Update on Teen Atheist Attending LGBT Pride March

Last time we saw her, Teen Atheist was trying to go to an LGBT march but her mom was saying she couldn’t go.

You offered your honest advice (even if they suggested very different things).

It was the night before the parade, and I approached my mother in the kitchen to ask her again if I could attend the gay pride parade. She, again, refused.

“Please,” I whined, “my gay friends are counting on me to be there!”

After taking a while to think it over, she sighed, “Ask your father.”

So I did, and Dad was like, “It’s up to you,” and hey, a victory is still a victory, even if I didn’t get to use the “they’re being discriminated against, like meee!” speech I had prepared in my mind.

Yay! She went. And she managed to do it without going against her parents’ wishes. Good for her! I’m so proud 🙂

What did she learn after attending the event?

[Gays and atheists] don’t want to be thought of as evil or reprehensible or impaired just because of what we believe in (or don’t) or whom we choose to love. We’re all still struggling for acceptance, within our families, our workplace, our community, our world, and it’s an uphill battle but we’ll fight for it anyway, because it’s worth it.

And that’s why marching in this big, fabulous parade meant so much to me.

The feeling I got marching alongside everyone down the streets was indescribable… I felt slightly out of place, but still totally psyched to be there. I can’t wait until next year’s parade.

I was a part of history, and I have you all to thank…

…

Without your support, I probably would have wussed out at Mom’s first refusal, and I’d have subsequently missed out on this amazing event (which is probably the least selfish thing I’ve done this year, so yay me!). I made some great new friends, I looked fabulous, and in what little way I could, I helped the LGBT community fight the stigmas and discrimination they face on a daily basis.

That’s awesome.

(I still say that result would have been worth disobeying your parents over.)

Now we just need more young people following in TA’s footsteps.

[tags]atheist, atheism, gay, lesbian, pride[/tags]

Kate

Good for her, but ALSO good for her parents for having a change of heart. Even if it was reluctant. Maybe her openness will rub off on them. One can only hope!!
Teen Atheist

Kate: Doubt it. I think they only relented because I was being a pain in the ass. But thanks for the sentiment! 😀
Kate

Well, through whatever means necessary!!! Today it’s because you were being annoying. 😉 BUT that could lead them to think about why you looked so happy when you returned, and so forth and so on…

Just trying to feel optimistic today. 🙂
Michael

I’m glad she went. I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for many years, and marched in the huge parade there almost every year. It was always an almost manic atmosphere, fun everywhere you looked. Somehow, us straight people just seem to fit in. It was huge fun. And where else could you march beside a group on Harley’s called Dykes on Bikes?
Joe M

Good job, TA!

I’m glad you had the courage to let them know how important it was to you, and even more happy that your parents were deserving of that trust. You should be proud of yourself and proud of them.

If you want a last bit of advice, use their allowance of this as an opportunity to tell them why it was so important to you. The fact that they said yes encourages me to think they may be more understanding than they were given credit for.