This spring, a high school girl in Texas named Sarah wanted to take her girlfriend to prom. Unfortunately, her parents forbade it, believing that loving someone of the same gender is a sin. Not only that, but they sent her away to a Christian boarding school in Eastern Texas where her counselors are convinced that her sexuality is sinful. She has recently been released from the school, but the damage has already been done.

This is my open letter to her parents who made the decision to send her away. Here is the link to the GoFundMe for the trial Sarah was originally going to take up in order to free herself from the facility; the rest of the money will go to her college fund. The issue has gone somewhat viral because her cousin, actor Jeremy Jordan (" Newsies," "The Last Five Years"), has shared it on social media.

Dear Mr. and Mrs.,

I don’t know your last name. I don’t know where you live or anything else about you. What I do know is that you’ve done wrong to your child. You haven’t listened to what she wants, but perhaps you’ll listen to me.

Now, I have some experience with parents like you. My own parents are polar opposites of you, it seems, but growing up I had classmates with parents who made me worried for their safety. Emotional safety, that is; sure, they had the elaborate house and the nice cars and clothes, but their parents did not accept them for who they were. I had a middle school friend tell me her mother had made sure to let her know that she was never allowed to date a man of color. He would have to be white. Thanks to her heavily prejudiced mother, my friend could have missed out on true love just because of the color of someone’s skin.

What you have done to Sarah is no different. The only difference is the type of discrimination.

Sarah wanted to take her girlfriend to prom. She was happy, and finally felt ready to tell the parents who raised her. Or maybe you found out by accident. I’m not sure how it happened, but I know that your reaction is one of the worst she could have hoped for. The two of you made the decision to force Sarah to leave your home, her school and the friends and girlfriend she held dear. She was away from the two of you, in a place that essentially told her every day that it is wrong to be who she is. Even if you think this has been done in a “loving” or “gentle” manner, she was given the message that something is wrong with her, that the love she feels is the way that sin is manifested in her. I’m sorry, but I don’t see how any parent could want that for their child.

You think you’re doing what’s best for Sarah. I don’t want to speak for her, but considering she did everything she could to be released from the boarding school, she isn’t happy with your decision. Yes, kids are often unhappy with the decisions their parents make to protect them, but you didn’t protect her in the slightest. Sarah tried everything she could to escape the facility you put her in; she felt trapped. I think it’s time for you to realize that you are the ones who trapped her. It wasn’t your duty to God. It was done to make sure you didn’t feel guilty due to your own strong beliefs. It’s time you respect Sarah’s, and Sarah believes in her own happiness.

I don’t know if she is a Christian or not, but either way, her sexuality will not affect her spirituality. She didn’t hurt anybody. Instead, you decided that because of the way that she feels romantic love, something she cannot control, she had to be isolated and have ideas forced upon her that she does not want. Ideas that she is not who she really is, that sexuality is a choice or a defect, that there is something intrinsically sinful about being gay. Even if sexuality or gender identity were a choice, gay or transgender people don’t hurt anybody through being who they are. Yet, Heartlight Ministries counselors sent the message that she is gay because of trauma, because she’s trying to be “different.” They infiltrated gently, but infiltrate they did.

I know what you’re thinking, "This is our right as parents. We are doing what is best for our child, and everyone else can leave us alone." I’m sorry to tell you that your choices have gone too far. This is your daughter, who you raised from birth. She didn’t ask to come into this world. The least you could do for her is not isolate her from life because of who she is because of a harmless quality of her personality. She wanted to embrace it; she probably already had on her own. As parents, it saddens me that you would take that from her.

Kids don’t want parents who see key parts of their personalities as dirty, ugly, wrong, sinful. That is not love. Love is learning to question what you have been taught, the beliefs you hold fast to, in order to better care for your son or daughter. Your conservative beliefs are not an exception. You do not need to stop loving and caring for your child because they do not live up to what you think God wants them to be. God wants Sarah to be happy, to love and care for others, and to be a kind, good person. She doesn’t violate any of that by being gay.

I hope that you will think about the impact your actions have had on the young girl that you have raised. Now that she has been released, you’re probably in contact with her and maybe now you’ll try to understand what she has gone through. I’m not trying to reprimand you. As another young girl, I’m trying to give you my perspective so that you can rebuild your relationship with your daughter. It looks to me like you have a lot of work to do.

Best wishes,

Chloe