1. This is a difficult situation. For one, it seems that Shelly really wants to come out to her parents and as a friend you should be supportive and encouraging. However, on the other hand, Janet is unsure how Shelly’s parents will react and a poor reaction may mentally and emotionally harm her. I would like to look more into the situation. I would privately ask Shelly in a nonjudgemental manner if perhaps her parents have ever had a situation where they made a homophobic comment or perhaps if they are supportive for the LGBTQ+ community. If Shelly mentions that they are supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, then I would let Shelly know that there is a high chance that they will be supportive of their daughter being part of such community but I understand that this is not always the case. If Shelly mentions that they have made homophobic comments, I would let Shelly know that, first, I will be here for her and support her through his. I would find different organizations that have come up with a best way to tell possibly unsupportive parents about one’s sexuality, such as the Trevor Project. In the end, I want to be supportive of Shelly with either of her decision and be there for her no matter how her parents react.
2. I believe it can be difficult to truly understand what Shelly is going through but I believe one can empathize with Shelly. I think if one thinks of how it would feel to hide something so large and so part of one’s identity from your parents, it can be very difficult. One has to understand that this can affect future family outings, marriage, etc. Being able to understand the difficulties and stress ostracization, especially from one’s parents, can allow one to empathize with Shelley
3. I believe being able to listen to people’s concerns about hte LGBTQ+ community and facilitating an open, nonjdugemental discussion. Many people grew up in a homophobic environment and may follow such ideals as such. Allowing people to express their concerns and beliefs and being able to address those concerns that show LGBTQ+ people are humans and deserve human rights may allow people to step out of their comfort bubble and do more research on such topic and perhaps even befriend people who are in the community,
(ignore typos since this will not affect CASPER scoring)
