upworthy

acceptance

tinklesherpants/Instagram

10-year-old Cam gives a PowerPoint presentation to her class about her autism diagnosis.

Fourth grader Campbell is unashamed of her autism diagnosis. The incredible 10-year-old created a PowerPoint presentation to tell her class all about it, complete with helpful information about autism to help them understand what it is and to encourage an atmosphere of acceptance.

Campbell's mom, Stephanie Hanrahan (@tinklesherpants), shared a video on Instagram of her daughter giving her presentation to a room full of attentive students. "Our daughter decided to tell her class she's autistic. We had no idea she was doing this. She decided to use her free time at school to create a presentation," she writes in the video's caption.

The video begins with Cam standing in front of the class starting her presentation. "My name is Cam, and I have autism. Autism is a disability that affects socializing with people, learning, and other stuff. It can make life hard, but I am very open sharing about it," she begins. "I like to call autism my invisible disability."


Cam goes on to explain all the things that autism can affect, before moving on to describing how all autism is not the same. She shares that she has a younger brother with autism named Eli who is in second grade. "We have the same disability, but we don't have the same special needs," she says.

Another slide features 'Famous People with Autism', where she included photos of Elon Musk, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates and more...including herself in a funny nod. The next slide is about basic autism facts, before she highlights another slide about stimming. She shares that stimming is a natural way that people with autism move or fidget with their bodies. Common stims may be flopping, knee bobbing, repetition, and humming. "Stimming is absolutely not okay to make fun of or copy," she says.

At the end of her presentation, the entire class gives her a rousing round of applause and Cam wears a large, proud smile on her face.

Her mom Stephanie added in the caption, "Do not discount this generation. I know there are bad seeds in every bunch, but in my experience, children are often way more open-minded and inclusive than adults. And it’s all because of classrooms like these where an autistic girl is given the chance to stand with pride and say, 'This is me.' Raise your kids to be proud of every stripe. Raise your kids to embrace everyone’s story."

Cam's powerful presentation got tons of positive comments from viewers, including a teacher who knows her. The teacher wrote, "I’m one of the fourth grade teachers lucky enough to know Cam and the gift she is to us all. I boo hoo cried during her whole presentation out of admiration for her and pride in her peers. There is so much beauty in kids and we learn so much from them. If the world could mirror our fourth graders, it’d be a much more beautiful place. Thank you for sharing the gift of Cam with us, and the world! She is a deeply beautiful soul and we all have so much to learn from her. ❤️"

Others chimed in, saying:

"AND she started a trend at school of kids talking about their differences. That was awesome on so many levels!"

"This is so brave and her peers response is so beautiful 👏🥹❤️."

"She did such a great job of explaining Autism, stimming and several other aspects of the condition. She was funny and confident, and her classmates seem to have enjoyed and learned a lot. This really helps get conversations started and makes the entire environment a lot more inclusive! Way to go🔥."

How do you talk with kids about LGBTQ stuff?

If you're Lindsay Amer, you sit down at a table with your best friend, Teddy, a stuffed bear, and have a conversation about queer topics.

Image via Queer Kid Stuff/YouTube, used with permission of Lindsey Amer.


Queer Kid Stuff is an educational project that teaches young kids about LGBTQ issues.

When Amer, 26, who uses they/them pronouns, toured a play during college to elementary schools, they learned how limited kids' access to LGBTQ topics can be. The play, "The Transition of Doodle Pequeño," is about a boy who likes to wear skirts, and the tour had to cancel at least one show because the community considered the topic controversial.

"That's kind of when I started to see that there was a real barrier for kids to this kind of work," explains Amer, who says they experienced that barrier growing up, too. As an androgynous kid who was mis-gendered constantly, Amer says, "I make Queer Kid Stuff for a young me as much as I make it for kids today."

Queer Kid Stuff episodes are about five minutes long and taught at about a preschool level.

Targeting a young audience felt important to Amer because kids start to learn and ingrain ideas about gender and binaries at a pretty young age.

"It's just about getting those ideas instilled early enough that you don't have to undo any negativity," says Amer. Some of the most popular episodes include topics such as "T is for Trans," "Why Is Pride in June?" and "Learn About Consent."

Image via Queer Kid Stuff/YouTube, used with permission of Lindsey Amer.

While young kids may not grasp all the concepts and terminology, Amer says those aren't the focus — the show is about acceptance.

"All they need to know is that they're OK being themselves, and everyone else is OK, and it's OK to be different," they say.

It can be really difficult to restructure ways of thinking about gender, and a simplistic, broken down explanation about LGBTQ topics can be really helpful for all ages.

"If you can really get to the core of what gender is and kind of reframe it for people, it's a lot easier for people to turn around and say 'Hmm, maybe what I've been thinking is not correct. Maybe what I was taught is not correct. Maybe I need to reframe this for myself,'" Amer says.

Image via Queer Kid Stuff/YouTube, used with permission of Lindsey Amer.

That message is for everyone, not just queer kids. Learning about queer and trans issues so often is reactive, like after a classmate or neighbor or family member presents or identifies in a way that is confusing to a child. In those instances, kids and adults can sometimes say hurtful things or ask intrusive questions, which places an unfair burden on queer kids and their families to be constantly self-advocating and educating other people.

When people look to the Queer Kid Stuff videos wanting to understand a friend's or classmate's or family member's identity, the burden of education shifts from the queer person and their family to the curious person.

