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       Asian-American Parents Struggle to Overcome Shame of LGBT Children

   by Antonio Hernandez

   Outside of the DC Center for the LGBT Community, a woman from India
   waits in her car with her son -- a man in his 30s who revealed he was
   gay more than a decade ago.

   For a half hour on that Saturday, she refused to step inside the
   center, where parents of Asian and Pacific Island descent were
   convening to share their experiences raising children who are lesbian,
   gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).

   Attempts by Glenn Magpantay, executive director of the National Queer
   Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA), and Manjula, the mother of a
   transgender child, failed to persuade the woman to join other parents
   seeking help in mending strained relationships with their children.

   Compared with those in other ethnic groups in the U.S., Asian-American
   LGBT children face a greater risk of suicide, depression and drug
   abuse. The fear of causing shame and resentment to their families often
   creates barriers to dialogue and understanding.

   Parents can play a vital role in supporting their children, but find
   that feelings of embarrassment and sadness often make it difficult to
   communicate.

   "We can change that if we are supported and recognized for all of who
   we are," Magpantay said.

   WATCH: Parents of transgender girl talk about road to acceptance

   ''Saturday's event in Washington kicked off a series of "family
   acceptance workshops" held in 10 U.S. cities. For each event, NQAPIA
   partnered with local grass-roots organizations to recruit parents
   willing to be candid about the process of nurturing and accepting their
   own children.

   Sharing the journey

   Manjula and her husband, Balan, flew across the country from Washington
   state to participate in the D.C. workshop.

   Without any guidance and support in their community, they have created
   their own method of coping. They have made mistakes, but were candid
   during the panel discussion.

   Their transgender daughter's identity clashes with their faith and
   upbringing, and is in opposition to their family values.

   Balan would often pressure his daughter into giving him answers she did
   not have, for questions he did not quite know how to ask.

   "Now that I realize there are a lot more parents on the same journey, I
   feel it's nice to come out and share what we went through and hope that
   what we share also helps others," he said.

   For an hour, the audience of parents and activists split into smaller
   huddles to share insights and feelings with others who could relate.

   Although Manjula could not persuade the woman in the car to join the
   rest of the group, she was hopeful that if families can take this first
   step, Asian-American parents can better nurture their LGBT children.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/asian-american-parents-shame-lgbt-chi
   ldren/3334468.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/asian-american-parents-shame-lgbt-children/3334468.html