Mom Explains Concept of ‘Coming Out’ to Gen Alpha Kids, They Don’t Get It

The times they are a-changing—and parents are starting to notice.

A mom on TikTok has gone viral for revealing her Generation Alpha children’s shock at learning what “coming out” means. The creator, Emmaline Carroll Southwell (@emmalinecs), spoke to Newsweek about the moment and how it mirrors her parenting approach. Since the video was posted two days ago, it has received over 360,000 likes and over 6,500 comments.

“It’s confusing because in some families and cultures and religions, you’re not allowed to be gay,” she said in the video, met with a chorus of “what?” and “why?” from her children, aged 5 and 8. “Yes, and so…the term ‘coming out’ applies to people that need to ‘come out’ to their families to let them know, ‘I’m gay.'”

The children continued: “But why do they have to tell them?”

“Hopefully, we get to a point where people don’t have to do that,” Carroll Southwell said.

“Will anybody be ‘coming out’ in my house?” she asked, concluding the lesson. “I don’t require any formal announcement; you just love who you want to love.”

Carroll Southwell told Newsweek that this isn’t the first conversation she’s had with her kids about sexuality and gender identity, but it was the first one about the concept of “coming out.”

While she wasn’t surprised by their confusion (“kids are generally tolerant by nature,” she said), she was a bit surprised by the passion behind their reaction. She even pulled over the car to give the conversation the attention it deserved.

Carroll Southwell said there are several reasons why gender and sexuality are things she must discuss with her kids: “Firstly, my kids ask a lot of questions. Secondly, within our extended family we have both queer and trans people. Thirdly—and most importantly—I always want my kids to feel safe to be who they are, and eventually love whoever they want to love, and to be accepting and tolerant of others to be and do the same.”

Viewers in the comments were touched by the conversation, and even offered their own experiences of their Generation Alpha kids unassumingly riding the tides of change.

“Totally my boys. They recently overheard ‘fights like a girl’ and were so confused. ‘What does that even mean?’ they asked. They are revolutionary. I love them,” @servads wrote.

“There was something so healing about hearing them understand and immediately reject the homophobia I grew up dealing with,” @lynnielou_who wrote. “Good job, mom.”

Beyond gender and sexuality, Carroll Southwell said the conversation simply echoed in her determination to raise good people.

“As a parent one of my main goals is to try to raise good little people who will eventually become good big people,” she said. “So, I think little conversations like these that ultimately discuss themes of love, freedom and tolerance are essential in achieving that goal.”