It used to be every parent’s nightmare. For one gay New Jersey dad, it still was.
And like many parenting nightmares, it started with a text.
Backing up a bit, Richard adopted his son, Jonathan, in 2005 at the age of five. Just to clarify, Jonathan was five, not Richard. That would have been far too young to become a father and this would have been a very different story.
Related: Father’s request to see teen son’s “boy toy” goes viral for all the right reasons
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Jonathan has since joined the Navy, and sent his dad into a tizzy a few weeks ago when he told him via text he planned to get a tattoo.
Richard shared the story with parenting website Gays With Kids.
“Don’t you dare,” he texted back to his son.
“It’s just that when it’s your own child, and they are permanently going to alter the look of their body, all sorts of thoughts start going through your head,” Richard explained. “How is it going to look when he is older? What is he going to choose? Will he regret it? Will he be able to cover it up? Will they see it on a job interview? How did he choose the tattoo artist? Is he just getting one due to peer pressure?”
“It’s the Jewish mother in me,” he added.
Related: This emotional coming out scene between a father and his son will have you in tears
A couple of weeks went by and Richard thought the idea was put to rest.
But Richard got another text: Jonathan went through with it. The ink, as they say, was dry, and Richard was furious.
Then another text came in, this time with a photo of Jonathan’s new tattoo. Below his chest, written in Roman numerals, Jonathan had the date of his adoption inked.
“I was so taken aback,” Richard said. “My fear that he was going to get something ridiculous, something he would regret, shifted and I could not be more proud of him. What an amazing tattoo!”
Jonathan posted a photo online with the caption: “So I got my first tattoo!! This date is the day that my life changed. This is the day my dads adopted me. The greatest day in my life knowing that for the rest of my life I would finally have a loving family that loved me for me!”
Read the full story on Gays With Kids.
Vince
Ohhh.,, Great story. Nice nips too. 😉
CanadianGuy62
Wow…it didn’t take long for someone to “sexualise” it by commenting on the kid’s body.
I wonder why it is that many people think we gays are a bunch of horny perverts who think of nothing but sex?!
Greg
He just said, “nice nips”. That’s not really sexualizing it.
Because we are Blanche. We are a bunch of horny perverts.
Greg C
CanadianGuy62 – Come on man. Don’t tell me those nips aren’t “titillating” so to speak! See what I did there?
Tombear
And they’re perky too!
igoape
He is a cute kid that obviously loves his dads. We can’t acknowledge he is attractive? Those nips really are nice also. I say we “nip” this protest before it goes any further.
Tête Carrée
I always ask: what would the heterosexuals do? Can you imagine if it was a woman with a nip exposed? What the comments would be? (In a “straight” magazine of coarse).
ShowMeGuy
That “kid” is an adult.
DarkZephyr
OK…there’s something in my eye… *Wiping eyes*
4of14
I’d like to blame it on Spring, but it stated after reading the story.
tham
Yeah it got me too…
fpcinnyc
Well that one made me cry!
Billy Budd
Brought tears to my eyes.
Smith David
God bless them all
djmcgamester
Very sweet. Nice to see stuff like this on Queerty.
nickvanallen
Aww that’s just beautiful ????
barkomatic
The only problem I have with this story is that I just realized that a 5 year old in 2005 is old enough to join the Navy today.
Otherwise, the story is cute.
MaxTaste
If you read the linked article, you’ll see this version contains a typo. It should have said he was placed for adoption in 2003 when he was 5 years old. So, he must have been born in 1998, not in 2000 as this version suggests.
Berkleyguy
What a beautiful story and what a way to commemorate a significant date to this young man. I too have a Roman numeral date and it is the date MY life turned around when my wonderful husband told me he would love me forever.
ElPillo
Finally, a nice story.
Tombear
The kid is a nice looking kid but that daddy bear! WOOF!WOOF!WOOF!
ingyaom
2 dads could adopt a child in NJ in 2OO5?
DarkZephyr
Perhaps it was just one Dad who chose to share custody with his then partner?
MaxTaste
Sexual orientation has never been a factor in adoptions in NJ. However, unmarried couples couldn’t jointly adopt until 1997.
MaxTaste
Hit the post comment button too quickly. So, yes, 2 dads could adopt a child in NJ in 2005.
jmskfmn
This is so awesome! So proud of son and Dad!
chris33133
So if I’m reading the roman numerals correctly, he was adopted on XXIIIMMVI which, depending where you put the space for day-month-year, could be 10-13-2006 (October 13, 2006) or 20-03-2006 (March 20, 2006). I’ll guess that is the day his adoption was finalized.
jcoberkrom
Yep, one of those stories that makes you thing this species of ours may just survive!
o.codone
If we could only spell.
o.codone
hahaaahahahahaha
Billy Budd
I don’t want to spoil the amazingly beautiful side of this story, but I am sad that the kid chose the army as his profession. Military training dehumanizes people. They teach people how to kill other people. I understand that in this day and age the military are a necessity, but I would never be a soldier. Not for 1 billion $.
topherwayne
Both my grandfathers served 25+ years and retired in the army, my brother currently serves and has been since 2010. And I think it’s a very respecatable career. Point is it’s a choice and a very bold one to make. I would never down someone for fighting for their country. It’s respecatble
jasentylar
Here! Here!
rand503
Sure, that’s true for some people. But for others it is not. My grandfathers, dad, uncle and cousin all served in the military, and yes, they killed enemy combatants. but not one of them ever became “dehumanized” or had blood lust.
