This teenager wrote a heart-wrenchingly sad letter about being gay in Trump’s America
A high school student in America has written a letter about how scared he is to be gay under the Trump administration.
Writing to advice columnist Michael Radkowsky at the Washington Blade, the teenager asked advice about what to do under President Trump’s government.
“I’m 16 years old, gay, a junior in high school and scared about what is going to happen to us under this new government,” he writes.
Going on, the boy says he lives in a state with “not the most gay-positive atmosphere”, but that he has found support in his school’s gay-straight alliance.
“It gave me a safe and protected place to come out,” he says.
“Having other kids to talk to and also our advisor (a teacher) helped me feel I’m just fine. I got a lot of support from them that helped me come out to my parents.”
He adds: “Even if some people in town are homophobic, for as long as I’ve known I’m gay (five years) I’ve known it’s really fine to be gay from TV and from our government, starting with the President. Of course I’ve heard stories of the old days when people had to be in the closet and faced all kinds of discrimination. I’m grateful to have been growing up in a time when we’ve gotten equal rights.”
But now that Trump has taken power, the 16-year-old says he is scared that he is going to lose the comfort and rights he has found, and that his school’s gay-straight alliance may be shut down.
“Since Trump won I feel like we are getting sucked back in time,” he writes.
“It’s so scary to hear about all these homophobic people he is appointing to run the government. If the federal government is against gays, I’m afraid that America will turn against us again and we will no longer be able to live openly in peace.”
“I can’t really focus and I’m not sure what to do,” he continues.
But Radkowsky does respond, giving him so sound advice and reassurance.
He says: “Good news… You’re in for an adventure that is going to help you become a stronger, more resilient human being. And, you have the opportunity to learn some lessons that are way more valuable than anything you can learn in a classroom.”
Radkowsky adds: “Going forward, your job isn’t to be a compliant kid who does whatever the grownups tell you to do. Your job is to start figuring out what you believe is the right thing to do, regardless of what others around you may think and whether or not they say it’s OK.”
“If anyone tries to shut down your gay-straight alliance, continue to meet. Don’t let administrators or anyone else block you from banding together and supporting each other,” he says. “If your school gives you a hard time, call the local paper. And then call a national paper. Do not stay silent in the face of hate. Put bigotry on the defensive. Non-violent resistance can be a tool of awesome power,” the advice columnist adds.
He goes on to say: “Remember that you are not facing this alone. You have many, many allies across the United States. But it’s up to you and me and all of us to keep everyone’s eyes open by speaking up for honesty, decency and tolerance.”
