Coming Out Doesn’t Have To Be a Horror Story

On the rare media depictions of religious parents embracing their children's queerness.
From XO, Kitty

IN THE GEN-Z romance XO, Kitty, Netflix platformed an uncommonly tender father-daughter exchange. “I have feelings for my friend Yuri, who’s a girl,” says Kitty, an American attending high school in Seoul, Korea. Speaking to her father across continents and generations, she’s visibly nervous to come out. He’s nervous too, but only because his daughter called him in the middle of the night. “Oh, thank God,” he exhales. Confused, she asks, “Thank God I’m bi? Or pan? Or fluid?” He smiles. “Whatever pan or fluid is, thank God you’re safe and healthy.”

I realize it’s doubtful the father is literally engaging the divine here — I don’t even know if he’s Christian — but I’ll take what I can get. Depictions of religious parents embracing their children’s queerness are rare. Christian coming-out stories are usually serious dramas, not binge-worthy rom-coms.

Read the Full Article

​You've reached the end of our free magazine preview. For full digital access to Sojourners articles for as little as $4.95, please subscribe now. Your subscription allows us to pay authors fairly for their terrific work!
Subscribe Now!