Prince William said it would be “absolutely fine by me” if his children came out as gay or lesbian.
The royal visited the Albert Kennedy Trust, an organization in London that supports young members of the LGBTQ community, on Wednesday to learn about the issue of LGBTQ youth homelessness, PEOPLE reports. Prince William was having a discussion with a group of individuals supported by the organization when he was asked how he would react if his children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte or Prince Louis — came out as gay or lesbian in the future.
The Duke of Cambridge met people supported by @aktcharity and spoke with staff about the services they provide including the ‘Purple Door’ safe house, LGBTQ+ ‘host’ (or carer) services, in-person and online mentoring programmes and a range of youth engagement activities. pic.twitter.com/gjkBzbtjCO
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) June 26, 2019
“Do you know what, I’ve been giving that some thought recently because a couple of other parents said that to me as well,” the Duke of Cambridge said. “I think, you really don’t start thinking about that until you are a parent, and I think — obviously absolutely fine by me.”
Prince William went on to say that he and wife Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, had talked about the possibility and how they would give their children the best support they possibly could particularly since their children live in the public eye, The Telegraph reports.
“The one thing I’d be worried about is how they, particularly the roles my children fill, is how that is going to be interpreted and seen,” he said. “So Catherine and I have been doing a lot of talking about it to make sure they were prepared.”
“I think communication is so important with everything, in order to help understand it you’ve got to talk a lot about stuff and make sure how to support each other and how to go through the process. It worries me not because of them being gay, it worries me as to how everyone else will react and perceive it and then the pressure is then on them,” the Duke of Cambridge added.
This isn’t the first time that Prince William has shown his support for the LGBTQ community. In 2016, he posed for the cover of Attitude Magazine, where he also spoke out against cyberbullying, E! News reports.
“No one should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason and no one should have to put up with the kind of hate that these young people have endured in their lives,” he told Attitude. “The young gay, lesbian and transgender individuals I met through Attitude are truly brave to speak out and to give hope to people who are going through terrible bullying right now. Their sense of strength and optimism should give us all encouragement to stand up to bullying wherever we see it.”
“What I would say to any young person reading this who’s being bullied for their sexuality: don’t put up with it — speak to a trusted adult, a friend, a teacher, Childline, Diana Award or some other service and get the help you need,” the royal continued. “You should be proud of the person you are and you have nothing to be ashamed of.”