Ask Amy: Pride flag creates confusion for parents
Did these two women present you with this flag to acknowledge your allyship? Have they given this to you in hopes that you will somehow complete your ally-journey by quite literally flying the flag?
I asked my friend Zack Ford to weigh in (Zack most recently covered LGBTQ issues for ThinkProgress). He responds: “First, the parents need to talk to each other: What is their hesitation to put out the flag? Are they concerned about how neighbors will react? Do they not want to have to explain or defend it to others?
“Then of course talk to their daughter. Does she feel like she needs more support from them, and if so, what does that need to look like?”
Zack and I agree that once you communicate about this and know more about the intent, you could make a decision.
We also agree that if you ultimately don’t want to display it, you shouldn’t.
One possible compromise is that you might fly this flag for a period during June, which is LGBTQ Pride month.
Dear Amy: My wife’s daughter just died two days before this past Christmas due to liver and kidney failure, following a hospital stay of 20 days, mostly in the ICU and under intubation.
She was only 46 years old, and in fair health until she recently developed back pain and then difficulty walking.
At any rate, she had a husband and two 10-year-old twin children.
When would it be appropriate for them to start grief counseling, since it seems the twins need to gain perspective regarding the sudden loss of their mother.
...continued
