THIS month countries around the world have marked LGBT+ History Month. Similar to Pride month, marked every June, it’s a celebration of the history of gay rights and related civil rights movements which has been running since 1994.

Both these events are great ways to encourage young people to feel comfortable to talk about their sexuality and gender identity, but they’re also timely reminders to parents and carers that it’s good to have a little knowledge around the subject to help their children if they need it.

As children and young people grow up it is natural for them develop and express their sexuality in healthy ways. Younger children might show curiosity about sex or changes that happen during puberty, while older teenagers might start dating or having relationships. Many young people feel unsure about their sexuality, who they are attracted to, or find their sexuality changes over time.

Our colleagues at Childline are regularly contacted by young people who feel they can’t speak to anyone about their gender or sexuality except the counsellors, who are always there to listen and offer support. Whether this is because they’re embarrassed or uncomfortable speaking to friends or family, because they don’t know how to start the conversation or worry their family won’t be supportive, Childline is there to offer support and guidance. It has delivered over 125,000 counselling sessions on gender identity or sexuality since records began.

One way for parents and carers to help children feel confident speaking up is by simply having a conversation with them. These topics can be difficult for parents to speak confidently about though, and the website and helpline is there to offer advice on how to help children with conversations around sexuality. The first thing to remember is that LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and more. Although people often confuse them, it’s important to remember that gender identity is different from sexuality. Sexuality is who someone feels physically and emotionally attracted to, romantically, emotionally or both. Gender identity describes how someone feels about their gender. Some young people identify as a boy or a girl, others may find neither term feels right and identify as neither or somewhere in the middle. If you find this confusing, imagine how a young person might feel as they try to understand who they are.

By learning more this LGBT+ History Month, we can help young people become more confident and proud of who they are.