Seattle.Duck
First of all, he joined the NAVY, not the Army. There’s an ocean of difference in who they are and what they do. Many of my own family (including myself) served in the US Navy. And despite what you think, three military is an honorable profession. It teaches you discipline, honor, respect, self-esteem, self-sacrifice. It provides great health and education benefits & so much more. And maybe he joined for all of those reasons.
mjs_jr
I spent almost six years in the Army and it did anything but dehumanize me. Yes, I learned how to be lethal when necessary. But I also learned how to be a better leader and much more about people with very different backgrounds from mine.
I’m not sure where you are from Mr. Budd, but I’m assuming the USA? You say that you would never be a soldier. That’s okay. We don’t ask everyone to be. But it’s not sad when someone volunteers for a job that you acknowledge is necessary.
Heywood Jablowme
I enjoyed the Navy (well, mostly!) and it taught me a lot of good habits.
@mjs_jr: No, fortunately, Billy Budd is NOT an American. Billy Budd lives in one of the most violent countries on earth – Brazil – where he’s always proud to tell us how it’s legal there to screw a 14 year old. Apparently that is the pinnacle of civilization in Brazil. ?
rray63
But you will live here will all the freedoms those very protections provide, interesting.
Prax07
Nice sentiment, but are people that choose to main themselves by getting dates (or something similar) so dumb or forgetful that need a reminder of that date every time they look at themselves? I just hate tattoos and think that anyone that willingly gets one is an idiot.
Kangol
That’s on you. On this young man’s body will be an enduring tribute to his fathers and his family. That’s a beautiful thing, and not the negativity you’re bringing to it.
Tête Carrée
That’s the sin of free will. Can you imagine if somebody could impose their will on somebody else and if they didn’t conform they would be thrown off a roof or something?
scotshot
The idiot here is you for thinking your opinion is in any way important.
Griff_Greymuzzle
Prax07 – The only idiot here is you. It’s his body and his choices. Your opinion on the matter is neither wanted nor needed. People who get tattoos do so for personal reasons. It’s not about you, cupcake.
Josh447
Wow, what an awesome son. What a way to honor your parents. They turned their son’s life around and they now get to reap the benefits. The parents just have to be bursting with joy. Definitely stirred my heart. I love heart stories like this.
Bunnco
Thank you Jonathan for your service and for honoring your dads. Sounds like you’re as lucky to have them as they are to have you ??
Kangol
I loved this story. Just beautiful. Thanks for posting it, Queerty.
JPDonahue
[This is the day my dads adopted me.]
Dads? This lovely story seems to have left out someone.
Paulie P
At 5 years old I am guessing he was orphaned or in foster care. The day he was adopted his life changed… The mother may have given birth to him but it’s clear at 5 years old that day meant more to him than being orphaned/fostered.
b2rocketfan
I’m wondering who the other dad is also. The other responder was thinking of his birth mother it seems. Either he has two dads (but only one is mentioned in the article) or it’s a typo. Such a sweet story!
MaxTaste
If you read the original story, it says that the father ended a 15 year relationship a few years ago. Joint adoption by an unmarried couple was not allowed in NJ until 1997 which would have been before this young man was adopted so it’s possible he has two dads. Given the parents are divorced and the young man uses the word “dads” it’s probable that he has a relationship with both parents but maybe his relationship with this dad is stronger or more close. Perhaps the other dad didn’t want to be part of the story so the pictures used were just of this dad.
Paulie P
The last paragraph. How special. As I reach for a tissue.
crowebobby
It’s nice and undeniable that he’s hot and you can love or hate tattoos. What matters here is: “… This is the day my dads adopted me. The greatest day in my life knowing that for the rest of my life I would finally have a loving family that loved me for me!”
b2rocketfan
Such a cool story! Some snarky people on here, but oh well. He seems to be a nice young man who loves his family and has a job. Good for him!
ShowMeGuy
And the font style renders it unreadable.
butchqueen
Font? Helvetica or die.
He is not a “boy”. He is a full grown man.
Justaloneyone
Here is info about his other father. http://www.foradoarmario.net/2018/05/exclusive-remember-boy-whose-tattoo.html?spref=fb
QwertyAserty
Great job shaving that chest and armpit.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Two Gay Parents can give a kid a warm, loving home. He turns into a great person who serves his country proudly.
A Merry FCUK YOU to the conservatives who would rather Jonathan languish in the foster system til he turned 18 and was tossed into the streets..
IVEstFae
So why, in a gay publication, does a gay dad have to be referred to as a “gay dad”? Why couldn’t he just be referred to as a dad? And to differentiate, you could refer to a straight dad as a straight dad. 😉