Its a sad reality, but having a stranger walk up to you in a public place and ask if you're gay (or part of any marginalized community) can be terrifying and your fight or flight response goes into high gear.
Its a sad reality, but having a stranger walk up to you in a public place and ask if you're gay (or part of any marginalized community) can be terrifying and your fight or flight response goes into high gear.
Unfortunately, a lot of those interactions can go south, but it's also important to share the positive outcomes.
But if they don't know anyone from that community personally, it can be hard to find information that is firsthand.
They exchanged awkward pleasantries before the man inquired if he could ask them a question.
The exchange was so powerful that Jack decided to share it on Twitter.
Jack thought it was going to go the way it always does, but decided to just tell the man that yes, he and his friend are both gay men.
He thought that his 13-year-old son might be gay and he was hoping that they could give him some advice to help navigate that.
The man wanted to know how to let his son be comfortable with his sexuality without making it "a thing."
A common narrative for many parents, I'm sure.
They said that he could use the media as a jumping off point, such as commenting about how sweet a same-sex romance on TV is, and that worrying about things like their kids' clothing can be unintentional policing.
But, telling them not to can make them feel judged at home.
If your teenager regularly hears you talk about LGBTQIA+ rights or simply saying nice things about marginalized people, they'll be more comfortable and not afraid to come out when they are ready.
This is also good for any cis kids in the house to hear, since it teaches them about tolerance of people who are different.
The responses to his story were heartwarming too, and Jack says his inbox has been filled with messages from other parents who want to know other ways to make their queer kids happy and comfortable.
Yeah, I'd be overjoyed too!
h/t: Twitter | @jackremmington