Why would a child tell a teacher before they tell a parent about their gender and sexuality? It actually makes total sense. It is a very vulnerable and scary thing in our society to name that you might be something other than male or female, cisgender and heterosexual. Children hear attacks all the time on LGBTQ+ people. So it is easier to tell a teacher. If the teacher rejects them or tells them it is nonsense, they will have a new teacher next year. But if they tell their parents and their parents reject them, then that is the most significant of losses. It may even mean the loss of a home, or of safety in the home. Even a child with the most loving parents can feel very vulnerable telling their parents, so they might test it out first by telling a teacher or another trusted adult, where the stakes aren’t so high if they are rejected.
