so will your partner and your children if you have any. Your partner has not given you this information to hurt you (even though you are hurt).
Your partner is trying to be honest with him/herself and you.

It doesn’t mean that your partner doesn’t love you either. It is just that a heterosexual lifestyle is not right for him/her.

I will give you the web site address to a support group called Straight Spouse Network.

This group will address the questions that you will want answered and give you the much needed support that will help you get through this.

http://www.straightspouse.org

Also, I will give you a couple of the website addresses to PFLAG (parents, friends and families of lesbians and gays).
This a wonderful organization to get help from. They are world wide.

The main USA one is

http://www.pflag.org

The Australian one is

http://www.pflag.org.au

These groups are run by people who have been affected by having someone they love tell them they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

This is so important as they understand what you are going through. And more importantly will help you get through it.

The one good thing about the net is you can be anywhere in the world and be capable of getting the appropriate help and support that is needed.

You should never feel alone.