The rights of LGBTQ+ people has always been a topic of significant importance in world culture. Social media has made people aware of what is happening, how LGBTQ people are suffering from a lack of knowledge, and what can be done to bridge this awareness gap. Any support that LGBTQ+ people receive has to start at home. Influencer Josh Helfgott highlights the importance of family, and their support in the way that gay and lesbian children can be helped, and taught to accept who they are.

Josh was bullied in school even before he identified himself as gay. Those days were brutal, and the only way he could survive was with the help of the love and encouragement of his two lesbian mothers. The influence of a parent (or parents) in the life of a child is unquestionable.

Growing up with two mothers taught Josh the importance of family. He even told LGBTQ youth in a video during Pride Month, “If you have an unsupportive family during Pride Month, Congratulations – I’m your family now. And I am so proud of you.” He received no less than 6,000 responses to his video voicing their courage and thanking him for his support.

Family is the first form of attachment a person experiences before getting the same attachment from society. This attachment and support from family play a large part in deciding the kind of person someone will grow up to be. When it comes to a person’s inner struggles, such as identifying themselves as LGBTQ, acceptance from family plays a substantial role in a person’s well-being. When this support is absent, it can be detrimental to the well-being of children and youngsters.

Today, LGBTQ youth worldwide are more susceptible to poor mental health and physical health than their non-LGBTQ counterparts. Josh has gone viral on TikTok for the videos he has posted. With over 500,000 followers on TikTok and 10,000 on Instagram, he has become a vocal and positive influencer encouraging his listeners to speak up for LGBTQ rights. He regularly posts about crucial moments in LGBTQ+ history.

In April 2020, he shared a video on TikTok about an emotional love letter between two gay men in the 1950s which went viral. He said, “I also spread awareness around current events, and share historic as well as modern LGBTQ love stories on my social media so that they can help to inspire anyone to face their troubles with courage.”