Accepting a Lesbian Mother

The authors present a model of children's responses to their mother's shift in identity from heterosexual to lesbian. Initially, many children react with denial or anger and later respond with bargaining. They may experience depression before accepting their mother as a lesbian. The model is based on information gathered from workshops and in-depth interviews with lesbian mothers. Intervention strategies are proposed to help lesbian mothers support their children's responses and nurture their children's growth toward accepting their mother's lesbian identity.