For people who are same-sex attracted, coming out to their parents can be one of the scariest things they ever have to face. Unfortunately, not every parent reacts with love and compassion. Many SSA people can attest that they were even rejected by their families for coming out to them.
But a gay man recently took to Twitter to describe a heartwarming interaction he had with a man in Las Vegas.
Jack Remmington said he was playing slots in a Vegas casino with a friend when a man in his 40s approached them. He said the man seemed nervous and hesitantly asked Jack and his friend if they were a couple. When they said that they were just friends, he asked if they were gay.
Remmington and his friend said yes. They weren’t sure where this was going. As Remmington pointed out, they were in Las Vegas, so there were many different directions the conversation could take.
It turns out it was the best one possible.
The man said that he had a 13-year-old son who he suspected was SSA and still in the closet. He was hoping Remmington and his friend could provide some advice on how he could support him and be compassionate as he came out.
Remmington was stunned by the course of the conversation.
“He lit up when talking about his son, and I nearly started crying at how much he clearly loved him,” he wrote on Twitter. “The guy wanted to know how to make his son feel most comfortable about himself whilst not being too overt and glaringly obvious in forcing a conversation about his sexuality.”
The man was from a town in rural Arkansas and was worried that his son wouldn’t have a safe environment to come out in.
He wanted to make sure he provided a place where he would feel loved and safe as he navigated an already scary time in his life.
“This man is SO sweet,” said Remmington. “… whilst things are so much better now, he still just wants the world to be totally equal for his son. Marco and I said he sounds like he’s doing all the right things and that making his son know he’s loved is the best he can do.”
Remmington was touched by the man’s concern for his son.
“The relationship between him and his son has a 100% future,” he said. “He was a wonderful and caring man, despite what he said was quite a difficult town to grow up in if you’re at all different. I wish all fathers could be like him.”
The thread on Twitter attracted a lot of attention, inspiring people to share their own stories.
Many people expressed admiration for the father, who was interested in helping his son through something that he himself might not necessarily understand.
Though the internet will never know the name of that father or what happened with his son, we know that he was willing to reach out to strangers to make sure his son knows he’s loved.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
