Adorable TikTok video of ‘old gays’ reflecting on Pride warms hearts
"55 Prides later, I know exactly who I am"
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: TikTok
A video featuring four older gay men refelcting on what Pride means to them is a hit on TikTok.
In the clip, the ‘Old Gays’ collective – who boast 1.2 million TikTok followers – are seen driving to get milkshakes while reflecting on their journeys to self-acceptance.
The video has amassed over 680k likes and counting.
“55 Prides later, I know exactly who I am”
“When I was growing up, my father was always trying to out me,” explains Bill, while sharing a picture of himself as a young man. “Well, here I am – free, proud and gay as can be.”
@oldgays Free, proud & gay as can be 🏳️🌈 @shakeshack ##oldgays ##shakeshack ##shakeshackpartner ##ad ##out ##free ##proud ##gay ##pride2021🏳️🌈 ##lgbtq ##fypシ
“My father suddenly died while I was in college and I wasn’t sure about my future,” adds Robert, who recently celebrated his birthday. “But here I am today – 78, proud and still chugging along.”
Jessay continues: “Growing up, I was terrified to come out to my mom. But I finally worked up the courage to do it, and she encouraged me to be myself. Well, here I am.”
View this post on Instagram
Michael then adds: “This is me at 20, one year before attending my first Pride. I was uncertain of who I was. Now 55 prides later, I know exactly who I am.”
The Shake Shack video ends with the guys – who commonly record videos for Grindr – enjoying Pride Shakes; in the month or June, a portion of the proceeds of which go towards The Trevor Project, which supports LGBTQ youth in the US (minimum donation of $50,000.)
The Attitude July issue is out now.
Subscribe in print and get your first three issues for just £1 each, or digitally for just over 1.50 per issue.
