Teen Comes Out As Gay, His Father Reacts Angrily

By Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, Mon, March 16, 2015

Tyler, a 15-year-old from Vancouver, Canada, decided to come out as gay to his family. He told every member of his family individually — his sisters and mother supported him, but his father was enraged.

"I just wanted to be open about it," Tyler told The Huffington Post B.C. "I didn't want to hide it anymore.”

Tyler’s father lashed out in a series of Facebook messages, which were published online. “You are trying to ruin me. This is worse than death,” Tyler’s father wrote. “I’m going to puke.” (Warning: Image contains profanity.)

Tyler, who didn’t want his last name used, said, "I'm upset with what my dad said, but I don't hate him. I'm hoping there's still the possibility that he could change, even [if] it takes [a]while. Maybe he could accept me, because that's all I want ... I just want him to be there for me.”

Tyler is currently living with his aunts. He decided to go public with his story to shed light on the issue.

Dara Parker of Qmunity, a Canadian resource center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, told News 1130 that those kinds of reactions are not uncommon. “It’s a sad story but unfortunately it’s not surprising,” she said. “We average between 20 and 40 youth each week and unfortunately we hear these stories more often than not.”

Since posting his father’s messages, Tyler has received overwhelming support online. “It's just amazing," Tyler said. "People need to know there are so many other people who would want to love you and be your friend, so (that's) what really matters.”