A Twitter user shared a touching story of how his dad encouraged his boyfriend to embrace his sexuality without fear. The netizen accompanied his account with heartwarming pictures of his dad and boyfriend holding hands.
While homosexuality is fast gaining acceptance in several countries of the world, especially in the more liberal communities, some people still frown upon it, sometimes resorting to attacking gay couples.
This has made some members of the LGBTQ community reluctant to proclaim their sexuality in public or show affection towards their partners outside the confines of their homes.
One Twitter user, Ruben, gave an account of such a situation involving his boyfriend, moving most netizens to tears. He explained how his boyfriend always shied away from holding his hands on the street due to the discrimination faced by the gay community.
After failed attempts to convince him to face his sexuality head-on, Ruben decided to turn to his dad. Luckily, the old man knew exactly how to rectify the situation. Ruben tweeted:
“My man is afraid to hold my hand on the street for fear that someone might hit us. My father told him that he’d take that fear away from him, and there they are.”
Photo of two men in warm embrace | Photo: Pexels
Ruben accompanied the message with two photographs of his dad and his boyfriend walking through the streets of Oviedo, Spain, hand-in-hand.
While the younger man looked visibly shy, Ruben’s father looked proud as ever as he embarked on the life-changing walk with his son-in-law.
The tweet went viral in no time, with most netizens commending the proud father for courageously supporting the young gay couple. One person commented: “Hopefully, give your father a hug. How great!”
Photo of a person holding a rainbow flag | Photo: Pexels
Others expressed disbelief that there were still countries that openly frowned against the LGBTQ community, to the point of turning to violence.
One wrote: “How bad is your country! Here in Central America, everywhere you see homosexuals, even if some people dislike the sight. But nobody ever hits them just because they walk hand-in-hand.[sic]”
Some users accused Ruben of using the incident as an attention-seeking ploy. However, tweeps were quick to lash out at them, pointing out how absurd and unintelligent the idea seemed.
One user tried highlighting the struggle faced by the gay community, recounting a story of a young boy recently murdered by homophobes. The Twitter user added: “It’s not the desire to attract attention. It is the desire to fight to claim that Spain is a free country.”
Most netizens were concerned for the father’s health, reminding him to always wear a mask when hitting the streets. On the other hand, another sympathized with the father, pointing out how scared he must feel daily, knowing that his son might someday fall victim to homophobes.
Notwithstanding what the future held for the young couple and the courageous older man, joining Ruben’s boyfriend on the symbolic walk to remember drove home a powerful message about love and acceptance.