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Friday, March 29, 2024
The Observer

A call to future parents

The fight for recognition, legitimacy and inclusion of LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff at the University of Notre Dame is a beautiful and powerfully necessary thing. This struggle seeks to improve the quality of life for students who don't necessarily feel a part of the Notre Dame family, or who have been purposefully ostracized by ignorance, discrimination and hate. Personally, however, this struggle represents and embodies the fight for every child who will ever look in the mirror and feel nothing but shame and fear.
For every boy who doesn't understand why he is pushed into lockers, why people call him a "f*****." For every girl who is made fun of because she's a tomboy, or because she likes girls. For every person who goes through the terrifying struggle for gender identity, and for every person who has ever lost their life because they have been pushed over the edge by hate. No one should ever have to feel the need to harm themselves because people cannot find within them the humanity to say, "I love you, not just regardless of your sexuality, but with unconditional acceptance and recognition of all that is a part of you." This is a call to every Notre Dame student who ever plans on having children, adopting children or plans to work with children. Make your arms the first that your child will run to if they come home from school with stories about how they don't want to go to school because the kids are mean to them. Wrap your son in your arms, and tell him that it's alright that he wants to hold hands with another boy. Hold your daughter and explain that it's okay for her to like another girl.
If your child struggles with their gender, be loving, accepting and create a space for them grow, mature and learn to love themselves. Don't be the parent who has to bury their child because you never thought that it would happen to you.

Lucas Garcia
freshman
Keenan Hall
April 27


The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.