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Facebook is critical to our success and we could use your help. It will only take a few clicks on your device. But it would mean the world to us. Once there, hit the Follow button. Hit the Follow button again and choose Favorites. On "Parks and Recreation," Natalie Morales' character, Lucy, was the confident, funny girlfriend every fan was rooting for.

Behind closed doors, however, Morales wasn't always the self-assured star she became on screen. The year-old came out as queer in a new essay for Amy Poehler's Smart Girls. In the powerfully personal piece, Morales discussed the confusion and pain she had to overcome as a teen who found herself attracted to both girls and boys, and why — as an actor who values her privacy — she chose to come out in such a public way.

Falling for another girl in high school was a beautiful thing, Morales recalled, but it also came with an onslaught of shameful feelings. Now an adult who's more comfortable in her own skin, Morales hopes her own story inspires all of us to act and think differently — whether we're LGBTQ or not.

Morales' point touches on an important finding: Research shows that when you personally know someone who is LGBTQ, you're far more likely to support their rights. When we see queer people as fully human and deserving of respect, that means fewer stories like the atrocities developing in Chechnya or the Pulse nightclub shooting.

Coming out still makes a difference. It's a message she wishes she understood a long time ago, Morales said after her essay spread far and wide. Older people can become frustrated over seemingly small things. Photo credit: Canva.

'Parks and Recreation' actor comes out as queer

Many people raised by boomers understood what she meant by "boomer panic. Minor inconvenience straight to panic," the most popular commenter wrote. A follow-up video by YourTango Editor Brian Sundholm tried to explain boomer panic in an empathetic way. See on Instagram. There is a significant difference in emotional intelligence and regulation between how boomers were raised and how younger generations, such as Gen Xmillennials, and Gen Z, were brought up.

Boomers grew up when they had to bottle up their feelings to show their resilience. This can lead to growing angerfrustration with situations and people, chronic stress, and anxiety—all conditions that can lead to panicky, unhinged behavior. Ultimately, Sundholm says that we should sympathize with boomers who have difficulty regulating their emotions and see it as an example of the great strides subsequent generations have made in managing their mental health.

And maybe most important, having compassion for those who never had a chance to learn them. Having compassion for older generations can go a long way. Here are six facts from the video above by The Story of Stuff Project that I'll definitely remember next time I'm tempted to buy bottled water.