Hi Fionna, Coming out to your parents took a lot of courage. Take a moment to recognize that act of strength. For a moment, it may be helpful to consider your parents experience with your coming out. You have come to an understanding over time. This is new to them. They may need some time to adjust to this new piece of information. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is a great organization, made up mostly of parents, which supports LGBTQ people and works to help parents and others to become more supportive and accepting of their loved one's sexual orientation/gender identity. On their website at www.pflag.org click on "Get Support" then click on "For Family & Friends" where you'll find the pamphlets "Our Daughters and Sons: Questions and Answers for Parents of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual People" and “Frequently Asked Questions about GLBT People,” which, if you’re comfortable, you can share with your family members/friends to help them become more understanding and accepting of you. PFLAG also runs support groups where parents and others can discuss questions and concerns they have about a loved one's sexual orientation and where LGBT people can discuss issues they're having with people in their life. On their website, you can search for a chapter near you. If no chapter is near you or if your family members/friends won't attend, you could still contact the nearest chapter and get support and learn ways to help them become more understanding of you. You mentioned your girlfriend being "too friendly" with one of her other friends. Have you talked to your girlfriend about your concern. Part of dating is learning how to communicate with a minimal amount of arguing. Have you talked to your girlfriend about how exclusive you wish to be? Have you talked about whether or not you want to be the only person she is dating? Sometimes we assume that someone else has the same idea about what being girlfriends means. But, people have different ideas. It is perfectly normal to talk to her about what type of dating arrangement you seek. Before you talk to her, you may want to sit down and make a list of your ideas about dating. Then, you can talk to her about her ideas. Both people need to agree on the "ground rules" when dating. IF your girlfreind wants to date more than one person at a time, you need to ask yourself if that is workable for you. IF certain terms do not work, you need to communicate that to her. Ultimately, both people need to agree about the expectations. Try not to be confrontational. Try to approach her with honesty and respect.

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