The children of LGBT couples may face discrimination and cruel comments any time of the year, but as many gay and lesbian parents know, it can be especially bad at Halloween. Kids may get a very cold reception if they knock on the door of very conservative or religious homes, especially if both parents are with them. Here are a few different things you may want to do prior to Halloween to get an idea of how the holiday is going to go for your family.
Learn about the Neighborhood
Find out what kind of attitude your neighborhood has towards LGBT people. This is one thing you may have done before you moved into the area. A gay or lesbian realtor will usually alert their LGBT clients to potential harassment issues, plus they can often let you know about any particular neighborhoods they’ve learned to avoid or businesses that skirt the edge of discrimination. If you know other LGBT people in your neighborhood, you may talk with them to see if there are any houses you should skip. A number of the very religious people are anti-Halloween and won’t be handing out candy anyway.
Talk to Your Kids
Chances are that your kids have already had to deal with a similar situation in the past. As sad as it is, many of them may already be very familiar with the hatred some people have towards their parents. However, they may not have had such discrimination aimed at them before, and on Halloween, it’s likely to be. Talk to them about LGBT discrimination and how some people view gay or lesbian parents. But also use this time to remind them that those views are wrong and that their family is full of love. No one particularly wants to have this type of conversation, but until it’s completely unnecessary, it’s better to have it before an incident occurs.
Go In Groups
Kids often want to trick-or-treat with their friends, so it’s not unusual to see several parents acting as chaperones to five or six kids. In addition to helping you keep track of your kids, doing Halloween with a couple of other parents is a good idea for several reasons. It helps keep your children safe since there will be more adults there in case of an emergency, and it means another adult or two will be on hand to help diffuse any tense situation that arises due to discrimination.