The hot button topic I have chosen is the social stigma in the LGBTQ community. Almost 16 years ago I gave birth to the most amazing little baby girl Samantha. she was perfect from day one. She was a typical youngest girl in a family. She wore pink and purple most of her young life and loved to dress up and wear makeup whenever possible. She was every princess in Disney for Halloween and always wanted her nails painted to be like her big sisters. In middle school I noticed little changes. mixing “gendered” clothes such as a button down shirt with a tie and vest along with a skirt and tights or thigh highs. One day she came to me and told me she was non-binary. My first though was confusion because I couldn’t grasp the difference between bisexual and non-binary. “I eventually got it” But in the end I told Sam I was so proud they came to me and trusted me with such an amazing discovery. Sam didn’t tell their dad at first because he is not great at understanding sexuality and has a homophobic attitude about most people if he doesn’t understand or agree. About a year after this point Sam came to me and explained they were leaning more towards transgender and thought they felt they should have been a boy. So then my princess was transformed into my prince. This has been our life now for awhile. Sam finally came out to his dad last week. Now this is where I worry. Sam decided to shave their head as a signification of his transformation and texted his dad with the news. Sam was so afraid to tell his dad he had to send a message. His dad was mad, not about the decision Sam had made but because he cut his hair. Dads reasons were “She will get picked on” I quickly corrected the misgender knowing it will take time for dad to get used to it and moved on to explain that we are no longer our children’s protector. The fact that Sam was strong and brave enough to take this on even when he thought his dad would be against him makes him strong and brave enough to take on any bullies at school. But what worries me is he has to be that strong and brave. I know it’s 2023 but the fact is being yourself is sometimes scary and dangerous. I hope that people will show empathy and accept that Sam has the same rights in the social justice system that everyone else has. But the truth is I am scared. I am scared of every dark ally, empty locker room, and public bathroom. I am scared that the day won’t come where the stigma is gone and we can not worry about our kids. Sam is Brave and Strong and I will do everything in my power to make sure he has every opportunity to spread awareness safely as long as I live. But I am scared. The fact that the LGBTQ community still has to be scared and careful and worry about where they are makes me scared. 

Remember to respond to two peers while being respectful of and sensitive to their viewpoints. Consider advancing the discussion in the following ways:

• Post an article, video, or visual to reinforce a peer’s idea or challenge them to see their point from a different perspective.
• Engage in conversation with your peers around their hot button topics. Consider asking a question or sharing your personal experience.