Prince William 'absolutely fine' if his kids were gay but worries about backlash

Prince William is keeping an open mind when it comes to raising his children. During a visit to the Albert Kennedy Trust, a charity that helps homeless LGBTQ youth, on Wednesday, June 26, the 37-year-old royal was asked how he would react if one of his three children identified as gay or lesbian. “Do you know what, I’ve been giving that some thought recently because a couple of other parents said that to me as well,” he shared with the group. “I think you really don’t start thinking about that until you are a parent, and I think obviously absolutely fine by me.”

Prince William said he would obviously support his children if they choose to identify as LGBTQ

William and his wife Kate Middleton are parents to Prince George, five, Princess Charlotte, four, and one-year-old Prince Louis. While the Prince admitted that he and his wife would have no issue with how their children chose to identify, he did share is one concern. "The one thing I’d be worried about is how, particularly the roles my children fill, how that is going to be interpreted and seen," he shared with the group. "So Catherine and I have been doing a lot of talking about it to make sure they were prepared. Not of the fact if any of them were to be gay, but because of the pressures they’ll face because of my family and the position we’re in.”

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He continued: “I’d fully support whatever decision they make. It worries me how many barriers, persecution and hate they’d face. But that’s for all of us to try and connect.” The future King’s trip was the first time a royal paid a visit to the center, which creates a safe space for LGBTQ youth. William spoke about the “stifling” burden that many young people face when it comes to coming out to their families and the mental health issues that accompany it.

The royal visited the Albert Kennedy Trust, a organization that supports homeless LGBTQ youth

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“It’s a real pressure to live under,” he said during a conversation with AKT’s founder. “I’ve been looking into some issues around suicide and I imagine that the figures in the LGBT community are high because of all of the barriers and stigma around acceptance.”