People thought this gay couple would be heckled after prom – but something beautiful happened instead
(theodorevidal543 / Instagram)
A teenage gay couple heading home from prom were met with an unexpectedly beautiful reaction from a crowd of hecklers.
On Friday, television producer Michael Del Moro spotted teens Theodore Vidal and Colin Beyers on walking home after prom along a New Jersey boardwalk as a nearby group called out to multiple passers-by from a bar.
Expecting the worst, Del Moro and his boyfriend braced themselves to intervene, but it instead ended up being a beautiful moment.
Vidal and Beyers after Prom (@theodorevidal543/ Instagram)
Del Moro took to Twitter to share the heartwarming incident in New Jersey, where “not so long ago, young men would shout the word ‘f****t'” at him and his boyfriend as they walked along the same boardwalk.
He wrote that there were a crowd of “rowdy bros” shouting from a nearby rooftop bar, calling down to couples below.
(@MikeDelMoro / Twitter)
“Last night, while out for Mother’s Day with our families (read: getting some late-night ice cream because treat yourself!) we noticed a group of rowdy bros gathered on a rooftop bar obnoxiously yelling “KISS HER!” in unison at every apparent couple that passed by.
He added: “Unfortunately, several couples obliged the request to raucous cheers thereby further encouraging the rowdiness. We rolled our eyes.”
Del Moro wrote that he then spotted Vidal and Beyers walking along hand-in-hand, in matching suits, calling them “adorable.”
“It’s prom season here, so at that time of night you’ll see high schoolers in their formal attire. As we walked by the rooftop bros, an adorable teenage gay couple passed us in perfectly fitting midnight blue tuxes, matching pink ties, holding hands.
(@MikeDelMoro / Twitter)
As the young couple began to pass the rowdy group in the bar, Moro braced himself to intervene but ended up happily surprised by what happened.
Related: This heartwarming advert encourages gay couples to keep holding hands
(@MikeDelMoro / Twitter)
“I looked at Alec (my boyfriend), my mom, my sister, and stopped to make sure the couple was okay as they walked by… worried that something might happen. The rooftop crew quickly switched from “KISS HER!” To “KISS HIM!”
And in perfect rom-com style, they did.
Del Moro wrote: “After some hesitation, the young men kissed… and let me tell you: both the rooftop crew and everyone else on the boardwalk just went absolutely wild for them and we all breathed a sigh of relief.”
Vidal and Beyers (@theodorevidal543/ Instagram)
The heartwarming thread soon went viral, with many people applauding the moment as a sign of progress for the LGBT community.
“It’s sometimes hard to believe how far we’ve come,” one person responded.
Another said: “This thread brought tears. Thanks for sharing. I DO have hope for the future!”
When asked why he had tweeted the moment, Del Moro called it “an encouraging moment for young LGBTQ folks out there.”
