Families of LGTB youth get new support group in Thunder Bay

Parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersexed (LGBTI) youth have a new source of support in Thunder Bay.

Families of Choice meets for the first time on Tuesday night at Insight on Memorial Avenue.

Society is more welcoming than it used to be of LGTBI people, said Julia MacArthur of the Children's Centre Thunder Bay, who co-organized the group, but there's still a need for support.  

"There's a lot of bullying that occurs," MacArthur said. "There's a lot of just general oppression."

Many parents want to support their LGTBI children, she added. But at least one parent she knows was not prepared for the challenges.

"She was planning a coming out party – total acceptance.  Everything would be great," MacArthur said. "And then when her child did come out to her, her child brought to her stories of getting bullied, stories of not getting support from people in her school ...

 "And while the mom was totally onboard and supportive, she didn't realize there would be this whole sort of negative package that would come with it that she had to help her child through," MacArthur said. "And it was really a shock to her." 

Support services for lesbian, gay, bi and trans people

Parents of LGBTI youth need to familiarize themselves with a whole different culture, she added, and learn what it's really like to not be heterosexual or cis-gendered – a term used to describe non-trans individuals.

The group will be facilitated by parents of LGBTI youth and will primarily focus on peer support, MacArthur said. However the Children's Centre Thunder Bay will help connect the group with experts if they feel they need extra resources.

Thunder Bay also offers several support services for LGBTI people themselves, she added, including services for trans people coming out later in life – as former Olympian and reality TV star Bruce Jenner did last week.

Trans people can contact the NorWest Community Health Centre for information on the trans support group, MacArthur said.

Information on the Trans Support Collective can be found on Facebook. 

The Alpha Court Day Program offers a group for LGTB adults.

And a new group has formed for aboriginal people who identify as two-spirited. 

MacArthur herself organizes a support group for LGTB youth called The Other Ten Per cent.