1. Everything is against this person

2. Nothing like family support

3. Take the leap

4. It can be very a very confusing time

5. Things will always get better

6. If they love you, it shouldn't be an issue

7. Believe in yourself!

8. You can do it, be brave

9. F**k their traditions, be you

10. It's always best to be open

11. Why should your sexuality affect your education?

12. Keep your head up

13. Your status gives you the chance to be a role model

14. Why not try and talk to her about things?

15. Religion can do more harm than good

16. It's a chance for a fresh start

17. Don't do everything your mom says

18. That sucks, but there's plenty more fish in the sea

19. These are all things to look forward to

20. Again, why should your sexuality block you from achieving your dreams?

A gay man who recently came out to his grandfather has shared the wholesome response he received - and it has left Twitter users in tears.

Make no mistake, homophobia - even in the Western world - is still very much a thing. So, when a young man named Travis came out to his grandpa, people were overwhelmed by the loving response he received.

Earlier this week, Travis, under the handle @chipotletwink, took to Twitter to share the loving text message his grandpa sent him following his coming out.

Alongside two screenshots, the young man wrote: "Finally came out to my grandpa and his response is so [teary-eyed emojis]."

His grandpa's lengthy text begins: "Well Travis, I guess you're saying you're 'coming out'. First of all, our suspicions of this began many years ago, It's not something easily hidden but it certainly wasn't for us to come forth and ask you.

"Your mom is right, we don't care, we love you, want you to be happy and wish you success, and will support you with whatever you choose to do with your life. I just don't want you to sell yourself short."

The grandpa then goes on to say that he is sorry Travis was "afraid" to approach him and talk openly about his sexuality.

"I thought I told you several times in the past that you can talk freely with me about anything that concerns you. Even in 2021 though, this can be a tough path for people to follow. Being heterosexual is much easier as you don't face possible criticism and prejudice."

He then adds that Travis' boyfriend, Enrique, seems like a very nice man, and he'd welcome him over with open arms anytime.

"Love you," he signs off the sweet message.

Since the tweet was posted just days ago, it has managed to rack up 8.5K retweets and over 200K likes.

Travis even posted a photo of him and his boyfriend in a follow-up tweet.

Needless to say, the original message made a lot of people very emotional.

One person said: "I'm going to cry so much right now. wish my parents could tell me the same things, but no. they're radical homophobic."

Another said: "Now I’m crying, my experience was the exact opposite."

A third joked: "Who is cutting onions in here?"

The grandpa also received plenty of praise for being so accepting of his grandson:

And some people shared their own coming out stories:

Overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support his post received, Travis later wrote in a separate tweet: "the replies under this are so sweet. im glad everyone is being nice to each other [sic]".

Featured image credit: Marc Bruxelle RF / Alamy Stock Photo

LGBTQ+ people were not always afforded the same rights they have today, and while there is a long way to go in the fight for equality, more and more members of this community are finding the courage to come out.

But one man who has been in the closet for a lot longer than most is 90-year-old grandfather Kenneth Felts, from Colorado, who found the courage to embrace his true sexuality during lockdown.

Kenneth discusses what it was like to pretend to be straight for 90 years in the video below: 

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In an interview with the 3rd Hour of Today show, the grandfather revealed that he began writing a memoir when the current pandemic began, but he knew that he couldn't complete it unless he came out.

Kenneth, a Navy veteran, said: "I had been keeping this secret most of my life, and I had planned to take it to the grave.

"In 1942, when I was 12, I realized I was gay. If you came out, it really would cost you - your family, your job, all of your relationships. You would immediately be called a pervert."

However, despite living a lie for so long, there was a time when Kenneth did embrace his true sexuality, and he had a two-year relationship with a man named Philip.

Kenneth posted this extract from his memoir about Philip to Facebook.

[[facebookwidget||https://www.facebook.com/kenneth.felts.50/posts/2697888507152449]]

The pair broke up because of Kenneth's faith and he went onto marry, have a daughter, and divorce. His daughter Rebecca even came out to him in 1995, but even that wasn't enough to inspire Kenneth to come out at the time.

Then, one night, he finally opened up to his daughter about Philip, telling her that he regretted ever leaving him.

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After Kenneth came out, he took to social media in the hope of being reunited with Philip. However, after an extensive search, it emerged that he had sadly passed away.

The 90-year-old subsequently took to Facebook to pay tribute to the man he described as "the love of my life".

