there are many other parents with many more years experience than I have, it is crucial for their voices to be heard. We are all working together to empower our kids to speak up and speak out.
P.A.R.C. Mag: What are some of your own personal beliefs or stance on equality? What are your feelings towards the blatant changes that are happening within our government?
Beth: "We are all human and in that regard, we are all equal. Regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, gender, or financial status, we are all equal. Clearly, there are still many who would argue against my worldview, but that is why we are fighting. We want to empower everyone to come to the realization that we are not better than the next person, that we are here in this world together, and we have but one life to get it right."
"Our government is broken, shattered and in my opinion, we need to empower the people of this country to stand up and demand change. No longer can we sit on the sidelines and “allow” politicians to run a muck tearing down our humanity, being divisive and inciting hate, violence, and destruction in the land. On every issue we are seeing the people discarded, human rights trampled upon and the planet destroyed. We see the rich politicians ruling over the land and disregarding the people with no regard for anything but their own financial gain. The policies that are being pushed through are destructive and creating divisiveness and violence everywhere as well as, isolating us from the rest of the world. Just another reason “We The People” need to stand firm and make our voices heard. The targeted policy changes geared towards taking human rights away from LGBTQ people, as well as women, are atrocious and must be stopped."
P.A.R.C. Mag: What do you think is the number one reason why the LGBTQ community is being discriminated against? Or what are the most stereotypical instances of inequality that you have witnessed?
Beth: "Fear and religion. The vast majority of all those pursuing discrimination is based on fear, and or based on their religious belief that being LGBTQ is an abomination and must be corrected. With regards to both sexual orientation and gender binary differences, people get stuck not accepting, I think primarily due to the fact that they think too rigidly. Lack of science knowledge, evolution, and how the entire planet, full of billions of species, have evolved is the crux behind stereotyping and discrimination. We need to think outside the box and be open to the fact that we humans are also a living species, and perfectly capable of evolving. We are not unique, or immune to evolution, nor should we want to be."
P.A.R.C. Mag: What would you say to anyone who is struggling with sexuality or gender identity? What would you say to a parent that is dealing with this issue?
Beth: "Those who are struggling with either their sexuality or their gender identity need to be self-preserving. If you feel safe discussing it with your parents, friends, or family, then, by all means, do so. I would advise doing research on the issue, so you have some common sense facts to present to the listener to help them understand, should it be an issue. Also, very often people find the anonymity of the internet, via support groups on Facebook, or other social media helpful. I would only say do what you feel safe doing. If you are a legal adult and feel safe voicing your questions, curiosity without fear of repercussions then do so. If you are a minor child and are uncertain, I would recommend safe social media outlets. Just be cautious, because there are a lot of cruel people online as well. If you have a close circle of friends you can trust then test the waters to see how your questions are received. In today’s world, it’s not an uncommon thing to discuss, but depending on where you live in this country, or around the world, you could be in harm's way. Regardless of whether you speak out, you owe it to yourself, to be honest, and love yourself for who you are. It is your life and no one can take that away from you."