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Navigate: FAQ Home Page > Sexual Orientation > Dad's sexual orientation
Posted on: 05/02/2007
Question
Hi there, I found your web-site on google and was hoping you might be able to help me. I have a 7 year old son and his Dad and I split up when he was 1. He has been living with the same man since then, but when our son stays with him, his dad shares a room with him - not with his partner. I know the question will come up at some stage and I know that it will me ME who gets asked the question, not his Dad. How do I answer the question? How do I provide him with stratagies to cope at school? It may not be necessary, but I would rather be prepared.... Looking forward to hearing from you.
Answer
I am assuming that you think your ex and the man he lives with are lovers, and the question is how to prepare your son to deal with the fact that his dad is gay.
If so, the good news is that young children are very open to diversity and rarely have the same concerns we do, and at least here in the Bay Area, there are many more openly gay and lesbian families, so kids do not perceive their family as "so different." There also are some great books you can start reading at home listed below, and PFLAG (http://www.pflag.org/) is also a great resource. Good luck!
Books: Asha's mums by Elwin & Paulse, Who's in a family by Skutch, Daddy's roommate by Willhoite, A family alphabet book by Combs, King & King by de haan & Nijland, Heather has two mommies by Newman, William's Doll by Zolotow, Oliver Button is a sissy by dePaola.