Pride

(photo by Toni Reed on Unsplash)

In this month of pride, I reflect back upon a few brave children who have changed my life along my path as a parent, teacher and hopefully, as an ally. 

First, I have to thank my own stepson, who came out to us at age fourteen. I am proud of him for the way he navigated high-school. He excelled as an athlete and pushed the boundaries of inclusivitiy to make others respect his talents. He only reported one incident of harassment to us at school, which he asked us to let him handle on his own. We were amazed how well he navigated his social life and always had friends and allies around him.

Then there was a boy in my grade four class, who obviously had a more difficult path ahead. His father was a very macho police officer who wouldn’t acknowledge his son’s queer identity. His mother was left to provide him all the love and support he would need in his formative years. I referred him for counseling and tried to provide a safe place for him in my classroom, but never knew what happened to him, as the family moved away.

I had two other male students who later transitioned to female in their teens. I was truly humbled by their courage, as I watched their fathers struggle with acknowledging their chosen path and witnessing their physical changes. I tried to support these kids and their parents to the best of my ability, and urged them to seek professional family counseling. One of the marriages ended in divorce, as is often the case when one parent accepts the changes and the other cannot. It is a sad situation whenever this happens.

These children, passing through my life,  have no idea how they opened my eyes and my heart to their daily challenges. I can only wish for their ongoing safety in an ever changing world. It feels like at least Canadian society has become much more accepting of differences in my lifetime, but you would have to ask them. Of course the rest of the world is another story, with the ongoing persecution of LGBTQ2+ people in many countries forcing underground sanctuary movements like the Rainbow Coalition. There is still much work to be done.

What does pride month mean to you? Please subscribe/ leave a comment below.