I have had two moms for 10 years. They have been married since 2015.

Same sex marriage has been legal since October 2014, although my parents knew each other before that — 11 years of being friends and being married total. My adoptive mother Jess Campbell adopted me and my sister April 3, 2015. But we considered her our parent when I was 5 and my sister was 11. Before 2015 you couldn’t adopt or foster kids if you happened to be in a same gender in a relationship. 

It’s taken time, but good things have happened.

“People look at you differently, some were disgusted and judgmental, and some were genuinely good people who could look past your sexuality,” my biological mother Mindy Campbell said. “I honestly did and do not care what people thought about me or us.” 

When I was younger, all kinds of people would make rude comments — to my face — and I would always try to stand up for them. Now I still will get comments about it. But people are allowed to have their opinions about this type of stuff.  As most do have their own thought process and patterns, I’ve come to the conclusion that my family is my family and I don’t need other people’s approval. 

As most of the school is aware of the LGBTQ+ community issues going on throughout the school, with the safe zone signs to them having to be changed. When I feel like Powell is a different community than we were last year, even last semester, because of one simple thing. That got out of control.

And although this issue is going on throughout the community and the nation, we still are growing and learning from it. The safe zone signs have changed to a panther, welcoming all students from PHS who need help or need someone to talk to. Another poster is in the works.

But pride to me isn’t only being part of the LGBTQ+ community; it is being proud of the way your family and friends are, even if they’re a little different than others.

I take pride in my family and I have never thought differently about my parents. I’ve always depended on my parents for helping me through family issues; they have pushed me to always be better at everything I do including sports. I have lost family with having two moms, one of my moms and one of Jess’ brothers isn’t accepting, so we lost contact with them. I have lost friends because their parents think differently about how my family is. 

But at the end of the day my parents are my parents and I don’t need people to approve of it. But just to accept it and understand our community has evolved overtime as a whole.

Today I wouldn’t be where I am without Jess and my mom being who they are and having confidence in our family, me and who we are. The work ethic I’ve learned from everyone in my family — when I started training at the age of 6 at the gym we own (Freedom Fitness), it has always been my way to escape everything and people, along with playing basketball.

It is hard having a successful establishment sometimes. At the gym my parents are strictly business partners, and at home is where my parents mainly keep their personal life. The people who come to the gym are like family to me. They support me more than anything as well. 

I’m sure plenty of people in the school have family issues and or LGBTQ+ issues. We as humans have evolved over the years in thinking patterns and religions. But I believe that one of the biggest things that is different is we fight so hard to make  our opinion the right one we never listen to the other person’s side of the story. We don’t listen to anyone’s side of the story; we always fight and skip to what we think. You are allowed to share your opinions, but always try to listen to the other side of the story.

I think everyone has their own opinion, but it is whether we decide to listen to it that shows most individuals true colors. I’m not saying you need to agree with anyone on their beliefs but understand them and accept them, because most people’s thought patterns are unchangeable.

My dad left us when I was about 4 or 5; it was hard sometimes because I didn’t really understand what was going on at the time. We stayed in contact for a while until I felt like enough was enough. He didn’t like my family as we were. So I told him I didn’t want to contact him anymore.

But now I wouldn’t change a thing. I love who I’ve become as an athlete and as a person. 

We all should have pride in our families and our community, even if we are in disagreement with our peers. Along with this is how the school addresses these issues, we will continue to grow as a community through the tough times.