This Redditor’s wife never accepted her son’s sexuality and even tried to pretend that he didn’t exist. The OP, on the other hand, was always supportive and went against everyone’s beliefs and sat together with his kid at her funeral, which happened to cause quite a stir. 

The woman and her side of the family never accepted her son’s sexuality

His dad supported him and considered divorcing his mom – however, she got sick and eventually died

“AITA for sitting with my son at my wife’s funeral?” – this web user took to one of Reddit’s most judgmental communities to ask its members if he’s indeed a jerk for standing by his gay son and sitting with him at his homophobic wife’s funeral, enraging the entire family. The post managed to garner over 11K upvotes as well as 1.8K comments discussing the situation. 

Did you know that according to a UK charity called Stonewall – a team of bold, passionate people who fight for the freedom, equity, and potential of LGBTQ+ folks everywhere – only half of lesbian and gay people, bi people (46%) and trans people (47%) feel able to be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity to everyone in their family?

It’s no big secret that having a supportive and loving family is the ultimate path to happiness and general emotional stability. But! Not everybody is this lucky. Beliefs influenced by culture or religion, fear, and misconceptions, lack of education, social stigma, or pressure from peers – whatever the reasoning is, some people, to this day, still find it hard to accept their kids’ true identities. 

It’s incredibly heartbreaking knowing that the people who brought you into this world are finding it so impossible to do what parents are supposed to do – and that’s to love their offspring unconditionally. However, it’s crucial to remember that you’re not alone, and no matter how cliché it might sound, things will get better! 

If you have found yourself in a similar situation, here are a few things you can do to make it all a tad easier: first things first, know your worth and prioritize your well-being; reach out to the people who you know you can rely on (that could be close friends, LGBTQ+ support groups, therapists, online communities, hotlines, etc.), and most importantly, set boundaries! 

And remember, all we have to do is continue teaching, and the hearts will finally learn that love has no gender. 

During her funeral, he went against everyone and sat together with him and his boyfriend, which caused a stir

Now, the author of today’s tale is a grand example of what a true parent is! The thing is, his late wife – upon finding out that their son is gay – decided that the best way to handle him being open with her was to disown him. The guy came out when he was 16 and eventually moved out at 19 to go live with his boyfriend; the woman tried to pretend that he didn’t exist, which resulted in him and his father, the OP, becoming distant.

The man was looking into divorce – however, the woman fell sick, and he put everything on hold to care for her until she passed away.

The woman’s family, who also shared her intolerant beliefs, made it clear that at her funeral, her son and his boyfriend were only allowed to sit at the back, away from everyone else; yet, the Redditor did not let it slide and sat together with his child, which eventually kicked up a big storm.

The unfortunate events then prompted the man to take it online to hear out some unbiased opinions and find out whether his family is indeed a “disgrace”; however, the online community members collectively assured him that he did everything a great father would do.

What is your take on this situation, though?

Fellow online community members shared their thoughts and opinions