[[facebookwidget||https://www.facebook.com/kenneth.felts.50/posts/2664007900540510]]

He wrote: "Phillip Allen Jones was the love of my life. I have a very sad and lonely heart today. My first and greatest love has passed away.

"He lived a full and happy life I am told by his niece. His partner of many years passed just a few years ago and Phillip remained alone for the rest of his life.

"I feel I shared with him the best years of his youth and he certainly made mine memorable and I will always remember and appreciate that.

"I loved him in my heart so much over the years and now he is gone."

Adding: "It is so terribly frustrating to be so close to and yet not reach my lost love and horribly painful to not be able to say goodbye.

"But the whole world now knows what a loving man he was with me and to me while we were together."

Members of the LGBTQ+ community are sharing their stories to challenge stereotypes surrounding their sexuality.

Exist Loudly, an organization "committed to creating spaces of joy and community for queer Black youth", took to Twitter to issue a call for black and mixed-race LGBTQ+ youth in the UK aged 12 to 23 to take part in paid research.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/ExistLoudlyUK/status/1303011146333671427]]

Unfortunately, some people reacted badly to the tweet. However, the UK's largest LGBTQ+ charity was quick to issue a response.

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Stonewall began encouraging members of the community to use the hashtag #IFirstKnewIWasLGBTQ and share their stories about when they first became aware of their gender and/or sexuality. The aim was to dispel the myth that you have to be a certain age to "know" your sexuality and gender.

The hashtag quickly started trending on Twitter in the UK, and the responses were heartening and inspirational, to say the least.

Check out a few of them below: 

"#ifirstknewIwasLGBTQ at around 10yrs old. Crush on Desperate Dan & liked hairy/beefy men ever since! Religious pressure meant I hid it till 30 going through suicidal depression and marriage/divorce. If only I'd been allowed to be me from 10! [sic]."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/beebeejay/status/1303309106854465537]]

"I was perhaps 7 or 8 when I knew I was different and not like other boys. But then I had no reference and no role models so was a very depressive child not knowing who I was - frightened of adults who wouldn't listen and scared of being regularly beaten up."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/SSmith9591/status/1303311960386211842]]

"I first wanted to kiss a boy when I was 8 and when I was 11 #IfirstknewIwasLGBTQ. It scared the hell out of me, the enormity of what it meant hit me hard. I was totally alone, no one to talk to, no role model to look up to. I survived. Many didn't. Support would have helped."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/chrisbasiurski/status/1303309802240716801]]

"#ifirstknewIwasLGBTQ when I was 8 years old. I had a crush on my babysitter! I'm a section 28 kid & it was years of suffering in silence, living with a homophobic family with no1 to tell me I was ok or that being gay was ok. I wasted years trying 2 come 2 terms with who I am [sic]."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/BellaRizinti/status/1303307186760753152]]

"#ifirstknewIwasLGBTQ when I eventually found terminology online when I was 12! I came out at school. I was always the 'tomboy'. I wish it had been more openly accepted & included in my education. I'd known for a long time but I became very inward/private about my feelings."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/jenwilliams1994/status/1303343154586845185]]

"I probably was around 8/9. I knew I liked girls and boys. I thought it was natural until I heard my parents saying unsavory things about a woman they thought was gay. #ifirstknewIwasLGBTQ"

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/Lishgeez1/status/1303342428397744134]]

"Somewhere between 7-11, i crushed on girls as equally as boys, and I wasnt ashamed til an adult told me to be [sic]."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/MistressLondon_/status/1303341515138359296]]

"#ifirstknewIwasLGBTQ when I was 8/9 - as a family we sat down to watch a programme on intersex people and I was hoping it was so my parents could explain to me that I was going to grow up to be a boy."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/BonsaiLee/status/1303341444392984576]]

"#ifirstknewIwasLGBTQ when I told my friend at 12 that I wanted a 'I kissed a girl and I liked it' shirt when I went to uni. Two years later I fell for my now ex boyfriend and my female best friend."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/minytrash/status/1303338971657834501]]

"My friend and I were caught together as teens. Her mom, disgusted, shamed us hard & told us we'd go to Hell for our immoral urges. I hid for many more decades. Society might not have known I was queer until I was an adult, but I've known forever. #ifirstknewIwasLGBTQ."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/MavenOfMayhem/status/1303326371943505920]]

Of course, it needs no reminding, but it's up to you to decide your sexuality and gender, at whatever age and time you see fit.