Monday, Oscar-nominated actor James Woods attacked the family of a gender nonconforming child, C.J. Duron, and C.J.’s parents, Lori and Matt, celebrating their city’s 2017 Pride celebration. The Durons faced intense and relentless harassment on social media following Woods’ tweet, but rather than retreat against the barrage of hate, they chose to speak to HuffPost about their experience over the past several days.
In an exclusive interview with HuffPost Queer Voices Executive Editor Noah Michelson, Lori said, “Initially, I was inclined to ignore the hate, as I always do. That would have been the easiest thing to do. But the easiest thing to do isn’t always the right thing to do. I have a voice and I’m not just an advocate for my son, I’m an advocate for all the other children like him and their families. LGBTQ youth face this type of bullying every day without someone standing up for them. I couldn’t stay silent, I had to stand up.”
When asked about the affect the events have had on them, Matt said, “I can’t answer that honestly here. It’s hard being the bigger man when someone attacks your family and does it in the way Woods did it. I’ll leave it at that.”
Lori’s message to other parents and families who might also be the target of this kind of bigotry was, “You are not alone. I promise. There are resources and support for you, seek them out. Read, research and find your people.”
Read the full interview with the Durons here.
