A father has divided the internet over his reaction to his daughter coming out.
Posting on Reddit, the man explained that his 23-year-old daughter organised a dinner where she came out and introduced him and her mother to her girlfriend - but it didn't go well.
While her mother "was emotional gave her a big hug, and told her how proud she was", the dad "did not react".
"I honestly did not care about that part," he explained.
His chilled attitude got him in trouble. "My wife told me I was rude for ignoring our daughter's announcement," he wrote. "I told my wife that I did not care who she was attracted to all I cared about was if she was happy. I tried to explain I did not care about that stuff, people like who they like I don't need labels for that. Love is love."
"She said my view is slightly homophobic because it shows I am not acknowledging a different view," he continued.
Responding, people had mixed opinions. Some people thought his reaction was perfect.
"I will never understand what is 'homophobic' about people treating gay children exactly the same as they treat straight children," one said. "Isn't that the ideal that we are striving for?"
Another said: "Your reaction is the right one, because homosexuality shouldn’t be a big deal, it’s one way of life and it’s just as fine as being straight or whatever."
But others were not so sure. "I do think it might come across weird if one parent gives the child a hug and the other just sits there saying nothing really to acknowledge what was said," one commented.
Another wrote: "Your daughter probably agonised for years over telling you and your wife. Planned it all out. Analysed how you would react and what she would do. So it's probably a lot for you too basically just ignore it, as telling you was a huge deal to her."
Later, he updated commenters on the situation and said he met with his daughter to explain his actions.
"As I suspected she did not have an issue with it, and she also felt it was self-explanatory when she introduced her girlfriend," he wrote.
However "her girlfriend thought it was weird how I kind of brushed off the response and treated this situation as if they were a straight couple."
So he is going to organise "a more special event for the sake of her girlfriend".
"My daughter had no issues overall, but I will correct course," he concluded.
All's well that ends well.
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