In a small, conservative town in North Dakota, 12-year-old Rebecca has faced unrelenting pressure from friends to announce an LGBT identity. It’s a pressure she doesn’t want or need, according to her mother, Sarah.
The two asked to have their full names withheld to prevent them from being identified, which, they fear, would exacerbate the problem.
Rebecca has helped care for a terminally ill relative, and wants to be a nurse one day, said Sarah. The middle-schooler values her friends and does great in school.
But a few years ago, she was sexually abused by another girl close to her in age, who made unwanted advances and touched her inappropriately, Sarah said. She feels Rebecca isn’t even old enough to mentally process the trauma she experienced….