Join KeshetUK and JW3 for a course providing training and education for parents and guardians looking to support LGBT+ children in a safer and non-judgemental space.
Whether you’re a carer for a child who’s come out for years or for days, or are seeking tools to create a healthy home should a child in your family ever come out, these sessions are for you.
KeshetUK is an education and training charity working with Jewish schools, youth and young adult organisations, synagogues, and communal organisations to benefit the wellbeing of LGBT+ people within the Jewish community.
Session Information■
Session 1 (30 January 2023): Understanding LGBT+ Identities
This session is aimed at parents and carers who know their kids are learning all the newest terminology and language around LGBT+ identities - whether from peers or from social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram - and feel they are falling behind. Participants in this session will be given the chance to look through a list of terms they might possibly hear and ask any questions they have in an empathetic, non-judgemental environment. Attendees will learn strategies for mirroring language and asking open-ended questions about terms used, rather than memorising lists of terms. We will also share research findings which show the positive impact that mirroring language has on young people.
Session 2 (06 February 2023): Creating an LGBT+ Friendly Home
This session is aimed at parents and carers who may or may not have an LGBT+ child but want to create a home environment in which their child would feel comfortable coming out to them, or to ensure they are teaching their children how to be kind to their friends who may be LGBT+. Participants will learn what early steps they can take to signal they are accepting of LGBT+ people without having leading or invasive conversations. They will then learn about strategies for best handling a young person coming out to them .
Session 3 (20 February 2023): Being an Ally to LGBT+ Young People
This session is aimed at parents and carers who want to learn how to be better allies to LGBT+ children around them, or the LGBT+ community at large. Whether it be at home, at school, or in the broader Jewish community, participants will learn how to speak up for children and their needs. There will be a discussion of the concept of allyship and why it is an action, not an identity; ideas for how to use one’s personal strengths to be more effective at allyship; and scenarios to practice real life examples.
Session 4 (27 February 2023): Parenting LGB+ Children
This session is aimed more around sexual orientation, for those parents and carers whose children are lesbian, gay, bisexual and the plus, which can include a range of other sexualities such as queer, pansexual, or asexual. The session will give parents an opportunity to learn more about what life is like for people who are LGB in the UK currently and ask questions in an empathetic, non-judgemental space.
Session 5 (20 March 2023): Parenting Trans and Nonbinary Children
This session is meant to be for parents and carers of trans children. Trans children have very specific needs, which is why we have created a separate, in-depth module for parents and guardians of trans children. Each child’s transitions will be unique and can bring up many questions for parents and guardians. We hope this session will provide them an opportunity to ask questions to address any concerns. We will cover terminology surrounding trans identities more in depth and etiquette around transition to help facilitate better conversations with trans young people.
