Making Room at the Table

This year, National Coming Out Day and Thanksgiving fall on the same weekend. For many families across Canada, that means a coming out conversation might happen over dinner, in a quiet moment while doing the dishes, or in a text sent from the car in the driveway.

If someone you love comes out to you this weekend, you don’t need to have the perfect words. What matters most is simple: Thank you for telling me. I love you. I’m here. The questions, the feelings, and the learning can come later. You don’t have to figure it out alone, and neither do they.

We also know Thanksgiving isn’t easy for everyone. Some 2SLGBTQI+ people will spend this weekend away from family who haven’t yet made room for them. Some will gather with chosen family. Some parents and caregivers are still finding their footing after a recent conversation and feel unsure about what to say at the table. Wherever you are, your experience is valid, and you belong in this community.

This weekend, we’re grateful for:

• The young people who trust their families with who they are
• The parents and caregivers who choose to listen, learn, and love out loud
• Our volunteers across the country who show up for families every month, many of whom once sat where you’re sitting now
• Chosen family, who make sure no one eats alone
• Our sponsors and funders, who make it possible for us to offer peer support coast to coast to coast

Whatever your table looks like this year, we’re glad you’re at it.

If you or someone you love needs support, our peer support groups and volunteers are here. Visit our chapter directory to find a chapter or connect with peer support near you.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at pflag Canada.