Gay man shares the cutest interaction with stranger who nervously sought advice on raising teen son

You never know when someone’s advice might change your life, and seeking it from a stranger can feel intimidating. But when one dad mustered up the courage to ask for help, it led to a heartwarming exchange that touched countless lives. Jack Remmington, a singer and host who goes by @jackremmington on X (formerly known as Twitter), shared how a nervous stranger approached him for advice about raising his teenage son, who he suspected might be gay. The interaction didn’t just help the dad—it resonated with many people online.

Remmington wrote, “Ok, I just experienced the nicest exchange with a stranger and think it’ll help to share: I was playing on the Mariah Carey slots in Vegas (naturally) and a friendly circa-mid-40s ish guy sat down to play on the machine next to me.” He then shared that he was sitting with a friend and both were wearing pink. After chatting a bit about Vegas, the stranger nervously asked them if he could ask them a question. “I knew where this was going to go as it always does so did a bit of an inner eye roll but indulged him anyway,” Remmington revealed. The man then asked them if Remmington and his friend were together and they responded that they were not. He also informed the stranger that “we’re best friends and he has a fab boyfriend.”

The man then asked if they were gay, to which they both said yes. “He then said he thinks his 13-year-old son might be gay and wondered if he could ask us how best for him to navigate that,” Remmington wrote on the platform. He shared that the dad “lit up” when he began talking about his son and “nearly started crying” when he spoke about how much he loved him. He recalled, “The guy wanted to know how to make his son feel most comfortable about himself whilst not being too overt and glaringly obvious in forcing a conversation about his sexuality.” Remmington and his friend gave the man some anecdotes from their personal experiences “largely relating to condoning abstract things when you see them like normalizing conversations around gay kisses on TV or calling out family conversations that might shame potential queerness.”

They also advised the dad not to accidentally police or shame his son, like frowning on the child’s behavior or outfit because he is worried about his son’s safety. “But we stressed that if this was their feeling, it’s important to vocalize this exactly, rather than leaving the child ruminating over the parent’s intentions and second-guessing why they said what they said,” he wrote.

While speaking about this stranger, Remmington said, “I literally still have shivers thinking about that wonderful man. The difference he’ll make to not just his son’s life but to so many others by having an open mind and a loving heart is unbelievable. There’s hope!” The dad also shared with Remmington that when his younger son expressed his disapproval of drag queens he’d seen on TV, the dad explained within earshot of his elder son that if that is how they prefer to dress and feel comfortable, then that more than okay.

“He’s clearly doing all the right things and is making his son feel as comfortable as he can. Take notes, people, this is how it’s done!! Particularly given that the boy is growing up far out of a metropolitan city, this kind of unconditional love and support is invaluable,” Remmington shared. He concluded by saying that his DMs were open to anyone with any questions about how best to handle a situation like this. Later, a follow-up tweet, he wrote, “To warm your hearts even further, I just have to say I’ve had over 50 parents/relatives of queer kids reaching out in my DMs to express their support/appreciation for this thread and it is gorgeous to know there is so much love for LGBTQ youth in the world today.”

People in the comments loved the wholesome conversation that Remmington had with this stranger. @Mr_Webcast commented, "Fantastic story, I have said the same things to my three teenage sons." @GingerSnapps wrote, "Thank you for being so gracious to this man and seeing his humanity from the outset. It would have been easy to make assumptions about his motives for initially questioning you. What a gift you've given him and his family and ultimately their community."

@erick70115 shared, "That man will never forget your wisdom and kindness whether his kid is gay or not. Whatever path in life that kid follows he’ll be a better version of himself because of his dad - and the great gay man his dad met." @CandaceinCa_ said, "I know so many lives that would have been saved or made easier if only their parents had this conversation and subsequent knowledge earlier. My heart is so full knowing that dad wants to be a parent his kid needs."