"Parent's Night"

"Parent's Night" is a short story written by Nancy Garden that demonstrates the loneliness and struggling that many gay and lesbian teens experienced when trying to "come out" to their friends and family. Sometimes it was easy and the parents or friends would be supportive, but other times it was much more difficult and heartbreaking. This story was about a young girl named Karen who was talking with her gay guy friend about an upcoming dance at their high school. It turned out, that dance was where Karen met her girlfriend, Roxy and they were together ever since. The story shows how much they loved each other, but also how afraid they were to "come out" to their parents. It's difficult to read stories like this one because I know that my parents would support me in any situation. And to read about teens who don't have that support from their family is unfortunate. Karen, the main character, dreads the moment when she decided that she would tell her family that she is a lesbian, which was the night before Parent's Night at her school. She even pictures the moment in her mind over and over again, thinking her parents will be completely in shock. Usually, people don't consider what gay teens are thinking or what they're feeling before they "come out," and I think this story gave me more insight as to how someone like that could be feeling. It's not just telling you're parents "I failed my math test." It's revealing a part of your character, and if they don't accept that, it's hard to live with the idea that you're parents don't support you with that part of your life. When Karen finally told her parents that she was gay, her mother started crying, and her dad was upset. After Karen told her parents, she said, "I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But that's how it is-how I am. I can't do anything about it; I don't want to." Karen actually apologized to her parents for being gay, which was sad, but at the same time she firmly stated that she wasn't going to change because she didn't want to. Even though she didn't seem confident before telling her parents, she defended herself and tried to explain that that was who she is. One thing that I learned while researching was that for all of the activists, like Harvey Milk for example, it was hard for them to publicly "come out." And just like them, Karen's experience was also difficult at first. Karen's parents ultimately came to Parent's Night to support her and began to accept the fact they she was gay. For some, it's a difficult thing to comprehend someone being "gay." And although Karen's parents first were upset at her being gay, they eventually came around and told her that it would take them some time to accept the fact, but that they would try. And that was enough for Karen because she was so happy and relieved that her parents didn't just abandon her. I've been researching gay and lesbian activists and events that happened, but I've yet to read about a story about a gay or lesbian person and their experience. It's completely different because there's a sense of emotion and personal experience in the story, not just facts. This story gave me a whole new perspective on the topic, a perspective that's significant to this topic because it's more on a personal level.

"Hear Us Out" by Nancy Garden, Farrar Straus Giroux, New York