An adorable thread on Threads is melting the internet’s heart.
Earlier this month, user @michaellloydgregory shared a black-and-white photo of himself as a child.
In a caption, he said, “Happy Pride Month from an eldergay to you. Was there ever any doubt?”
In the photo of his childhood self, Gregory… well, he looks joyfully gay. The post received over 130k likes.
How about we take this to the next level?
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View on Threads
It also prompted thousands of replies. Many just wanted to agree that it was a cute photo.
Many LGBTQ+ people shared their own childhood images that, in hindsight, hinted at queer joy.
Some parents also joined the chat, sharing photos of their kids and commenting on how they suspected their offspring were LGBTQ+ from a young age.
“The picture dates to 1956, when I was 2 years old”
Queerty reached out to the original poster, Michael Lloyd Gregory. He was blown away by the reaction online to his photo.
“The response was overwhelming, close to 1.4 million views is crazy,” he said.
“I tried to respond in some way to all the comments, especially to the folks who posted their own pictures. The bottom line is that the thread brought joy to people at a time when many of us are in great need of joy.
“The picture dates to 1956, when I was 2 years old. My unbridled joy at being me in my first spotlight is the hook. My childhood took a dark turn after this because of my mother’s rejection, but over time, we healed. I spent a lifetime trying to become this little boy again, working most of my career from some form of a closet. I feel like I finally got back there when I published the first volume of my autobiography. I used this picture to show how I started out, and the book allowed me, once and for all, to put it out there for the world to see. So, it was the perfect way for me to celebrate the beginning of Pride Month.
“I’m proud it brought so much joy to people around the world,” he continued. “The comments were wide-ranging. Many made me laugh, some made me cry. Many touching ones were from mothers, writing about their relationships with their gay boys and girls. Other people wrote about their own struggles and how they’ve tried to find joy. Ultimately, thousands of people experienced happiness for a few days because of a silly picture of me, and that’s great.”
Photos used with permission.
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