Sexual orientation is who you think you are attracted to or could see yourself loving. Gender identity is who a person sees themselves as on the gender spectrum (such as female, male, non-binary). Sexual orientation really is that physical attraction and romantic attraction. How I typically explain sexual orientation is “When you think about who you are interested in romantically or physically, who do you picture? Males, females, both, neither?” Let’s start with the basics of sexual orientation.
Through providing health care to teens for the past decade, I’ve picked up some tips on how to talk with my kids that I hope can help you. These questions are a great opportunity to share information with your child about important topics like sexual orientation and healthy relationships. If your kids are curious – like most children are – they may ask you about it. It’s not unusual for someone to have two mommies or two daddies. Families are diverse and don’t look the same for each child.
