For Melanie Coon, who wrote “Brave New Gender World”, this story was personal.

“My daughter, Jessica, tried to come out to me twice when she was in middle school. I dismissed both of those attempts, telling her she was too young to know she was gay. One day when she was in high school she seemed in an unusually good mood. When I asked why, she replied, ‘I came out to the entire upper school during silent meeting today.’

My response: ‘When were you going to tell me?!’ (Idiotic, I know). I didn’t understand why I was having such a hard time accepting the news. Didn’t I have ultra-liberal social views? Hadn’t I had been both supportive and protective of my gay brother for 30-odd years?

Well, it turns out there was an inner, conservative me—a Donna Reed/June Cleaver me—who had to reconcile classic fantasies of what Jessica’s life would look like, including a fairy tale wedding to Prince Charming, with the reality that I had pretty much zero say in the matter. (Also, fairy tales are overrated.) Watching the film “It Gets Better at URI,” hearing both the heartbreaking and the heartwarming stories, I could empathize and connect. The journey really is different for everyone. And those of us who have gay loved ones should all remember what Annie Russell says about SafeZone participants: ‘You are not the hope for all queer people!’

Fast forward to May of 2016. Jessica and Ash, her sweetheart, were married at the Providence Public Library—perfect for two bookworms who met at the University of Chicago. I am so grateful to live in a country where my daughter can get married to anyone she loves. May it always be so. I am lame enough to admit I was elated that Jessica wanted to wear a gown, and that she looked every bit the princess. But I was also happy that Ash wore a sharp suit complete with bowtie. She, too, was a beautiful bride. They are two young women completely comfortable in their own skin, writing their own story.”