An excellent article about kids coming out as LGBT. When I was young and discovering for myself that I was different, it was both an exhilarating and terrifying time – exhilarating to realize who I really was, and terrifying to be so alone. The joy I felt when I came to terms with being gay as a teen was soon overcome again by the terror, and both emotions played a hide-and-seek against me for many years. The joy has returned for good, but my anger at those who made me feel terror still remains. That anger is now directed at those who continue to spread hate for LGBT kids, which is one of the reasons why stories like this continue to fascinate me.
Jason Osmanski knew he had to tell his mom, but he didn't know how. He was 14 years old and had spent half his life sensing he was different. Now, he had the words for it. Wanting to break the news somewhere public, someplace safe, Jason tagged along with his mom on a shopping trip to Walmart. But he still couldn't say it. He took a pad of paper from the pharmacy counter and wrote, "Will you love me no matter what?" Carolyn Osmanski gave him a quizzical look but answered, "Of course." Jason scribbled another note, crumpled it, handed it to his mom and bolted to a nearby aisle. She looked down at the wrinkled paper: "I'm gay."
… After Jason passed his mother that crumpled note in Walmart, she found him shaking on the floor in the cosmetics aisle, beneath rows of mascara and eye shadow. Carolyn Osmanski lifted her son to his feet and gave him a hug.
She told him, "I love you no matter what."
That a newspaper in Salt Lake City published this is good news, but the endings are not always happy. Read the article for more details.
"LGBT kids coming out earlier"
^..^
"You have to give people hope." -- Harvey Milk
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