Prince William's comments came during a visit to a charity dedicated to helping young people made homeless due to their sexual orientation (AFP Photo/Jonathan Brady) |
London
(AFP) - Britain's Prince William said Wednesday it would be "fine by
me" if his children came out as homosexual, but worried about the
pressures it could place on them.
William and
his wife Kate have three children: five-year-old Prince George, Princess
Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, who turned one in April.
William,
37, is second in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles, with
George third in line to become king.
His
comments came during a visit to the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), a charity
dedicated to helping young people made homeless due to their sexual
orientation.
During a
discussion with people being supported by the organisation, William was asked
how he would react if one of his children came out.
The Duke of
Cambridge replied: "You really don't start thinking about that until you
are a parent, and I think -- obviously absolutely fine by me.
"The
one thing I'd be worried about is how they, particularly the roles my children
fill, is how that is going to be interpreted and seen."
Message
for society
Due to the
monarchy's hereditary nature, William's children, in time, will become key
figures in the royal family -- above all George.
The
sovereign is the supreme governor of the Church of England and separately head
of state of 16 countries around the world.
"It is
something I'm nervous about, not because I'm worried about them being gay or
anything -- it's more about the fact that I'm worried about the pressures...
that they're going to face and how much harder their life could be,"
William said.
"I
wish we lived in a world that it was... really normal and cool, but
particularly for my family, and the position that we are in, that's the bit I
am nervous about.
"I
fully support whatever decision they make, but it does worry me from a parent
point of view, how many barriers, hateful words, persecution, all that, and
discrimination that might come.
"That's
the bit that really troubles me.
"But
that's for all of us to try and help correct and make sure that we can put that
to the past."
AKT chief
executive Tim Sigsworth, who is gay, said the prince's words would make a
"massive difference".
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.