Pride Can Pressure LGBTQ Kids Who Need Support to Thrive
This gay teen needs more than coming-out tips
Pride is a season for LGBTQ joy. Isn’t it?
It absolutely is for me and most of my queer family. But did you know many closeted LGBTQ folks feel left out, dejected, and pressured when June rolls around?
I have a letter I want to share with you to illustrate something.
For many, Pride season is a reminder of missing joy, of a struggle for hope. I received a poignant reminder last night in the form of an email from a young teenager asking for coming-out tips. I’m used to questions like that, so their note felt casual at first, and I planned to send them a link to a story I’d already written about how to safely come out in high school.
But … then they ramped up to serious pain and grief that reverberated deeply with me. I get more painful messages like this in June than any other season. Let me share my response with all of you, because I think adults can benefit too. We need to understand what kids are facing and understand that some of us face the same issues.
Hi James,
I’m a gay 8th grader but nobody knows about it yet, do you have any tips on how I should come out to my friends? I’m afraid of…
