I will be upset if my child is gay.

Not with my child - hell no. With the world.

If my child is gay, that means they will have to spend unnecessary, precious moments of their childhood deciding how they will tell me and everyone else. As a heterosexual individual, I never had to do that, because everyone assumes someone is straight until they say otherwise, and this unfairness will upset me for them.

As a mother, I want the best life for my child, no matter who they love. But if my child is gay, I will be upset as they are at risk from being fired from jobs, rejected from housing, and having many other issues with different forms of structural oppression, simply for who they love.

If my child is gay, I will be upset as they are given odd looks when they hold their partner's hand or kiss them in public. I have always been free to do so, and I will be heartbroken every time I see them stand next to their partner, unable to show minimal signs of affection.

I will be upset as they are exposed to hostility, whether it is spoken or through physical violence, just for being a part of the LGBTQ+ community.

I will be sad for them if they struggle with self-hatred, low self-esteem, or any other problems our current media and films portray they should be struggling with, and they may then unconsciously internalize.

My anger will continue as I see them lack representation in books, television, and everywhere else as I struggle to find the characters they can see that model relationships they will have one day.

I will take care of their future children, however they are conceived or adopted, with love and adoration. I will undoubtably be upset when people say they are an unfit parent, or that they should not be raising a child because "the child may grow up to be gay."

I have never encountered any of these problems because of my straight privilege, and if my child comes out to me, my heart will immediately break, knowing all they are up against.

I will never be upset with my future child for being gay. I could not care less what identity they hold as long as they are a kind, loving, and considerate person. I will, however, be upset with society, as I already am, for not being fair to these people who are just the same as everyone else.