My husband and I talked to him about it and he told us one of his friends dared him to this. We took away his iPad for a while and gave it back to him after he promised it won’t happen again.
A couple of months later. I discovered on Snapchat that he posted he is bisexual. I found out some chats between him and his friends- mainly him telling them he is bisexual and he likes this one boy from his class and he sent a message to him to be his boyfriend.
Again he is saying it was dared by his friend. He told us he is bisexual. My husband sat him down and clearly explained to him that this is not allowed or acceptable in Islam.
His Snapchat has been deleted. I found him following something similar to Pinterest, which also has been deleted.
I believe my son is lying about his friend daring him to ask this boy to be his boyfriend. He admitted to me that when he was caught the first time. He was just curious and he told us a lie about his friend daring him.
He has always been friends with girls all his life and is soft-hearted, and a bit feminine. He has a younger sister that he plays with all the time.
Most recently I have seen an email sent to a makeup artist inquiring about makeup and he said in his email, “I may be a boy, but I love makeup” I saw him watching a video of some YouTube celebrity that is a guy and he was giving a tour of his apartment and had to make up on.
He goes to masjid, gets online Quran lessons. Please help me on how to handle this matter with my son.
Answer
In this counseling answer:
Win his trust so that he will communicate with you how he truly feels.
To be effective, this would mean at this point not accusing him of anything nor talking to him about how haram bisexuality.
You may also want to supervise, limit, or eliminate his time online. I know this is hard with teens, but inshaAllah it is to his benefit and safety.
Using a nonjudgmental approach may Insha’Allah, pave the way for an open and honest dialogue where you can guide him to Islamic values.
As salamu alaykum,
Thank you for writing to us. I understand that you’re having issues with your 12-year-old son. You have found some online chats and pictures of exchange with male adults wherein your son was pretending to be a girl.
You stated that your husband and you talked to him about this and he stated his friends dared him to do this.
You also discovered a couple months later on Snapchat that he posted he’s bisexual. You also found evidence of his liking a male classmate.
Gain His Trust
Sister, while your son may have feelings of bisexuality, he may be afraid to tell you. Thus, he makes up things to avoid talking to you about his real feelings.
I will kindly suggest you sit down with him when things are calm. Maybe take him out to lunch or for a walk in the park or somewhere else quiet and undisturbed.
Insha’Allah, discuss with him how much you love him, how proud you are of him, and maybe share an experience or two about your life when you were his age.
Perhaps it’s best that his father does this so he can relate to him as a man. Once you (or your husband) can gain his trust through communication, insha’Allah he will discuss with what he is going through his mind, how he feels, and what direction he feels his desires are going and why.
While you stated he’s always been friends with girls all his life and is soft-hearted and a bit feminine, this in itself is not a cause for alarm. You do not know if he is bisexual or not.
Online Safety
The point right now is to gain his trust so that he will communicate with you how he is truly feeling. What is cause for alarm, however, is his secretiveness, his covering up, and his lying.
We live in a society of an online life. Anything you want to know about is online. Unfortunately, some children get caught up in things that are publicly displayed and get curious.
Check out this counseling video
Insha’Allah, your son must be made aware that what he is doing. It is a dangerous situation.
It is dangerous because he could get hooked up on the internet with someone who may hurt him, he is only a child.
Please do insha’Allah, try to open up communication with him concerning this topic.
To be effective, this would mean not accusing him of anything nor talking to him about how haram bisexuality is at this point.
It would mean putting all that aside for now to ensure his safety. Insha’Allah, help him feel comfortable as well as receptive to what you are saying.
Insha’Allah, if he does at this point, you can guide him in regards to matters of online safety. This is critical as most of his activities to date are online.
You may also want to supervise, limit or eliminate his time online. I know this is hard with teens, but inshaAllah it is to his benefit and safety.
Islamic Values
You can later talk to him about Islamic values concerning bisexuality. Right now the big red flag is his age, his immaturity, and his willingness to just trust anybody online.
He is an easy target for pedophiles. By keeping communication open with your son, you will insha’Allah be able to have a great effect on his current and future decisions and feelings regarding his sexual identity.
Given his age, it could be a passing phase or curiosity or it could not. You will not know until you speak with him.
Using a nonjudgmental approach may Insha’Allah, pave the way for an open and honest dialogue. He may at that point, be receptive to your Islamic guidance and advice’s regarding his feelings and choices.
We wish you the best you’re in our prayers.
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Disclaimer: The conceptualization and recommendations stated in this response are very general and purely based on the limited information provided in the question. In no event shall AboutIslam, its counselors or employees be held liable for any damages that may arise from your decision in the use of our services.
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