We are family of four, living in Auckland. We have two boys. The oldest is 15 and our youngest is 11. Our oldest came out to us when he was 13 and had just been at secondary school for about 4 weeks. At first we were in shock, as this is new territory for all, with so many questions that have more questions. Together both his Dad and I took some time off work to help him and ourselves find the support we needed.

We contacted Rainbow Youth in the city and they helped us to make contact with the Youth Hub. At the Hub, they set us up with meeting the Centre for Youth and also with getting in touch with this amazing parent support group. It has been an awesome platform for us as parents for guidance, questions and just to be able to express our concerns, worries and at times vent in a safe space. We had challenges with name changes, other people issues or even just trying to understand at times. However together as a family we continue to communicate as openly as possible and still continue to find the support and care our teen needs and wants. We have a teen that is happy and present, and still has daily struggles, as others will understand. Having this support group has been very instrumental to gain knowledge and understand during our transition.