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Parkland Survivor Comes Out, Publicly Embraces His Queerness

Cameron Kasky comes out as queer

Jason A. Michael

Cameron Kasky, the 20-year-old anti-gun violence activist and survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., has come out as queer in an Instagram post. 

"I don't know exactly that 'type' of queer I am, and I'm finally OK with that," Kasky posted. "Bi? Maybe? I don't know, man."

Kasky was just leaving drama class on that fateful February day when a shooter entered the school and opened fire, killing 17 students and injuring 17 others. The fatal incident stands as the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history.

Since then, Kasky has become a powerful advocate against gun violence. He co-founded Never Again MSD, a student-led gun violence prevention advocacy group, and he helped organize the national student protest March for Our Lives in 2018. He was also named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People that year.

Kasky, whose activism continues to this day, describes his current journey in his coming out post: 

"The journey towards self-acceptance is one I have been on for years now, but the most difficult aspect has been searching for meaning in sexual identity when there truly is none," he wrote. "At least not for me. I've wanted to be straight for so long. A straight guy who's done some gay stuff here and there. There's so much security in heterosexuality."

Kasky also posted that queer or not, he realizes he still has privilege.

"I'm lucky enough to have the security of being a white cisgender man, which comes with privilege that can never be ignored or forgotten," he continued. "Queer people who are not white cisgender men are subject to infinitely more doubt, anguish, and discrimination than I will ever face."

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