LGBTQ+ parents face trauma, says mother

Parents from the LGBTQ+ community face "trauma and discrimination," a mother from Sussex has said.

Libby King started Bourne this Way five years ago in her home town of Eastbourne as a support group to provide a non-judgmental space for LGBTQ+ parents, their children, as well as prospective parents.

A recent survey found more than half (56%) of LGBTQ+ parents face negative comments about their families.

Ms King said people assume "it has to be Mummy and Daddy and a man and a woman, and you know in this day and age, it doesn't, and it isn't."

Ms King said the group regularly meet in Eastbourne "with our t-shirts on in parks, beaches, farms, etcetera".

She added: "We are part of the community and we do have children."

She said LGBTQ+ parents go through similar challenges to other families but "we probably face a lot more trauma and discrimination" than heterosexual couples.

Bourne This Way aims to bring people together within the community, to "offer support, share advice and promote wellbeing for those wishing to embark on starting a family".

It also offers a space for individuals and couples who have children already and would like to spend time with people who have shared similar experiences.

If you have been affected by any of the issues mentioned in this story, please contact the BBC Action Line.

Research by the charity Just Like Us, found 42% of children from LGBTQ+ families had experienced remarks about their parents.

It said heterosexual, nuclear families are often still seen as the default with a third of all LGBTQ+ parents saying their school refers to families as "mums and dads" by default.

Jeffrey Ingold from the charity said: "It's 2025 and there are no longer just mums and dads. There are all sorts of different families out there"

"If we want to build a kinder, more inclusive society, that means building one in which LGBT families are just as accepted as everyone else."

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