Georgia teen: I recorded family’s homophobic coming out reaction ‘for my own protection’
A teenager who recorded his family’s homophobic reaction to him coming out has said that he was recording the video for his own protection.
On coming out, he is hit, shouted at and told he must move out, and called a “damned queer” and a “piece of shit”.
Daniel Pierce told WXIA: “I knew something was happening. I thought, for myself, for my own protection, if something were to happen it would be best to have it on video.
“I just hit record. I did it for my protection… the video really speaks from itself.
“What I hope people take away from watching that is it still happens.
“A lot of people don’t realize that it happens.
“They see all the positive videos and the negative video never gets seen so if one family maybe watches it and maybe changes their mind in how they are going to handle it about their son or daughter coming out, one family and I will be happy.
“I want to education people on the issue because it is something going on. It’s 2014 and we still live in a world of judgement.
He added: “The video was not posted for people to attack them. I wouldn’t want it to happen to me.
“I wouldn’t want it to happen to them. They are still my family and they are in my heart but what happened in that
video is very hurtful.”
A GoFundMe campaign to raise living expenses for the teen has reached $98,000.
The teen also revealed he had had no contact with his parents following the incident.
He said: “The ball’s in their court at this point. I have so much support from other avenues right now, that I don’t feel the need to.”
Watch the clip below (warning – homophobic violence):
