Constance McMillen Comes Out as a COLAGEr!

“I’m proud of who I am, regardless of if I am different…” – Constance McMillen
At COLAGE we know how isolating it can be living in a world that treats families with a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) parent differently. We also know that all across this country there are others like us, and when we connect with each other we find the courage to advocate for our families – we realize that our difference is our strength.
McMillen’s courage to advocate for her right to go to the prom with her girlfriend, and her right to wear the formal attire that best matched her gender expression, has inspired countless teenagers who have ever felt “different.” Now, by coming out about having a supportive, lesbian parent, she has given a resilient voice to LGBTQ families, especially those of us living in rural and small towns.
We applaud her and her family for standing up proud in the face of adversity to be honest about who she is, and for fighting for the rights and respect we all deserve.
Click here to listen to Constance McMillen on the Micheleangelo Signorile show.
COLAGE also recognizes the bravery and struggle of Juin Baize, a transgender teen who spent just four hours at Itawamba Agricultural High School, the same school McMillen attends, before being suspended for being a “distraction” for wearing “feminine clothing.” If there’s one thing many COLAGErs know, it is that sometimes it takes immense courage simply to be out and open about who we are.
Due to the harassment and isolation Baize faces, the family will be moving to Florida.
His supportive grandma said she “just wants him to be safe.” We couldn’t agree more!

Click here to more about Baize’s story, and make a donation to help him and his sisters in their move to Florida.
LGBTQ youth and youth with LGBTQ parents report alarmingly higher instances of being harassed or physically threatened at school. COLAGE stands with our allies at GLSEN, GSA Network, and the many other youth organizations calling on Itawamba Agricultural High School to provide a more welcoming and inclusive environment for ALL of their students.