Sometimes we get a letter to editorial that floors us. Yesterday evening we got an email from Amaya’s dad, who wanted to share this amazing letter that his 9-year-old daughter had written about being gay.
Hello! My name is Amaya and I am 9 years old, and today I will talk about being a lesbian child.
There are many different types of sexuality, such as being “straight”, which is what people THINK is the norm, but really, it is not. Everyone has their own sexuality, whether people like people of the same gender, different gender, or if they like both, or even none at all!
Not knowing your sexuality is troubling; I went through it, and I was scared. I wanted to know about myself, and not knowing was scary. You may go through this stage sometime, but if you’re going through puberty, you most likely will find out soon.
Being a lesbian is “bad” to some people. Some people feel its wrong, and they have their reasons, but these reasons are mostly quite stupid. Love is something we cannot control. It’s not a choice, but some people think it is.
if someone bullies you for it, you know what you can do? Go to an adult you trust. If they say that your sexuality is wrong, well, the world is horrible, but hope is not lost. There is someone out there who will love you for being YOU. Beacause (sic) you are amazing. and no one is like you, and that makes you SPECIAL.
Many children, teenagers, and adults have killed themselves because they were either pushed to be different, bullied, or not accepted by their own families for being themselves, and many people have been working to help the people who are young and afraid. There are marches all over the place to support peoples’ sexualities, and it’s amazing.
I was very lucky out of many people. My parents are bisexual, and they don’t feel it’s wrong that I am lesbian. If you too feel lesbian, telling your parents might be hard, but if they can’t accept you for being you, try to help them understand! If they can’t and say something like “Its just a phase” if you’re young, they may feel you’re not old enough to understand. But you know yourself better than anyone. Be open to your parents about your feelings and if their response hurts your feelings, let them know. If they cannot accept you, the ones that are supposed to LOVE and CHERISH you, go find help. Try to access the phone and ask someone to help. No one should take away who you are and put down a replacement of what they want you to be.
Speaking about his daughter’s coming out, Amaya’s Dad said, “Like many parents we had an inkling as to her sexuality from a fairly early age, and when she told us she was unsure of her sexuality (before she determined that she is a lesbian) she was actually pretty nervous. We explained that her sexual orientation wouldn’t change anything for us – that we love her the same regardless, and she didn’t need to worry about how we felt. I think that gave her the confidence to look at her feelings without fear. She’s always been a brave kid.”
