Love Conquers All

It was inspiring to talk to the sources for this story about an organization that supports LGBT kids by using evidence-based science to encourage family support. The world could learn a few things from these guys about how to reach across cultural and religious differences towards supporting big universal values like: save the children.

Ryan and her team pursued the questions: How do parents and caregivers react to their LGBT children, and how do those behaviors contribute to their children’s risk and well-being as young adults? What emerged from that work, Ryan says, was “a solid empirical foundation for increasing family involvement and support.” The research team cataloged more than 100 specific ways in which caregivers responded to their child — with either accepting behaviors, such as standing up for them when others mistreat them or finding a positive role model — or rejecting behaviors, such as preventing them having an LGBT friend, physical and verbal abuse, and using religion to try to change or discourage their LGBT identity.  Continue