Young people who are gay, bisexual, pansexual or trans are at risk for: It's usually because of a lack of support from the people they love or because they have been ridiculed, rejected, or harassed. When teens have problems, it usually isn't because of their sexual orientation or trans identity. Your teen can be emotionally healthy and happy regardless of sexual orientation or trans identity. They can feel relief when they share who they are with their family and friends and find love, support, and acceptance. They may be afraid of what their friends, family, and others will say and do. Teens who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual or trans sometimes don't reveal their sexual orientation or trans identity for a long time. Even if you are struggling, remember that it's important to show unconditional love to your child. Many parents have a hard time accepting their child is gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual or trans. Some people come to this realization as adults. Some people know from a young age that the gender they’ve been assigned doesn’t fit with who they really are. The realization that someone is trans can happen in an instant or unfold over many years. The feeling that something is different may begin early in life. Most children believe firmly by the age of 3 that they are either a girl or a boy. People who feel this way often refer to themselves as "transgender" or "trans".Ĭhildren form their gender identity early. For some people, their gender identity does not match the sex that they were assigned at birth. Gender identity is your inner sense of being male, female, both, neither, or some other gender. These early experiences do not always mean that a teen will be gay, lesbian, bisexual or pansexual as an adult.įor some teens though, attractions to people of the same gender do not fade. Many people first become aware of their sexual orientation during the preteen and teen years.ĭuring the teen years, crushes on people of the same gender and sexual experiments are common. This is different from deciding not to have sex with anyone (abstinence or celibacy). Asexual-describes someone not sexually attracted to any gender.Pansexual (or omnisexual)-describes a person attracted to those of any gender.Bisexual-describes a person attracted to both men and women, though not necessarily equally or at the same time.Homosexual (gay, lesbian, queer)-describes a person attracted only or almost only to those of the same gender.Heterosexual (straight)-describes a person who is attracted only or almost only to the "other" gender.Sexual orientation is how you are attracted romantically and sexually to other people. Hormones, cultural and peer pressures, and fear of being different can cause many teens to question themselves in many areas, including their sexual orientation and gender identity. Teens want an answer to the eternal question, "Who am I?" Part of the answer lies in their sexual self.