Thank you EC - Empty Closets - A safe online community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered people coming out

**Eleanor Rigby** · 17th Jun 2010, 01:04 PM

Hey guys,

I just wanted to tell you what happened to me this afternoon.
For those of you who don't know, I am a primary school teacher and I teach the 3 levels before middle school, wich means that my pupils are between 8 and 11 years old.

This afternoon, one of my 10 years old pupils (who is an adorable little girl) asked for talking to me during the playtime.
She told me "I can tell you everything right ? Even problems that happen in my family."
Of course, I told her she can tell me anything she wants. Then, she explained me that her elder sister, who is 15, has a girlfriend, and that ever since her father found out, there is a lot of fights between her parents and her sister, and that she and her other sister (who had been my pupil too) don't know how to handle it.

So I started to explain to her that her sister is probably very uncomfortable with the way their parents found out that she has a girlfriend (they took her cell-phone and read her text messages, but that's not the topic), because falling in love with girls is not necessarily something easy to handle for a young girl, even if it's completly fine.
That her parents may have a hard time to accept that her sister is falling in love with girls, that accepting it may take times for them. That the fact her sister and them was fighting about it doesn't mean that her family is going to tear appart, but that relationship between parents and teenagers are not always easy.
Finaly, I asked her if she is uncomfortable with the fact her sister has a girlfriend, and she told me that not at all, the only thing that is bothering her are the fights. Then she asked me if I thought she could tell her parents that she is not bothered by the fact her sister has a girlfriend, but that she is bothered by the fact they have fights with her about it. To wich I answered that it seemed to me a very good idea, and that it would be a good idea to let her sister know that too.
She seemed a lot more happier when we ended the conversation, and I told her again she could come back to talk to me anytime.

The reason why I am telling you that, is that my first thought at the end of the conversation had been : thank you EC.
A few years ago, I would have been very uncomfortable dealing with that kind of conversation with one of my pupils. Today, it just felt completly natural, and that is something I totally owe to this place and the fantastic people I met here.

malachite · 17th Jun 2010, 01:16 PM

you're one of the good ones Eleanore. thank you all the speaking you do for gay rights.

silverhalo · 17th Jun 2010, 01:48 PM

You are so welcome, you have done more for many of us than we could ever do for you in return.

**Lexington** · 17th Jun 2010, 03:17 PM

You kick ass.

Lex

x2x2x2x2y2 · 17th Jun 2010, 03:19 PM

Thank you too.

btw, I hope everything goes ok with the family.

AnneChaos · 17th Jun 2010, 04:18 PM

What you did was great

I hope everything goes well with the family ^^ The world needs more teachers like you!

Daniel · 17th Jun 2010, 04:26 PM

Eleanor-you're an amazing person. And I wish there were more people like you in the world.

ANightDude · 17th Jun 2010, 04:37 PM

You just made my day 100 times better. Thank you.

17th Jun 2010, 04:55 PM

You're absolutely amazing. I wish there were American teachers like you.

<333

18th Jun 2010, 06:34 AM

Thank you very much for sharing.

**Maddy** · 18th Jun 2010, 06:36 AM

And thank you for your caring, your generosity and your amazing heart.

pirateninja · 18th Jun 2010, 05:14 PM

I think the thanks have to be reciprocated; the world needs more people like you, Cecile.

**Eleanor Rigby** · 18th Jun 2010, 11:05 PM

Thank you guys

. But honestly I have done nothing extraordinary. I just had the occasion to use in my work some of the things I have learned from you.
Wich makes me think, once again, that education is the key.

**EmptyClosets** · 19th Jun 2010, 06:49 AM

And from EC, thank you, Cecile.

**Eleanor Rigby** · 19th Jun 2010, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmptyClosets

And from EC, thank you, Cecile.

Étoile · 19th Jun 2010, 10:23 AM

I wish I had teachers like you Elenore. You made that girl's day a lot brighter. Thank you.

17th Jun 2010, 01:04 PM	#1
Eleanor Rigby Filip's sidekick EC Advisor Gender: Female Orientation: Straight Out Status: Out as straight ally Location: France Age: 32 Posts: 5,401 Join Date: Feb 2009	Thank you EC Hey guys, I just wanted to tell you what happened to me this afternoon. For those of you who don't know, I am a primary school teacher and I teach the 3 levels before middle school, wich means that my pupils are between 8 and 11 years old. This afternoon, one of my 10 years old pupils (who is an adorable little girl) asked for talking to me during the playtime. She told me "I can tell you everything right ? Even problems that happen in my family." Of course, I told her she can tell me anything she wants. Then, she explained me that her elder sister, who is 15, has a girlfriend, and that ever since her father found out, there is a lot of fights between her parents and her sister, and that she and her other sister (who had been my pupil too) don't know how to handle it. So I started to explain to her that her sister is probably very uncomfortable with the way their parents found out that she has a girlfriend (they took her cell-phone and read her text messages, but that's not the topic), because falling in love with girls is not necessarily something easy to handle for a young girl, even if it's completly fine. That her parents may have a hard time to accept that her sister is falling in love with girls, that accepting it may take times for them. That the fact her sister and them was fighting about it doesn't mean that her family is going to tear appart, but that relationship between parents and teenagers are not always easy. Finaly, I asked her if she is uncomfortable with the fact her sister has a girlfriend, and she told me that not at all, the only thing that is bothering her are the fights. Then she asked me if I thought she could tell her parents that she is not bothered by the fact her sister has a girlfriend, but that she is bothered by the fact they have fights with her about it. To wich I answered that it seemed to me a very good idea, and that it would be a good idea to let her sister know that too. She seemed a lot more happier when we ended the conversation, and I told her again she could come back to talk to me anytime. The reason why I am telling you that, is that my first thought at the end of the conversation had been : thank you EC. A few years ago, I would have been very uncomfortable dealing with that kind of conversation with one of my pupils. Today, it just felt completly natural, and that is something I totally owe to this place and the fantastic people I met here. __________________ "Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means." Immanuel Kant

