Understanding and Challenging Stigma toward ... - Pact Cambodia

A10
When the Family Discovers
that their Son Is a
Man who Has Sex with Men
2. Report back: Ask each group to read out its story. Then ask:
What are the effects on the family when a son tells his parents he is MSM?
What do parents do to force their MSM sons to become “real men”?
What do the neighbors say or do?
What is the effect on the MSM from the stigma and pressure?
What is the effect on the family of having an MSM son?
What is the effect on the women who are married to MSM?
What is stopping families from accepting and supporting MSM?
How can families be more accepting and supportive to MSM?
What practical things can we do to support families with MSM?
3. Summary: Bring the session to a close by summarizing the main points
which participants have made during the exercise. In giving your summary you may
use some of the following points, if they have not already been mentioned by
participants.
Many parents have difficulty coping with the idea that their sons are MSM.
They often have goals for their children and when they find out that one boy
is MSM, this destroys their hopes, including having grandchildren.
They are concerned about what others will say and how will it affect their
reputation.
They also feel partly responsible for how their children turn out. They feel
that the way they raised the boy may have had an effect on his sexual
orientation or gender identity.
Stigma starts when the family sees that their son is different from other boys.
When they realize this, they try different things (e.g., cutting his hair, forcing
him to do male activities) to get him to change. They may even kick the MSM
out of the house, out of feelings of shame and not knowing what to do. They
might also try to get him married in hopes that this will change him.
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