Prince William says he would fully support his children if they identified as LGBT+

Prince William has said that he would "fully support" any of his children if they came out as gay.

The Duke of Cambridge was speaking at an event hosted by the LGBT+ youth charity, the Albert Kennedy Trust which supports young gay people who are at the risk of being made homeless.

The 37-year-old, who has three children with his wife Kate Middleton, said that that he had only begun to think about this issue since he became a parent and that he worries about them suffering descrimination.

I've only started to think about it since I've had children, to be honest. It is something that I'm worried about.

It's not that I'm worried about them being gay but I worry about the pressures that they are going to face and how much harder their life could be.

So, from a parent point of view that's what I would worry about.

I wish that we could live in a world that is normal and cool but particularly for my family, the position that we are in, that's the bit I'm nervous about.

I'd fully support whatever decision they make but it does worry me from a parent point of view how many barriers, hateful words, persecution and discrimination that would come. 

That's the bit that really troubles me at the minute but that's for all of us to try and correct and make sure it is put in the past.

During his appearance, he also said that he was shocked after hearing about the homophobic attack of Melania Geymonat and her girlfriend Chris, who was violently attacked on a London bus, calling the incident 'appalling.'

Tim Sigsworth, the chief executive of AKT, said that he hoped the duke's comments would send a "message that we need to support, and we need to empower LGBT people."

I was personally rejected by my mum, and the idea that the future monarch is saying they would support their children if they came out as LGBT is a message to the whole of society really, a message that we need to support and we need to empower LGBT people.

William's positive and supporting words have been widely praised and welcomed by the LGBT+ community.

Join The Independent for a panel discussion and Q&A, with speaker including Asifa Lahore, Britain’s First Out Muslim Drag Queen and trans activist, and human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell.

HT BBC News

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