I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Gay pride edition!

I am teaching high school in Cincinnati.

Everyone knows I’m gay.

At the beginning of my third year of teaching, I’m sitting in my office and the phone rings.

I pick it up and there is a woman crying on the other end of the phone.

Through her tears, I make out that she is upset because her son has just told her, he is gay.

Backstory.

The son is not my student. His brother is. I know the mom very well. Her son, in my class, is a great student.

I get her calmed down and she explains what happened.

That morning, before he left for school, there is a discussion, and he tells her he is gay.

She is a very devout Christian, and this message has upset her.

The first thing I say, is how did you respond. Did you say anything that you can’t take back. Did you kick him out of the house.

She had not. He knew she was upset, but he also knew that she loved him.

He left, and she called me.

She wanted to know what to do.

I assured her that if she wasn’t cruel, didn’t kick him out, and didn’t tell him she didn’t love him the rest could be fixed.

We talked for about 30 minutes.

I told her he would be fine.

I told her she would be fine.

I explained that this was probably as hard for him as it was for her.

She was also worried about his health and I assured her that as long as she made sure he was educated he’d be fine there.

I told her about PLAG. The organization for the parents of LGBTQ kids. I explained how to find them. How to reach out. I encouraged her, to go to the group and ask for advice/help/support.

At the end of the call, I assured her that all she had to do was love him. The rest would be figured out.

I have not spoken to the mother in a while. But my student and I are connected on Facebook. Last I knew, his brother was married and had two kids.

Sounds like he’s doing okay.

I hope his mother is as well.