Bisexual

There are persons who are equally attracted to sexual relationships with the opposite sex as well as their own. They are termed bisexual, and this feeling is obviously natural to them. They should be accepted as such, neither condemned nor applauded for their orientation. It is all a matter of determining for yourself your own sexual orientation.

This leaves a very small minority of people who have relationships involving both sexes and affection with someone of their own sex. These are one-off relationships which happen with a particular person at a particular time, probably never to be repeated, and not to be confused with searching for lovers of your own sex.

The third thing parents may find difficult, is the way you relate well to the opposite sex. You may have good friends, or have gone out with someone of the opposite sex, so parents will assume you are attracted to them. If you took someone out as a cover-up, say so. These are simple explanations of something your parents find very baffling. Explain also that you can enjoy friends or companions of both sexes at a social level without a sexual link. Parents Shock

In their shock, your parents may say things they do not mean or afterwards regret. Don't be frightened, we all do this. When the shock wears off, parents will often say, "Why did this happen to us?" or "Where did we go wrong?" There is a limit to how much you can explain about yourself, and sometimes this is where the limit is reached. If you have not previously given them the booklet referred to, then consider telling them about the parents' organisations that exist, run by parents who have undergone similar experiences.