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Dad Pens Sweet and Supportive Note to Gay Son That Hasn’t Come Out Yet

By Regina Sienra on December 28, 2023

Photo: dedivan1923/Depositphotos

Even in this day and age, many LGBTQ+ people struggle with fear and anxiety when coming out to their loved ones. After all, not all spaces are equally kind to them, or they fear the way they are perceived could shift for the worse, among other reasons. That's why the reassuring words of a father have made waves online. After overhearing his son's plan to come out to him, he wrote him a heartfelt note letting him know it was all ok.

“Nate, I overheard your phone conversation with Mike last night about your plans to come out to me and the only thing I need you to plan is to bring home OJ and bread after class,” he writes, doing his best to alleviate his son's worries. “We are out, like you now.”

The unnamed father then addresses the topic head on. “I've known you were gay since you were six. I've loved you since you were born,” he writes, leaving no doubt about his unconditional love. He even chimes in to reassure him about his potential partner, adding, “P.S. Your mom and I think you and Mike make a cute couple.”

The note has been making rounds as early as 2013, when Nate submitted it to the social media channels of FCKH8, a clothing company that produces garments with progressive messages. “We hope it sets a good example for fathers to love their kids the way they were born,” the company wrote at the time. “The fact that it has been shared by so many sadly means that this kind of acceptance is both too rare and deeply craved by LGBT people so used to being rejected by families.”

While the letter is at least 10 years old now, the fact that it continues to be shared speaks of a desire to see more of this kind of good in the world. With some effort, kids in the near future will no longer be afraid to come out to their parents—and the concept of coming out will be a thing of the past.