We were greatly saddened to learn that an event designed to support our island community of queer and questioning youth and their peer allies had to be postponed due to misinformed rhetoric, accusations of “grooming”, and threats to disrupt it.

The science and lived experience of queer people is plain and clear: being gay, bi-, trans, etc., comes from inside a person, not from being exposed to others or being “groomed.” Conversely, “Among LGBTQ+ young people, having an [LGBTQ+] adult role model or mentor is associated with higher levels of resilience and emotional strength (Stone et al., 2020), hope (Sulimani-Aidan et al., 2024), self-esteem, academic success, and career aspirations (Edwards et al., 2022).” (From the Trevor Project.) The science and lived experience of queer (and questioning, e.g., mixed feelings) people is plain and clear: being supported by family, peers, and the wider community leads to a better self-understanding and overall mental health. The suicide rate of LGBTQ+ youth is about three times higher than the rest of their peers, but is much reduced if they have at least one supportive adult in their lives.

Being gay, lesbian, or bisexual is real and natural. Being trans is real and natural. Being intersex is real and natural (and as common as red hair). Queer people are part of the human story.

Our youth of all stripes need our support and caring, not threats against their mental health and safety. Most folks in our community and in our schools provide this! The adults who have caused “safety concerns” for this event should be ashamed of their bullying behavior. We hope that any specific threats are reported to the Sheriff.

Dads David F. W. Robison and Donald S. Kane

And our son, an FHHS grad and ally.

San Juan Island