From Huffington Post: While Your Child Is Still Alive

"Sadly, in the first years after Ryan came out, I let my fear keep me from understanding, cherishing and embracing my son. Instead of protecting him, as I intended, my fear and reluctance backfired, causing a far greater danger and crisis than any I had ever imagined. This is not just our story; I have heard from hundreds of men and women whose experiences of rejection and alienation from family members have sparked downward spirals of depression, addiction and despair.

I wish someone had told me what I did not know: that having a living, breathing gay child who challenged me and caused me to be uncomfortable and uneasy, and whose desires caused me to lose sleep at night because of fear and worry, was vastly, immeasurably, infinitely better than having a gay child who is dead."

While Your Child Is Still Alive: A Letter to Parents Who Aren't Ready to March in the Pride Parade | Linda Robertson