This family was so excited their son came out, they made a HUGE announcement
A mother was so proud of her son for coming out that she decided to make a big announcement.
The woman made the announcement in the Houston Chronicle in the ‘celebrations’ section on Sunday.
Although they did not identify themselves, the boy’s parents included his photo, and announced that his name is Drake.
They wrote: “The parents of Drake are pleased to announce that their son has come out. Drake is currently a senior in High School where he is captain of the tennis team, ASB Vice President, and NHS member. He is a church deacon and enjoys film making and baking. And yes, he adores Barbra Streisand.”
After a bit of searching the Observer has identified the teen as Drake Wilson, of Snohomish High School in Washington state.
His mum, Joan Wilson, said on Tuesday that she placed the ad after being inspired by the defeat of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) in November.
“I couldn’t think of a better place than Houston, out of the entire country, where they needed to hear my message of pride,” she said.
Saying she thinks her son was born gay, and that God created him that way, she added: “My announcement was my way of humanising the issue.”
HERO had planned to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and other characteristics.
However it was overwhelmingly repealed by voters in the city.
“We are blessed to live in a state which has passed anti-discrimination laws,” Wilson continued. “As a mother, I have much trepidation in thinking my son might one day live in a state such as Texas.”
She said her son came out in February 2014, at which point Wilson launched the Society of Lucky Mothers, which celebrates LGBT children.
Drake knew he was gay since the 5th grade, Wilson said, but that he had not planned to come out until college.
What inspired him? Watching ‘The Normal Heart’, an HBO drama about the AIDS crisis.
In a YouTube video, Drake joked he is often mistaken for Denzel Washington’s son.
“I would just like to say a big thank you to my whole family for being an example of how all families should be, and I’m thankful to all the men and women before me who have gotten this world to a place where I can come out at only 16 years old,” he said in the video.
Watch Drake’s coming out video below:
