A teenager has helped launch an ‘amazing’ new community for LGBT+ kids to discuss their feelings without fear of rejection.

Morgan Rush, 18, came out as gay and transgender nearly six years ago – and is now giving others a space to meet like-minded people with no judgement.

‘I have been very, very lucky,’ he tells Metro.co.uk. ‘And I know not everyone is.

‘I came out when I was 12 – so quite young – and I have a very supportive family, who fought for me and did everything they could to help me.

‘But my experience is not typical and it is still difficult for many people. Some people say, “It’s so easy to be gay these days,” but it’s not, actually.

‘Coming out is not easy’

‘There’s a lot more to it than coming out. People experience their lives regardless of being out or being closeted. It’s not an easy thing.’

Soon after revealing he was trans, Morgan helped set up and launch a equality group for young people – now called Leaders in Diversity – at Hinchley Wood Secondary School in Surrey.

‘It’s very student-led and based,’ he explains. ‘My school is incredible with the way it handles LGBT+ issues.

‘There’s no right or wrong, and people are heard for who they are. It’s a space for pupils to be unashamed, and they can be anyone they want to be.

‘We get great feedback and people say they are enjoying it and finding it helpful.’

As well as offering a safe space for pupils to discuss their thoughts and feelings, the group provides LGBT+ resources for parents. The information includes definitions of key queer terms, what to do if your child comes out to you, and how to approach name and pronoun changes.

‘Being LGBT is something to be proud of’

Morgan thinks he would ‘go as far to say it’s revolutionary’ to provide these kinds of resources at school in light of the abolition of Section 28 of the Equality Act, which was scrapped less than a decade ago.

Section 28 was a law introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Government which prohibited the ‘promotion of heterosexuality’ by local authorities and schools right up until 2003.

‘It gives students the chance to find out about this stuff and show it isn’t something to be feared, or ashamed of, or hidden away – it is something to be proud of, and feel comfortable to experience it,’ he adds.

Morgan admits that although he was ‘lucky’ with his coming out experience, at first he still had to ‘look for my spaces, picking and choosing who I share myself with’.

‘And now I’ve helped create a space where people can do that without being rejected or worrying about the stigma, and I think that’s amazing,’ he says.

It comes as new research from young people’s charity Just Like Us this week revealed the percentage of young LGBT+ people who have contemplated suicide drops if their school has strong positive messaging and support around being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

‘It’s difficult to be trans in the UK’

Morgan feels it is ‘incredibly difficult’ to be trans in the UK at the moment and finding ‘accepting spaces’ to be yourself in.

‘It was rarer when I came out in 2015,’ he explains. ‘But in recent years it’s become more controversial. People now fear negative reactions or being rejected.’

He thinks social media is an important way for trans and queer people to find these accepting communities – particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.

Morgan says TikTok is a helpful app as it ‘allows people to create art about queer experiences’ and ‘find other people who feel the same way as you’, in the same way older LGBT+ people may have used blogging site Tumblr when they were younger.

‘It’s very interesting to see how the LGBT+ community has evolved online over the years,’ he adds.

However, Morgan admits he does worry that online forums can also sometimes become ‘toxic’ when people focus too much on the minor details of a debate, and says there is no true replacement for actual meetings between LGBT+ people.

He explains: ‘When you go to a real-life queer space, it’s more about accepting and loving yourself and being proud of who you are.’

Morgan says the Pride Month of June is particularly an ‘important’ and ‘interesting’ time for LGBT+ young people.

He believes Pride should be used as an opportunity to educate people in queer history – particularly about the Stonewall riots and the LGBT+ movements in the 1970s and 1980s – and people should be wary of the month being used just for a party.

‘Some people don’t consider the history’

‘I think it’s important to stay in touch with LGBT+ history and of Pride month itself,’ he says. ‘It can be difficult when there are so many messages behind it. A lot of people treat it like a party and don’t really consider the history.

‘There are definitely a few discourses this year – it is meant to be a more celebratory time but it’s been kind of taken over by corporations and “rainbow-washing”, and that kind of thing.

‘It very much feels like part of our history and identity has been commercialised – people seem to be aware of that and it’s an issue.’

‘Rainbow-washing’ is when organisations, businesses and individuals put rainbows and flags on things to look like they support Pride – rather than actually supporting LGBT+ communities. It is a performative act, rather than genuine.

When asked how allies can actively support LGBT+ people – especially youngsters – throughout Pride month, Morgan says: ‘My number one piece of advice is just to listen.

‘Especially on trans issues – make it clear you are there to hear what they have to say, and do not put conditions on your acceptance. That’s not really acceptance.

‘I am so proud of my generation’

‘And it’s about having an open mind, and being willing to learn or have your mind changed on things, even if you previously didn’t understand them.’

He says another key thing allies can do is donate to charities dedicated to fighting issues such as LGBT+ homelessness.

He reveals: ‘In an ideal world, LGBT+ kids would be able to be who they want to be without any fear of coming out, of any repercussions like being kicked out [from home] or of being discriminated against.’

Morgan admits this will take ‘a long time’ but has hope for making progress towards this in years to come.

‘But I am so proud of my generation for the things we are doing and pushing for in the future,’ he concludes.

‘And I know I’m not the first to have these ideas, or aim for these ideals, but I am lucky that I have the opportunity and voice to do this – more than has been possible in the past.’

Future of Pride

This story is part of the Future of Pride series, which is looking at the younger generation of LGBT+ community and where it is headed in the next few years. The series features in Metro.co.uk’s Pride Week coverage.

For these stories our website is working with Just Like Us, which runs School Diversity Week at the end of June to make education more inclusive and improve the lives of LGBT+ young people across the UK.

You can read more from the series below.

READ MORE: Lesbian teacher is now out to her class – after having to hide it 15 years ago

READ MORE: ‘Don’t worry if it takes time to figure out’ Trans person’s inspirational advice to LGBT kids

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

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