Coming out to your parents is a big, and often terrifying, decision. It doesn’t always go well (and not everyone even has the option of coming out) — but for those who find support from their parents, it can be a truly amazing moment.
And some parents just know exactly what to say.
1. Like this mom, who sent a text that's 💯 screenshot worthy:
2. While this rad dad is earning all the high-fives:
3. After his son came out, this dad kept the response email short and sweet — but still said everything that needed to be said:
4. And this adorable mom used Facebook to help her son have a totally fresh start:
5. Oh, and this mom too!
6. The internet is great, but this parent decided having an announcement printed in ink was the way to go:
Best Birth Announcement ever. Today's CM. What a wonderful family.
This ad, placed by the mother of a trans teen, appeared in the Brisbane Courier Mail.
7. This tattoo artist used his talents to give his wife's outdated tattoo of their son a quick update:
Instead of having his wife undergo laser removal of the tattoo, he decided to simply update the portrait. On his Facebook page, the artist wrote, “We need to update the tattoo to fully represent who he is in his happy new awesome life.”
8. This mom surprised her daughter with the news her name change was finally legal (using a cake because dessert is often the best way to deliver good news):
My legal name change came through finally and my mom surprised me
“I came up the with idea of the cake as a vehicle to celebrate her name change while having an informal family dinner with those that support, love and care for her,” Rose Gladu said of the surprise for her daughter, Gabrielle. “It was a spontaneous event because we had been waiting over 2 months to receive her legal name change, and felt it was an opportunity when those that cared were there to celebrate this new beginning.”
9. Maybe some parents don't ~ quite ~ get it at first, but they do their best to learn:
10. (Bonus points if they still put up with your sarcasm):
11. Any little moment is a moment worth celebrating:
12. Even if it's as simple as being reminded of those three little words:
13. Because when a parent accepts you for who you are, regardless of others' expectations?
That’s parenting done right.
"It honestly felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest, like for the first time that day I finally stopped shaking and could breathe properly again," Steph told BuzzFeed of his dad's surprising reaction to his coming out. "And it was really reaffirming too, to not have him question me or ask if it was a phase — he just accepted it without question and that felt amazing."