Dear Prudence,
We are a large family and, I like to think, an open-minded one. My oldest son recently came out as bisexual, which we had long expected. Today our 13-year-old daughter blindsided us by saying she’s a lesbian. This came up in the middle of a lighthearted conversation about whether any of the siblings wanted to have kids someday. We are totally fine with this, and my husband rolled with the whole “You can have kids in many ways” thing. My issue: We live in a very small southern Indiana town. I’m telling her she should be true to herself, but also have to warn her that not everyone will be cool with it—specifically, her grandparents, with whom she’s planning to have a sleepover in the next few days. Plus, I told her that whoever she is is fine with us, but we’re hesitant for her to put a label on herself without a little experience, one way or another. She has led a somewhat sheltered life, but I really respect her for who she is and feel she should live a little before labeling herself. She’s home-schooled and has very minimal experience as far as relationships go. Suggestion on how to proceed?
—Big Gay Family