For Parents -

If you’re reading this, we’re glad that you’re at least a little curious and want to know how to help or want to learn. The most important thing to note is that if you find any of this information unsatisfactory you can always contact us with more specific questions or wonderings.

If you're thinking about the best way to support your child, it is to simply love them, and do your best to understand them. We know that ISP is a very diverse school, with people of various ethnicities and religions. I believe that despite this, we can still agree on major principles. Just as an example, all religions in the world adhere to the principle of kindness, and we would go on to say that it is an unsaid principle of our society regardless of race or religion. You may think differently, however, in our point of view being an LGBTQ+ ally follows this exact principle of kindness.

Some of you may be stressed by not knowing what exactly to do. Some will have children that may need more or less support than others. However, we emphasize that their journey with their gender or sexual identity is completely their own, and it takes time and space to fully realize the support they might want or ask of you. This in itself, will allow your child/teen to have a stronger sense of identity and confidence with themselves. On the other hand, high school is a vulnerable time for teens in general, sadly, LGBTQ+ children and teens have higher rates of depression, suicide/suicidal thoughts, anxiety etc. By no means are we saying that this is bound to happen but due to this reality we think it’s beneficial to be aware of these issues.

We hope you appreciate our point of view. Thank you for reading.