06/08/2026
🌈 Happy Pride Month 🌈
This month, I want to take a moment to recognize and thank the parents who chose love when their child trusted them with one of the most vulnerable conversations of their life.
Thank you to the parents who listened before judging.
Thank you to the parents who hugged before questioning.
Thank you to the parents who chose connection over fear, and relationship over rejection.
Your support matters more than you may ever know.
Research consistently shows that LGBTQ+ youth who experience family rejection face significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, homelessness, and su***de risk. Nearly 28% of LGBTQ+ youth report experiencing homelessness or housing instability, and many report being kicked out, abandoned, or running away due to family rejection. Youth who experience housing instability are two to four times more likely to struggle with serious mental health concerns and su***de risk.
To the parents who may one day hear the words, "Mom, Dad, there's something I need to tell you..."
I hope you choose love.
I hope you choose grace.
I hope you remember that your child's courage to share their truth is not a rejection of you, it is an invitation to know them more deeply.
Your child does not need perfection.
They need safety.
They need belonging.
They need to know that home is still home.
The evidence is clear: accepting families and affirming communities dramatically reduce su***de risk among LGBTQ+ youth. In accepting environments, young people attempt su***de at less than one-third the rate of those in unaccepting communities.
This Pride Month, may we build families where no child has to choose between being loved and being themselves.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
