It has been said that children are our future. This is exactly why we should be concerned about LGBT children and teens -- and in fact with any kids who are different in any way. I was strongly reminded about this with two new books that recently came across my desk.
Heal This Way, a Love Story (Hot Glue Press, LLC, 2013), written by the Little Monsters ( the name for Lady Gaga fans derived in part from her song titled "The Fame Monsters") and photographed by Tracey B. Wilson, is a rare gem of a book conceived by Wilson. As she explains in the preface,
In the winter of 2013, Lady Gaga had to cancel the remainder of her concert tour due to a debilitating hip injury. On the weekend that was to be the Born This Way Ball at Madison Square Garden, Little Monsters from around the world gathered in New York City to celebrate their love and devotion to Lady Gaga and to the community that she has given them. Knowing how anxious they were to let Mother Monster know that they loved her no matter what, I had an idea. A signup sheet, three tweets, and 100 Little Monsters later, Heal This Way was born...
The result is a profoundly touching collection of color photographs and letters -- many of them handwritten.
I am eleven years old and You have already changed my Life. I love You because You support people who are bullied everywhere.
Dear Lady GaGa,
I want to thank you for INSPIRING a generation! For creating a message and a platform that changed not only how gay, bisexual and transgender people are viewed and portrayed in the media, but for creating an incredible positive message for people in my community everywhere!
One fan, writing about how Lady Gaga has changed her life, writes:
Probably the biggest way that she had impacted me would have to be helping me accept that I'm a lesbian. Before I heard "Born This Way," I felt ashamed and longed for something to make me feel proud of this part of my identity. The first time I heard her sing, "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgendered life/ I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to survive," I got chills like she was singing that line directly to me. I haven't come out to my family and not sure if I ever will; I'm terrified of how they would react if they knew. I have come out to my friends and I'm definitely more open about it to other people and I have Gaga to thank for that.
To read Heal This Way, was for me a, baby boomer lesbian (and, in full disclosure, a Lady Gaga fan) was extremely empowering. In the words of one Little Monster, "You have inspired us to follow our dreams and to try our hardest at things people say we can't do."
When I picked up, Coming Around, Parenting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Kids by Anne Dohrenwend, (New Horizon Press, 2012), I was surprised to see that it was addressed to straight adults of my generation. But then it made perfect sense. These are the majority of the people parenting the next generation and they need help.
Coming Around offers help by explaining what being LBGT means and then acting as a guide of how to be tolerant, accepting, and lovingly guide LGBT children into adulthood.
The author explains:
People often confuse sexual orientation with gender identity. Sexual orientation is about the gender to whom one is attracted: men, women or both. Gender identity has to do with one's internal experience of being male or female.
The author offers the advice for the liberal and conservative parent of what to say when a child comes out to them. Her basic advice is to tell the child (who may be a young adult) that you love him or her (not that you love them despite the fact that they are LGBT) and that you are glad that she or he told you.
She says:
I look forward to the day when mockery of LGBTQs is viewed as socially repugnant. Until that day comes, there are always bridges that can allow passage from the world view to another. Stand up for your child by interrupting gay jokes that occur in your presence. Listen to your child's insights and perceptions. By valuing his or her experiences, you build the bridge that maintains your connection.
The author also mentions the importance of connecting with others, and mentions PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) which is one of the country's largest ally organizations with 350 local chapters. PFLAG is committed to advancing equality through its mission of support, education and advocacy.
Coming Around gives the sound advice of getting to know your child's partner, and includes sections on marriage equality, same sex parenting and becoming a grandparent.
While the advice that Coming Around offers may just sound like commonsense -- the fact is that this information is not common knowledge in the dominant culture. Coming Around is the kind of book that could change an entire family's experience of life.
You can learn more about Tea Leaves: A Memoir of Mothers and Daughters here.