As we celebrate Pride, Damnit Maurie takes a closer look at the difficulties of coming out and the challenges that come along with it. In Part one of his video series with CityNews, Maurie speaks with a mom who turned to the internet for guidance.

What if you’re a parent that has questions, or needs help with what to say to you child after they come out? What if you just don’t want to feel alone and need to talk to other parents in the same situation as you? That’s exactly how Marla felt when her son Jonathan came out. Her immediate reaction was sadness that his life might be more difficult because he’s gay. “As a parent we want our kids to be happy and heathy and productive and I knew that eventually all those things will happen but I thought he might have a harder struggle being gay, because theres an obstacle.”

Marla, looking for help googled and found PFLAG Toronto -PFLAG, which stats for: Parents, families, friends & allies of Toronto’s LGBTQ* community, which actively assist in the recognition and growth of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, intersex, queer and questioning persons, and their families and friends, within their diverse cultures and societies.

Once Marla found and started going to PFLAG she says “I didn’t tell Jonathan that i was going to PFLAG because I didn’t want him to think that I had any problem with him being gay, because I didn’t, it was just the worry about stuff. And I went to a meeting and they really helped me out. They let me know it’s not about me, its about him its about ways I can support him”

Jonathan shares some advice to parents that may also be having a hard time accepting their kids ” To any perent out there having any issue with it I say accept your child and do whatever you can to help them be happy and everything will be ok in the end”

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