Give Out Day

Yep, that's me in 1967 at age 13.  That's the year, a school bully singled me out for a double dose of humiliation.  He made me play hopscotch in front of the entire class because I acted like a girl.   There was no teacher or principal to help.  There was no such resource as PFLAG.  Even if there had been, I would be too ashamed to admit I'd been bullied at school.

That's the day I put a mask on.   I became the most quiet child on the planet.  My lifelong struggle with guilt, fear, anxiety and isolation began that day.  My unhealthy coping mechanisms included alcohol abuse, eventually landing me in AA.  Today at the age of 67, I'm keenly aware that it happens all too frequently to kids.  

Serving on the board of PFLAG has heightened that awareness. Reviewing the scholarship applications from today's students always brings a flood of tears. Will the torment never end?

And so I set out to tell the stories of those we had helped over the past twenty years to see if it was different for them. Were they able to unmask safely for their mental health? Five of their stories are now online and I encourage you to read them. PFLAG has a pivotal role in building healthy unmasked human beings.

Today, a kid made to play hopscotch can tell his parents and they can rely on PFLAG and other resources to stop the bullying. They can also apply for a scholarship. So it will always be the 50 bullied and battered youngsters waiting to unmask and be themselves that I will focus on.

Simply put: We all have kids going to college this year. Each and every one of us does. They're our LGBTQ kids who need emotional and financial support to finally live an authentic life.

I hope you'll join me.

Brent Adams Mundt

P.S.  Below is August Steinkamp, a happy, unmasked, well adjusted transgender junior at LSU.   We had his back!