Before we close the chapter on summer, take a moment to picture summer camp. What do you see?

S’mores? Canoeing? Horseback riding? Hiking? Telling tales and singing songs around a campfire?

Summer camp is often seen as a quintessential part of childhood because it provides an opportunity to build character, confidence and new friendships while indulging in fun and adventure. Many parents I know speak proudly of their child’s camp experience, wearing it as a badge of honor that they’ve been able to provide such an opportunity for their children. That, however, wasn’t always an easy story for me to tell.

On a summer day more than a decade ago, I was enjoying lunch in a cafe in rural Iowa with my mom and a close family friend. As I shared news about my son’s recent camp experience, I caught myself lowering my voice to a near whisper.

Why was I whispering about summer camp?

Because my son hadn’t attended just any camp – he had participated in a one-week residential camp for LGBTQIA+ youths, and in that moment, I realized I was taking a sheltered stance with my voice and my body language, fearing unapproving glances from nearby patrons in the relatively quiet, small-town cafe.

I knew I needed to change that stance: for myself, for my son and for others. PFLAG helped me make that change.

PFLAG Sauk Valley is one of hundreds of chapters nationwide that aims to support parents, family and friends of LGBTQIA+ folks, as well as people who identify as LGBTQIA+ themselves. While PFLAG National was founded in 1973, the inception for our local chapter came in 2006 when a few Amboy residents decided to put love into action and established PFLAG Sauk Valley. Their vision created a safe, supportive community – one that transformed my quiet support into active advocacy for my son and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.

Compared with the acts of violence and discrimination that LGBTQIA+ individuals face – including the trauma inflicted on trans youths and their families, the emotional cruelty of conversion therapy and the significantly higher rate of victimization of trans people compared with cisgender individuals – my quiet moment in that café seems trivial. And yet, it’s in the small day-to-day conversations and the way we engage in them that matter because they lay stepping stones for future patterns of behavior. When we silence ourselves, we allow ignorance, fear and hatred to grow unchecked.

So, where do I find hope to counter the despair caused by ignorance, fear and hatred?

I find hope right here – with you. You’re still reading, even though you might be a little uncertain or uncomfortable with LGBTQIA+ topics. That tells me your compassion outweighs your fear. That you’re willing to engage with your heart.

I hope you carry that inclusive stance with you into the world each day. When you hear a discriminatory “joke,” a comment or an opinion that doesn’t sit right, I hope you speak up – not to shame, but to teach. To affirm the value of every human being. And if you’re not sure what to say or how to start, you’re not alone. That’s where PFLAG comes in. Just as it helped me find my voice, it can help you, too.

Get involved. Follow us on Facebook, or check out our website at pflagsaukvalley.org. Membership is not required to participate in our events, but your support makes a difference. Individual membership is $30; household membership is $40. All contributions are tax deductible. PFLAG is a 501(c)(3) organization. Contact us for more information at pflagsaukvalley@gmail.com.

Together, we can make our community safer, kinder and more inclusive – one conversation at a time.

Sarah Schlegel is president of PFLAG Sauk Valley.