letters-to-lgbt-kids:

My dear lgbt+ kids,

A big hug to all of you who have to deal with “Maybe it’ll go away if…” suggestions.

Your identity is not a illness. It doesn’t need a cure. There’s nothing wrong with you, no need to fix you.

And yet, some people come up with ideas how to fix something that was never broken in the first place.

I’m not only talking about people who believe a self-proclaimed healer could “pray the gay away” and similar things (though those people still exist and that’s horrifying) – the people around you may even know that it’s scientifically proven that such cures do not work and still come up with their own suggestions… which are nothing but cures by another name.

One example for this would be “Maybe you just need more female friends? I think you just convinced yourself you’re a lesbian because you feel lonely, it’ll go away when you find a female best friend.” (Yes, this example is taken from personal experience).

Trans or nonbinary people often hear mental health related “advice”, like “Maybe you should get tested for schizophrenia?” (been there, heard that).

For some of us, it’s easy to see that these suggestions are ridiculous – they are! But for others, they can be a big source of insecurity or doubt, even self-hatred.

Please know that your identity is not a flaw. It’s not necessarily “caused” by anything and it certainly doesn’t need to go away – it’s just part of who you are. A normal, healthy, good part.

With all my love,
Your Tumblr Mom