17th Jun 2010, 01:16 PM	#2
malachite EC's realist Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Orlando Posts: 6,480 Join Date: Apr 2009	Re: Thank you EC you're one of the good ones Eleanore. thank you all the speaking you do for gay rights. __________________ It's the 21st century, your bigotry is outdated. Either upgrade or go away.

17th Jun 2010, 01:48 PM	#3
silverhalo EC Addict Full Member Gender: Female Orientation: Lesbian Out Status: Quite a few Location: England, Age: 29 Posts: 3,160 Join Date: Dec 2008	Re: Thank you EC You are so welcome, you have done more for many of us than we could ever do for you in return.

17th Jun 2010, 03:17 PM	#4
Lexington The gay gargoyle EC Advisor Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Colorado Age: 42 Posts: 12,371 Join Date: Dec 2007	Re: Thank you EC You kick ass. Lex

17th Jun 2010, 03:19 PM	#5
x2x2x2x2y2 PARAWHORE!!!!!! Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: ~I like guys~ Out Status: Everyone, pretty much. Location: Wonderland (and California, USA) Age: 18 Posts: 3,971 Join Date: Oct 2009	Re: Thank you EC Thank you too. btw, I hope everything goes ok with the family. __________________ "THINGS ARE LOOKING UP, OH FINALLY!!" "I believe that there's hope buried beneath it all and...Hiding beneath it all and... GROWING beneath it all!!" -Paramore ...and the lesbians

17th Jun 2010, 04:18 PM	#6
AnneChaos __ Regular Member Gender: Female Orientation: just sexual ;) Out Status: I like to randomly tell my friends :) Location: Lisbon Age: 16 Posts: 264 Join Date: Oct 2009	Re: Thank you EC What you did was great I hope everything goes well with the family ^^ The world needs more teachers like you!

17th Jun 2010, 04:26 PM	#7
Daniel the great cheese danish Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Buffalo, NY Age: 21 Posts: 2,874 Join Date: Jun 2008	Re: Thank you EC Eleanor-you're an amazing person. And I wish there were more people like you in the world. __________________ "Nobody can teach me who I am, who can describe parts of me, but who I am and what I need, these are things I have to find out myself." - Chunua Achebe

17th Jun 2010, 04:37 PM	#8
ANightDude EC's Film Moron Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: San Antonio, Texas Age: 17 Posts: 1,848 Join Date: May 2008	Re: Thank you EC You just made my day 100 times better. Thank you. __________________ "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves." -- Abraham Lincoln

17th Jun 2010, 04:55 PM	#9
AlexPatrickMorrissey Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Thank you EC You're absolutely amazing. I wish there were American teachers like you. <333

18th Jun 2010, 06:34 AM	#10
dude99 Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Thank you EC Thank you very much for sharing.

18th Jun 2010, 06:36 AM	#11
Maddy Free Hugs EC Admin Gender: - Orientation: Into girls Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 21 Posts: 7,704 Join Date: Mar 2008	Re: Thank you EC And thank you for your caring, your generosity and your amazing heart. __________________ how strange it is to be anything at all [Victor] 2:09 pm: and then halloween happened and I was outside in a skirt.

18th Jun 2010, 05:14 PM	#12
pirateninja EC's Sailor Uranus Full Member Gender: Biologically Female Orientation: Heterosexually Challenged Out Status: Most people Location: Bath, England Age: 21 Posts: 5,853 Join Date: Sep 2007	Re: Thank you EC I think the thanks have to be reciprocated; the world needs more people like you, Cecile. __________________ Holly the Pirateninja Ars Longa, Vita Brevis.

18th Jun 2010, 11:05 PM	#13
Eleanor Rigby Filip's sidekick EC Advisor Gender: Female Orientation: Straight Out Status: Out as straight ally Location: France Age: 32 Posts: 5,401 Join Date: Feb 2009	Re: Thank you EC Thank you guys . But honestly I have done nothing extraordinary. I just had the occasion to use in my work some of the things I have learned from you. Wich makes me think, once again, that education is the key. __________________ "Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means." Immanuel Kant

19th Jun 2010, 06:49 AM	#14
EmptyClosets EC's Official Account EC Tech Admin Posts: 61 Join Date: Jan 1970	Re: Thank you EC And from EC, thank you, Cecile.

19th Jun 2010, 10:23 AM	#16
Étoile He ate my heart Full Member Gender: Garçon Orientation: 95% Gay, 5% Cheesecake Out Status: Out to everyone Location: The Peach State Age: 20 Posts: 1,575 Join Date: Nov 2007	Re: Thank you EC I wish I had teachers like you Elenore. You made that girl's day a lot brighter. Thank you. __________________ "I love that lavender blonde; the way she moves, the way she walks, I touch myself, can't get enough."