Its a sad reality, but having a stranger walk up to you in a public place and ask if you’re gay (or part of any marginalized community) can be terrifying and your fight or flight response goes into high gear.
You’re not sure if you’re about to be talked to, insulted, or even physically assaulted.
Unfortunately, a lot of those interactions can go south, but it’s also important to share the positive outcomes.
There are plenty of people out there who know they are ignorant of LGBTQIA+ issues and want to learn.
But if they don’t know anyone from that community personally, it can be hard to find information that is firsthand.
Jack Remmington was hanging out with a friend in Vegas, playing some Mariah Carey-themed slots, when a middle-aged man sat down at the next machine.
They exchanged awkward pleasantries before the man inquired if he could ask them a question.
The exchange was so powerful that Jack decided to share it on Twitter.
First the man asked if Jack and his friend were a couple, but when they said no, he asked if they were gay.
Jack thought it was going to go the way it always does, but decided to just tell the man that yes, he and his friend are both gay men.
But instead of insults, the man opened up to them.
He thought that his 13-year-old son might be gay and he was hoping that they could give him some advice to help navigate that.
“He lit up when talking about his son, and I nearly started crying at how much he clearly loved him,” Jack said.
The man wanted to know how to let his son be comfortable with his sexuality without making it “a thing.”
Being from rural Arkansas, he didn’t have a lot of firsthand knowledge about how to support a queer child as they figure things out for themselves.
A common narrative for many parents, I’m sure.
They shared a few stories with him and then gave a bunch of great advice.
They said that he could use the media as a jumping off point, such as commenting about how sweet a same-sex romance on TV is, and that worrying about things like their kids’ clothing can be unintentional policing.
You may simply worry for their safety if they go out wearing a Gay Pride T-shirt.
But, telling them not to can make them feel judged at home.
The trick is to express your support for the community in everyday life, not just when forced to.
If your teenager regularly hears you talk about LGBTQIA+ rights or simply saying nice things about marginalized people, they’ll be more comfortable and not afraid to come out when they are ready.
This is also good for any cis kids in the house to hear, since it teaches them about tolerance of people who are different.
Jack thinks the Dad is going to do great and clearly loves his son.
The responses to his story were heartwarming too, and Jack says his inbox has been filled with messages from other parents who want to know other ways to make their queer kids happy and comfortable.
But his biggest shock was when a particular celebrity chimed in with support.
Yeah, I’d be overjoyed too!
h/t: Twitter | @jackremmington
