My parents are liberals, and I assumed that they'd be fine with it, but when I tested the waters with my mom by telling her I was reading a book about gay/lesbian teenagers, her response was, "I'm a romantic. I'd rather read a book about a straight couple."

I said, "Love is love" and went on to say that I'd borrowed the book from a friend. Her response was, "Why, is she gay?" (She isn't.) This certainly wasn't what I was expecting from my mom.

I'd assumed she'd be fine, but it seems that she is uncomfortable about homosexuality (or bisexuality, in my case). This isn't exactly so comforting.

I was ready to come out to them, but now I'm not so sure. How should I do it? I don't want them to think I'm just following the new trend of girls fooling around with each other to impress guys.

Dear Bi The Way: Your mom is straight, so of course she sees love, sex and romance from a straight person's point of view. Your attempt to hint about your sexuality with an anecdote about a book that you are reading wasn't fair to her.

Let's stipulate that all parents are thick as a brick. We don't always see that our kids are trying to tell us really important personal news when they mention a book they are reading or drop the fact that they love Rufus Wainwright's new CD.

Your parents might be the most liberal and open-minded people on the planet, but don't expect them to be comfortable talking with you about your sexuality. Their discomfort doesn't mean that they don't embrace it - and you.

But matters of sexuality and sexual identity are challenging topics for parents. You need to treat this issue with the seriousness that it deserves, by sitting down and talking directly with your folks.

I suspect that your parents take your sexuality more seriously even than you do because, despite your protestations that you are not a sexual trendy, that's exactly what you sound like to me. At age 15, you are way too young and immature to be sexually active, and I certainly hope that your parents impress this fact upon you.

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