Will Said Something Groundbreaking About His Kids Potentially Coming Out
It's June, people! And, in case you missed the memo, that means it's also World Pride Month. In honor of this great month, the future king of England had a candid conversation about his kids that's pretty groundbreaking. Prince William's quote about his kids potentially coming out as LGBTQ+ in the future is pretty much everything you'd expect from the guy who was smart enough to put a ring on Kate Middleton.
The quote took place during a visit Prince William paid to akt, a pretty fantastic British charity that, according to their Twitter bio, creates "safe homes and better futures for lgbtq+ young people." Harper's Bazaar reports William has been involved with the charity by helping them build their new YouthSpace in Hoxton, a neighborhood in London. On his visit on June 26, he was reportedly coming to meet with their staff, volunteers, and youth. In a tweet posted by akt following Prince William's visit, the organization says it was the first time any member of the royal family paid them a visit.
It was during this visit that someone asked William how he'd react if one of his three children (Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1) came out as LGBTQ+. William had an accepting response. "I think you really don’t start thinking about that until you are a parent, and I think: obviously absolutely fine by me," he replied.
He continued to say that he and Kate "have been doing a lot of talking about it to make sure they were prepared" if their kids do come out as LGBTQ+. Specifically, he told akt ambassador Faz Bukhari, he worries about how the rest of the world will react to his children's sexual orientations. "I've only started thinking about it since I had children," he explained. "So, it is something I'm nervous about, not because I'm worried about them being gay, it's more about the fact that I'm worried about the pressures that they're going to face and how much harder their life could be."
While he's concerned about the backlash, that doesn't mean that he tolerates it. In fact, he made it clear that he's committed to trying to create a more LGBTQ+-friendly world, adding that he was "appalled" by a homophobic attack that took place against a lesbian couple on a bus in London in May. "Things have progressed, but not nearly as much as they need to," he said, also noting that it's "for all of us to try and correct" the global stigma towards the LGBTQ+ community.
His words left a lasting impact on akt members who were there to hear them. "To hear him say 'I’d support my own children if they were in the LGBT community' was great, and to hear how much awareness he has of how difficult things are, and the awareness he has of the suicide issue, which is a massive, massive issue for the community," one akt member named Claire Evans said after his visit. "To know that someone that important has your back is huge."
Watch the entirety of Prince William's interview here:
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. You can also reach out to the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386, or to your local suicide crisis center.
