Support for parents and carers of LGBTQI+ people

Support networks and family counselling

Are you a parent? Do you have a child, sibling or friend who is queer? Do you feel unsure about how to deal with this? Do you need someone to talk to about your thoughts, feelings or concerns?

Many parents can experience challenges related to having a queer child, especially in minority communities. Some feel guilt and shame related to their role as parents, while others may experience backbiting and pressure from family and neighbours and worry about the consequences for the family as a whole.

Skeiv Verden knows that parents want to be supportive of their children, but that it can be difficult for parents and others to accept their children's/family members' queer identity. At Queer World, we can offer support and counselling to anyone who is a family member or close friend of a queer person and has questions or thoughts you need to discuss with someone.

Family network for parents with queer children

What do we want to achieve?

Offer workshops, family counselling and individual sessions for parents with minority backgrounds
Communicate knowledge about sexual and mental health from a multicultural perspective
Assist in the dialogue between parents and children
Recruit parents to a parent group that can support each other
Cooperation with other immigrant organisations and religious communities

Get in touch to learn more about the family network

“

Edwards & Coleman in Almås & Benestad, 2017

World Health Organisation on sexual health

Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being related to sexuality, not merely related to the absence of disease, dysfunction or impairment. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the ability to have positive and safe sexual experiences, free from coercion, discrimination or violence. Achieving and maintaining sexual health requires that the sexual rights of all people are respected, protected and fulfilled.

Workshop for parents

How does it work?

Workshop for parents with LGBTQI+ children

Queer World is holding an interactive workshop for parents on gender and sexuality diversity from a multicultural perspective. We will also address concerns, thoughts and feelings that many minority parents with queer children have or encounter in everyday life. The workshop is held together with experience consultants, who share their own experiences of being queer and a minority and offer parents information about where they can seek support and help in the process.

Family counselling

Through individual conversations, conversations with parents and conversations with the whole family, Skeiv Verden assists families where parents with queer children are struggling to accept this part of the child's identity and want answers, stories or reflections on the way forward.

We understand that it can be difficult for parents and others to accept the queer identity of their children/family members. At Skeiv Verden, we have extensive experience of such processes and want to meet you in an open and listening manner. We want to contribute to good and safe relationships between queer people and their family members.

In the long term, our ambition is to recruit parents to a resource group that can assist in meeting other parents in the same situation.

Background information

Why is family counselling important?

The family network has been developed by Skeiv Verden and is based on many years of experience in working with queer people with minority backgrounds. It is about meeting the participants where they are and building bridges through active reflection and dialogue. The programme is tailored to the needs of each individual family that contacts us. We arrange workshops for families and organisations that contact us.

Do you work with parents with an immigrant background? Support our work by hanging up posters and handing out information material at your workplace. See the download button below.

The family network is funded by IMDi with "grants for integration work under the auspices of voluntary organisations"

Please contact Project Manager Mona Frank

NETWORKS

The importance of networks

Participant
The topic is very important to me because this is completely new, very different topic even though I am a refugee person. It has also been very useful to get help navigating a complex healthcare system and being a supporter of a child who is trans.
Participant
I like what you're doing, and it's important work to make change in society.
Participant
Stand up and fight and have some understanding for the resistance from close family. Because this takes longer to accept/understand for minority parents.