Matt Vekakis is an MFA poetry student at the University of Florida whose work has appeared in the Atlanta Review, the Appalachian Review, OxMag, and other publications. But Vekakis may have reached their biggest audience yet with the following tweet, posted last month:
10 years ago, my dad left highlighted bible passages on the kitchen table for me to find re: abomination, hellfire, “you shall not lie with a man,” etc.
Today, he drove my partner to work early this morning because it was raining and he didn’t want him to get wet.
As of the time of this writing, that tweet has gotten more than 132,000 likes and more than 6,400 retweets. And other Twitter users were moved, to say the least, including blue-checked users like Dynasty actress Elaine Hendrix.
This is so great. And I wonder if it isn’t also the path of the larger culture, dragged kicking and screaming toward…love. ❤️
— Samantha Silva 🌻🇺🇦🌻 (@samantharella) March 15, 2022
I’m in part one of this story. Hearing your part 2 gives me hope and heals a piece of part one through your dad and your story 🖤
— X (@twiterbug05) March 15, 2022
Happy to be the adoptive mom to anyone stuck in Part One of this scenario and give hugs!!
— Allison Manley (she/her) (@allisonmanley) March 15, 2022
Omg. I love this. Thank you for sharing. ♥️🤗
— Elaine Hendrix Ⓥ (@elaine4animals) March 16, 2022
Related: Oreo releases beautiful film about a homophobic dad coming to his senses
Even better, Twitter users replied to Vekakis’ post with other stories of homophobic parents who have come to bask in the rainbow’s glow.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Same. My dad cut me out of the will when I came out twenty-six years ago. He died last year and he wanted my husband with him for his last days. He loved my husband more than I could say.
— Mark Scarbrough (@markscarbrough) March 15, 2022
My 92-year-old evangelical mother has experienced a similar epiphany. She now acknowledges how hard I tried to comply with the “clobber passages” found in the bible (and how poorly that worked out for me), versus how good my life is now, 15 years into a same-sex marriage.
— Tropopause (@Tropopause) March 15, 2022
Related: They accidentally came out to a homophobic aunt on Thanksgiving… and then came the twist
~ When my mom told my dad I came out (bc I couldn’t tell him) his reaction was “Can’t people change?”
Now when we visit my parents, he always hugs my husband first. — Stephen Guerriero (@guerrist) March 15, 2022
10 years ago I would have forced my gender-fluid son into a Christian reprogramming program. Now I am so so thankful for the beautiful soul and compassionate spirit he is, in spite of his parents. Maybe one day he’ll ask me to drive his partner to work. I’m glad for you.
— Haymaker (@HaymakerEd) March 16, 2022
For anyone else in Part 1, may you all get to Part 2 posthaste!
white-queer-african
I had a homophobic dad that died at the age of 47 when I was 21. Only once before that he used a derogatory term asking me if I was queer? I never responded and just walked away. As for my mom and my siblings, never ever an issue. And I grew up in a very conservative christian family. The extended family that accepted me is part of my life. Those that didn’t accept me I cut out of my life and also just walked away from them. No regrets.
BeachDaddyDave
Unfortunately, my husband and I remained in part I ever since I came out to my parents 38 years ago. My husband and I just celebrated our 37th anniversary and my family missed it all; wonderful things we have done, a great second career in acting, writing and so on. There were there for none of it. The damage they did only punished them and, now that most of them are dead, they will never know the great wonders we might have shown them.
Navycut57
Last month my husband and I celebrated 32 years together (legally married for 15), never got past part one with the man who sired me (now gone), but, my brother didn’t speak to or see me for 26 yrs. He came back into my life 6 years ago and absolutely loves and adores his brother-in-law. People will ask me why he finally decided to accept us, I tell them I neither know nor care, I’m just thankful that he changed. He had hurt me terribly and I had to grieve the loss of him, my sister-in-law, and my three nephews, but I had never once stopped loving him!
JJinAus
Lucky you. My partner’s parents are religious assholes. Actually, he’s dead now. The witch still lives. Unlike the rest of the white trash family, my partner has two degrees, is a very respected historian, is published, co-authored in multiple books, a specialist in his field, owns a very successful business, but because he doesn’t like vag, he is the black sheep.