The Advice Column II

394

Advice Request
The requestor wants to support their sister discovering her sexual identity but fears others around them won't accept it.

Answered Submission
Hi!

It's great that you want to be there to support your sister. When she finds herself and her identity, she'll be very thankful that you were there for her and supported her with no judgement.

This is really the main advice that I will give you: continue being supportive towards her. Be there for her when she needs you and wants to talk to you about anything. Continue to allow her to be herself, and if and when she does discuss all of this with your parents, be by her side through it all.

I know your housekeeper's views might seem a bit conservative, but you have to remember that that is how she was raised and that, even though you love her and she loves you guys, her opinion of your sister's identity doesn't matter half as much as yours does of your sister.

For your sister to be herself, she doesn't have to forget everything she knows about Catholicism. I don't know much about Catholicism, but I'm sure that she will still be able to embrace some aspects of it.

Along the way of finding her true identity, your sister is bound to face some people who won't understand her and might not accept her, but as long as you do, that will honestly be the most important thing to her.

Like you have said, your sister is still young and some problems that you are thinking of might not occur, but what you can do is be there for her when she wants to talk to you about herself. Be prepared to tell her that not everyone will accept her and be on her side.

I think that as long as she has her older sister looking out for her, she'll be happy with her identity.

With love,
The Advice Column Team