Noongar Man Shares His Emotional Coming Out Journey – Star Observer
Aboriginal teenager Brayden Cockroft came out to his parents in an emotionally charged moment with a note that he had written to them at the age of 15.
The Noongar man from Perth spoke to SBS News, reflecting on his coming out story where he professed he couldn’t remember the exact words he used to tell his parents he was gay.
“There was a bit of relief, but also genuine fear as well – not knowing what might happen [with their reactions],” he says.
The teenager described having written a note and leaving it on the bench for his mother to read when she arrived home from work.
Cockroft stated that he “just broke down” and “didn’t know what to do” in the aftermath of his mother coming home to find the note. He stayed in the shower for an hour dealing with the emotional turmoil of having come out.
“I just started bawling my eyes out because there was just so much rush of emotion of something that I hadn’t actually had the chance to really talk about with somebody in an open way at that point,” Cockroft said.
Outed At School
While at school, a person who Cockroft had entrusted with news of his sexual orientation had outed him before he had been able to tell his schoolmates on his own terms. The teenager dealt with threats from his peers of outing him to his parents as well.
Cockroft was a victim of bullying and harassment at school where he had lost friends who did not accept his sexuality and ruined his enjoyment at playing football.
“Very quickly, everything kind of turned around the opposite way for the worst. And there was a lot of bullying, there was a lot of horrible things that were said, threats that were made,” he said.
Cockroft was able to move to a different high school in the years following and gained a scholarship which was helpful in the healing process, allowing him to be proud of who he was without feeling shamed by his peers.
The First in Family to Attend University
Now, at the age of 19, Cockroft is the first in his family to attend university and is studying a degree in exercise and sports science.
Cockroft is a scholarship recipient of The Pinnacle Foundation, a program that, according to their website, “awards multi-year scholarships nationally to students aged between 18 and 26 to study at public higher education institutions in Australia to achieve educational or vocational qualifications in any profession, trade or the arts.”
Recipients receive grants of up to $8,000 and everyone is paired up with a mentor.
Cockroft praised the support network and monetary resources that The Pinnacle Foundation offered in helping him be proud of his Indigenous heritage and sexual orientation.
“I’m very proud of who I am and how far I’ve come with those things. They’re a major part of my own self-identity that I have to always appreciate and outwardly put out – not only for myself, but also just for other people who need that person that they can see and be like: ‘well, they’ve been lucky to kind of have these situations; and maybe I could do the same, if I was open with it,” Cockroft said.