[UPDATE] My son and his “friend” are a couple. How do I let them know it’s okay?

In a cozy home where laughter now echoes freely, a father over 40 has turned a quarantine stay into a milestone of love. Having overcome a past shadowed by addiction to raise his 20-year-old son, he sensed his son’s “friend” was more—a boyfriend kept secret out of caution. After a gentle nudge, their home became a haven for open affection.

For those who want to read the previous part: My son and his “friend” are a couple. How do I let them know it’s okay?

This Reddit update radiates warmth, capturing a father’s joy as his son and boyfriend embrace their truth. As he welcomes the boyfriend into the family, learning of past rejections, we’re left inspired: can love truly conquer fear? Let’s explore this heartwarming chapter and the Reddit cheers it sparked.

‘[UPDATE] My son and his “friend” are a couple. How do I let them know it’s okay?’

Hello, lovely people. As promised I am back with an update for you on all what happened yesterday.  Want to top this off with a big thank you to everyone who left such lovely, thoughtful comments. I honestly didn't expect so many people to see the post, I was thinking maybe an absolute maximum of 100 people and even that seemed like loads.

It was lovely to hear back from so many of you, and I'm forever grateful for the fantastic advice most of you gave. Also overjoyed by my new adopted reddit children haha you're all doing amazing and I'm very proud of all of you. Also big thanks to all of the lovely people who sent me such sweet messages of support, and to those of you who reached out to me because you felt you needed someone to talk to.

If anyone else feels that way and is in need of dadly advice, do feel free to give me a message and I will do my best to help out :) Okay you all want me to shut up and tell you what happened haha. My son was busy with some assignments both for his freelancing job and his uni work most of the day and I didn't want to disturb him so I waited until after dinner to chat.

'Friend' went to have a bath while my son and I watched telly. I tod him face to face 'Son, I love you very much. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but I want you and [friend] to feel comfortable being yourselves in my house and you don't ever need to hide anything from me, alright?'

Well, it turns out a hell of a lot of you were right. Son burst out laughing and said 'oh thank *God*, I reckoned you'd clicked on but didn't say anything because *I* didn't want to make *you* feel weird'. Basically we've each been pussyfooting around the topic because neither one of us wanted to make the other uncomfortable talking about it.

We had a bit of a chat and he confirmed that I'm right in thinking they've been together since their first year of uni and that's why they moved in together in second year. However, apparently I'm not as brilliant and intuitive as I thought because apparently one of his friends in secondary school was his boyfriend for a year and I had absolutely no idea haha.

He went and talked to the boyfriend after his bath, and then we all had a bit of a further chat. Sadly a lot of you were right that the reason boyfriend doesn't have a good relationship with his parents is because he came out to them a few years ago and they effectively disowned him, so I made sure he knows that he's a part of our family now.

Sorry if that isn't all as exciting and groundbreaking as some of you had hoped haha! I'm glad this is something my boy no longer feels he has to keep from me and I'm very glad he's happy with his partner. Thank you all again for the help!

Opening a home to a child’s love is a quiet revolution, and this father’s gentle approach nails it. His son’s laughter at their mutual tiptoeing—each fearing to unsettle the other—reveals a bond built on care. Confirming the couple’s two-year relationship and welcoming the boyfriend, disowned by his own parents, shows a father rewriting family for the better. The son’s past trauma likely fueled his caution, making this openness a triumph.

This mirrors a broader issue: creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth. A 2022 GLSEN study found 68% of queer youth feel safer with affirming adults, boosting mental health. The boyfriend’s parental rejection underscores why this matters.

Dr. Lisa Diamond, a psychology expert, says, “Affirmation from family fosters resilience in queer youth.” The father’s casual reassurance—inviting openness without pressure—hit the mark, as Redditors praised. He could keep nurturing this by checking in, perhaps sharing LGBTQ+ resources like PFLAG’s guides. Framing the boyfriend as family sets a lifelong tone of inclusion.

Let’s dive into the reactions from Reddit:

Reddit’s dishing out virtual hugs and proud tears! From adopted “Reddit kids” to calls for Pride invites, the community’s all heart. Here’s the buzz:

Mediocre_Vulcan − Quite honestly your story made me want to renew my subscription to humanity, and I really needed it. I’m so happy there are honestly tears in my eyes. Thank you. 💚

[Reddit User] − Speaking from painful experience, you are the father so many of us desperately needed, and never got. Thank you for being a good person, and for loving your son more than your comfort, or reputation, or biases, or religion, or any of the other thousand things our parents decided were more important than simply loving us.. You've chosen love, and now your home is full of it. May it always be so.

Lithromanticgal − I made a Reddit account just to comment! Tell the Canadian boyfriend he has a Canadian sister again! I totally support him! And if they want to come up to Toronto to enjoy Pride up here, they are welcome to crash at my place!

You too Dad! (Sadly, Pride isn't on this year because of the virus, but next year! Next year!). Well done! So proud of you and your son! This is family done right! How lucky is that Canuck?!. Love from Canada to you all!

MidiKaey − This is amazing - I’m very happy for you and your family :) thanks for the update OP

Mewleon − Glad you’re always there for your son and his partner, I hope everything works out well in the future for all of y’all!

postsidontmakeonmain − I also don’t know if you’re on mobile but if you are there is an insert link option where you’re able to source the original and name the link.

ArcticUrchin − I’ve been checking your profile for an update to this every half an hour... and you did not disappoint!. What a great dad, and a lucky son. Maybe son-in-law soon too?!

Thom_05 − Oh, you don’t have to say it wasn’t what we expected it to be/ not exciting. That was amazing! This has made my day and will most likely make my week! My family isn’t the best when it come to homosexuality, so I am so glad that you are one of the many parents that care about the LGBTQ+ community.

I came out when I was 13, (now 15), and it didn’t go so well. That’s okay. Parents have the right to give their own opinions as well as any one of us do. I just want to say that you did the right/best thing for your son and his boyfriend. I will be praying over you guys, good night :)

codefinder64 − Hell yeah my guy. Way to be!

msnoobhere − This is amazing!!!! What a great ending to this story <3. Thank you so much for being a great example of what good parenting should be.

These cheers sparkle with joy, but do they miss the boyfriend’s deeper wounds? Maybe this family’s story holds more healing than Reddit’s applause catches.

This father’s journey from suspicion to celebration shows love can transform a home into a sanctuary. His embrace of his son’s boyfriend, despite past struggles, is a beacon of hope. Whether you’d write a note or host a Pride party, this tale asks: How would you help a loved one feel truly seen? Share below—have you ever created a safe space for someone’s truth, and how did it unfold?

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