A Safe Space for LGBTQ Moms: Why Inclusive Parenting Support is So Important
Living in a cis-heteronormative society as an LGBTQ+ human can be isolating and intimidating. For LGBTQ+ moms and caregivers especially, being seen and acknowledged as our authentic selves are essential to feeling empowered, respected, and supported. Our parenting experiences are different from those of non-LGBTQ+ moms and caregivers, and it’s important that we have access to an environment in which each person’s individual journey and unique struggles are honored.
That's why it’s crucial to create inclusive parenting support systems where all kinds of families can feel safe and welcome. In these spaces, parents can come together to share their stories, celebrate their joys, and find resources to help them better navigate the challenges of parenting in a world that often feels exclusionary. These spaces also offer individual family members community support as LGBTQ+ parents. (We recognize that not all birthing people identify as “mothers” or “moms” and so also use the inclusive term “caregiver.”)
It’s Great to Be Seen and Acknowledged as You Are
LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers can feel invisible in a society that doesn't fully recognize our existence, that frustratingly views us as “other” or less valid than heteronormative parents. Having a space for LGBTQ+ moms and caregivers where we feel seen, respected, and empowered as parents is essential to changing the narrative around reproductive justice and opening up our culture’s narrow understanding of everything from conception through parenting.
Also, being acknowledged for who we are and not being judged for it can be an incredibly liberating experience. LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers benefit from having inclusive parenting support because we don't have to hide who we are and how we identify. We can be seen as our true selves, which is a rarity in this world for anyone who falls outside the heteronormative orthodoxy.
Inclusivity Is Important for Honoring Each Person’s Journey
Each parent’s journey is different, and everyone deserves to be respected for their individual path. LGBTQ+ moms and caregivers in particular need this, as our experiences are inevitably different from those who fit a conventional heteronormative narrative. For example, the mother of a transgender child will have experiences that differ from those of a mother with a non-trans child, but their journeys to parenthood are equally valid and worthy of respect.
Having others to help us honor and validate our journey as LGBTQ+ moms or caregivers can be incredibly meaningful. It helps to have people around us who understand, respect, and support us in all the different aspects of parenthood. Seeking inclusive parenting support with a caring, culturally competent therapist can be very helpful, as they understand your struggles as an LGBTQ+ mom or caregiver and have the tools to assist you.
Being Seen and Respected in Your Identity Is Vital
LGBTQ+ moms and caregivers face challenges that are unique to our specific experience. Living in a heteronormative world bolstered by white supremacy can feel exhausting and dehumanizing, as we are constantly forced to fight to be seen and acknowledged in our experiences. It’s vital to have safe and brave spaces where we can have honest, vulnerable conversations and be seen in the full spectrum of our humanity and parenthood.
The truth is, when we talk about inclusivity we need to be willing to break down the barriers of the heteronormative systems created and enforced by white European men. The process of building new systems requires creating spaces where LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers have an opportunity not only to process the harms these systems have inflicted upon us and our ancestors but also to dream, envision, and manifest a different world through the very sacred—and revolutionary—act of parenting.
Parenting is life’s most difficult job. It is also one of the most empowering, transformational missions that any of us will ever feel called to do. The way we parent, the way we engage in our own healing, the way we unlearn and dismantle the indoctrinated white supremacy in our nervous system—these are direct acts of resistance to the harmful, predatory systems we live in. Raising the next generation is an act of hope. Creating safe and brave spaces where LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers can engage with the rich materials that arise from the journey through fertility, conception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenting empowers us as a collective to raise the next generation so they embody a different set of values and more expansive wisdom.
INTERESTED IN ONLINE THERAPY IN CALIFORNIA?
It is vital for LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers to have a space where they feel held, seen, and acknowledged in their journey and their identity. Having an inclusive, affirming space where you can receive the parenting support you need is incredibly important for your mental and emotional health and your ability to dream and envision new possibilities. At Whole Mother Therapy, we offer online therapy in California so you can be in the comfort of your own safe space while you get the support and resources you need. You can talk to a queer and/or LGBTQ+-allied therapist who knows your value and can help empower you as an LGBTQ+ mom or caregiver. To get started with online therapy and/or an online postpartum support group, simply follow the steps below.
Get the support you need from an online therapist.
OTHER SERVICES WHOLE MOTHER THERAPY OFFERS
Our Pasadena-based online therapy practice offers a variety of mental health services to support single parents, couples, and families. Our services include individual therapy for new parents, postpartum anxiety treatment, therapy for birth trauma, therapy for infant loss and pregnancy loss, postpartum depression support, marriage counseling and couples therapy for new parents, counseling for parental burnout and overwhelm, and online therapy in California for new and expecting parents.
We also offer an eight-week in-person Sacred Motherhood Circle to honor the transitions and transformations of motherhood. And we hold several support groups, including an online pregnancy support group and an online postpartum support group. Finally, you can read more about our services, values, and resources on our therapy blog.