Brian Femminella is a multi talented author, entrepreneur, and speaker, who has dedicated his career to making the world a safer place, in more ways than one. The US Army Intelligence Officer and a Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree is also a devout activist for the LGBTQ community. At only 23, the changemaker is working with the Human Rights Campaign and Common Defense to fight for equality and has now released a book!
“A Kids Book About Queer Mental Health” serves as a reminder to LGBTQ youth of their “value and the importance of feeling safe and secure in their minds and communities.” It teaches readers that everyone is special and deserves to live their life freely and openly as their true self.
Femminella spoke with GLAAD’s Tony Morrison about the book and the life events that inspired him to write it. “Growing up, I was ostracized for being different, but I had a family who never treated me as less than. The school administration ignored LGBTQ+ students and specifically targeted myself and others. When I saw this continue, years after I graduated, I knew that sharing my story could help others to not feel alone. Across the country, especially today, we see an influx of hate around LGBTQ+ students who would rather hide the fact that we exist, rather than educate their kids on acceptance,” he shares.
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He reveals that his grandmother was the first person he came out to. “Her love for me gave me the courage to continue living openly and authentically. I want this book to create a place where others can feel heard, even if it is not by their families. The book is meant to start the conversation early, explaining that being queer means that you are human.”
He speaks about why mental health is so important to him and the LGBTQ community at large. “I feel that for our youth, with over 600+ anti-lgbtq+ bills introduced in the last two years alone, being proud of who you are has created more anxiety than anticipated. Watching elected officials, who young people are supposed to look up too, completed attack individuals for who they love takes a toll on one’s mental health. The resources that are available to LGBTQ+ kids are vast, but when our “leaders” aim to take these support mechanisms away it makes people feel invalidated and less than.” He hopes his book can start conversations within families that begin to alleviate some of this hate.
He talked more about his time serving in the military. “Serving in uniform is an honor and being able to represent the LGBTQ+ community as an Army Officer is one of the greatest privileges. I first joined the military in 2017, after my junior year of high school.” He went on to share that, “Serving openly is not always easy. There have been moments where I felt judged, but instead of building fear I chose to educate my colleagues on the LGBTQ+ community. When you sit down and speak to Soldiers, you realize that they do not have hate but rather an uneducated stance on the queer community. A lot of times people have not been exposed to LGBTQ+ people, I know that there have been times where I am the first gay person that individuals have interacted with.”
Readers can learn more about his experience in the military in the book. “I signed up to be a soldier and I believe in protecting our freedoms. Yet the people who salute me in uniform are the same ones who would disrespect me for holding another man’s hand or attending a Pride event,” the book reads.
He is looking forward to kids and parents to get their hands on the book and suggests they read it together. “It’s my personal goal to ensure that LGBTQ+ youth know that resources are available and that people, just like them, have their back. People will always have opinions, but when you choose to love yourself and who are you there is nothing that can stop you. Resistance is essential and by succeeding you are resisting against those who bet against queer people. Queer people are not a science experiment or a danger to society. If we start these conversations earlier, we will slowly start to see that change as the next generation builds their voice.”
Proceeds from the book will be donated to GLAAD. He talked about why this collaboration is so important to him. “GLAAD’s resources have helped me and have also helped other service members who feel a lack of support. The impact this organization has had on my life is profound, and I want to give back to the people who fight so hard for our community. I am deeply honored to have partnered with GLAAD for this book. Acceptance over fear is my goal in working with GLAAD on this initiative.”
Learn more and purchase the book here!