Queer Kid Stuff videos help all viewers — queer identifying or not — to share the responsibility of becoming educated, empowered, and tolerant of all types of people.

Queer Kid Stuff provides representation and positivity for LGBTQ kids.

But, Amer adds, "Their friends need to be on board, too. Their environment needs to be on board — they need to be in a safe space, it can't just be in front of that screen."

There's more progress to be made on and off screens, but Amer's work is opening minds in much needed ways.

In honor of Pride Month, watch the Queer Kid Stuff video below and learn why we celebrate LGBTQ issues in June:

Ayesha Curry, a former actress and famed cookbook writer and restaurant owner, is a well-known Bay Area favorite.

As the host of "Ayesha's Homemade" on The Food Network, the author of "The Seasoned Life," and one of the collaborators behind International Smoke, she's a pretty busy woman.

Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for NYCWFF.


She also happens to be married to basketball player Steph Curry. The powerhouse couple lead very public lives, and Ayesha has become increasingly cautious about what she says and when. But she didn't shy away from engaging with musician Kehlani after a recent Twitter shoutout.

Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for iHeartMedia.

Kehlani, a queer musician, thanked Curry on Twitter for using the word "humans" to label the bathrooms in her restaurant instead of separating them by gender.

Curry's response? She did it herself.

In a tweet that's now been liked more than 14,000 times, Curry told Kehlani that she put those signs up herself, showing that Curry understands the importance of inclusion in public spaces.

Curry's actions may seem simply normal in the predominantly progressive area where she lives, but given her self-identification as a devout Christian, her actions actually speak to an important fact.

Curry makes it clear that being religious and being inclusive aren't mutually exclusive.

In spite of common rhetoric claiming that Christians aren't progressive and accepting of diverse identities, or the reverse — that Christians can't make space for the fluidity of gender and sexual identity — Curry proves you can in fact be both religious and tolerant.

Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for SOBEWFF.

Curry is not alone: She joins a number of self-proclaimed religious people who are becoming more accepting in public. Magic Johnson frequently attends church and has been accepting and affirming of his son EJ's sexuality; Stephen Colbert, a devout Catholic, has consistently stood up for queer rights; and even some things the pope has said has signified a shift in how Christians view marriage equality.

These examples illustrate a pretty basic truth: It's totally possible to be a person of faith and also be accepting of queer people. It's really that simple.

Meet Lexie Nobrega. She saw Pride Month as a great reason to celebrate and spend time with her grandparents.

The 21-year-old who lives and studies in Norfolk, Virginia, traveled to Washington, D.C., for the city's Pride Month festivities. Not only would Nobrega celebrate being herself, she'd also get to spend a few nights with her grandparents — two of her favorite people.

Her grandmother's small act of kindness on the day of the Capital Pride Festival is now going viral.

When Nobrega woke up to get ready that morning, her grandma, Hermina, walked into the room, took one look at the creases on her granddaughter's bisexual Pride flag and thought, "No, this won't do." So she got out her iron and started "pressing it out."


Nobrega was overcome with emotion and wanted to remember the moment, so she snapped a picture for social media. Her intention was just to share it with family, but the gesture was so poignant that the photo quickly rocketed into the world, fueled by tens of thousands of likes and retweets.

Nobrega says her grandmother also ironed out the rest of her costume so she wouldn't go to Pride looking anything but her best.

This kind of support is nothing new for her grandparents.

Nobrega, who came out to her grandparents as bisexual during her senior year of high school, notes that while they'd always been her rock, being open with them about her identity was still difficult.

"Both of my grandparents have always taught me to love and accept all people, but coming out to them still wasn't easy," she says. "I was afraid that they would judge me or treat me differently."

Coming out is a complex and personal process and — as many people in the LGBTQIA community will tell you — there's a lot of fear that comes along with telling even the most loving people in your life.

For Nobrega, nothing changed: "They gave me a big hug and said, 'That's OK, we love you.'"

Nobrega's been "blown away" by all the love she received, but it's not surprising that her grandmother's actions have resonated far and wide.

As someone who came out of the closet to parents who were virulently homophobic at the time — though my mom and dad's views have since changed drastically — I can tell you firsthand how lonely, isolating, and scary it can feel.

The feeling of not having to hide who you truly are anymore is indescribable. But having to face the reality that you may lose the love and support of your family isn't just painful, it can be dangerous: According to recent research, LGBTQIA youth are at a higher risk of experiencing homelessness than other youth.

So seeing Nobrega's picture wasn't just heartwarming — it was also a clear sign that acceptance and progress are on the move.

For allies, it's a clear message that you don't have to make grand gestures to show up for your LGBTQIA friends and family. Just like Hermina did.

"My grandma is small but has a huge, compassionate heart," Nobrega says. "She loves learning about the LGBT+ community and never judges others for who they are or who they love. Even the smallest gestures of support speak volumes to someone who is a part of the LGBT+ community."

What does that look like? For Nobrega, support includes showing love and compassion to those in the community, listening to their experiences without judgment, educating oneself on the different identities that fall under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella, and putting a special focus on those identities — such as bisexuality, asexuality, and aromanticism — which often go underrepresented or are erased, and supporting local LGBTQIA centers and shelters.

It all makes a difference.

Lexie Nobrega looked amazing at Capital Pride. Just look at that flag.

Her grandma? She couldn't have been any prouder.