Although he came out of the closet at age 13, Justin Preston waited until he was 18 years old and in Grade 12 to attend his first pride parade. He said it was an “amazing” experience.
Preston travelled to Toronto Pride with a group of university students from his area.
Coming from the small community of Fort Erie, Ont., he said it was nerve-wracking to go to the big city, and to have thousands of eyes upon him as he marched in the pride parade.
But overall, it was great, given he was there with friends in a safe and supportive environment.
When he first came out, Preston experienced severe bullying, and often felt like he was alone. He even attempted suicide at the age of 13. Attending Toronto Pride was something of a revelation.
“When you open your eyes, you recognize you're not the only one, so you're not so, so alone,” Preston said.
Now 23-years-old, Preston is the founder of a global campaign called Rise Against Bullying, and an ambassador for Kids Help Phone, which provides free, confidential counselling to youth.
He used the service himself at age 14. Sixteen per cent of Kids Help Phone clients self-identify as LGBT.
“I felt really lost in this world,” Preston said. “I felt misplaced. But when I called Kids Help Phone, I ended up speaking with a girl on the other end. She made me feel a lot better.”
Kids Help Phone recently released information on its website helpful to youth attending their first pride parade or festival, addressing subjects such as when they should attend their first one.
Sudbury Pride Festival kicked off today with a flag-raising ceremony at Tom Davies Square, and runs until Sunday.
A Kids Help Phone counsellor named Shannon — she can't reveal her last name for confidentiality reasons — said the service received so many questions about Pride, it decided to release a tip sheet.
“We find that just around this time of year, with Pride coming up and kind of migrating across the country in a bunch of different cities, that a lot of kids have questions about what Pride is going to be like and how do they attend their first one,” she said.
One of the topics addressed by Kids Help Phone surrounds teens who want to attend Pride, but haven't yet told everyone in their lives they're gay. Shannon said that's the most common question she's asked by youth on this topic.
Preston said that's a difficult one, since coming out of the closet sometimes results in family rejection and, ultimately, homelessness.
But Pride is also attended by many different community members, including allies, so going to such an event wouldn't necessarily involve publicly revealing your sexuality, unless you want to.
He encourages gay youth who are in a position to do so to attend Pride, as it's a positive, affirming environment.
“It's like a safe zone,” Preston said. “It's like going somewhere where you are accepted and loved. You can be who you are without anyone judging you.”
If you're a child or youth that needs help, Kids Help Phone can be reached toll-free at 1-800-668-6868. Online chatting with counsellors is also available through kidshelpphone.ca.
