Here’s Why This Father and Son Went Viral
John Alexis Avestrus shares a photo of him and his son, Santino, who wore a mermaid costume for his birthday.
Young boys wearing mermaid costumes are nothing new. But a photo of a father and his son wearing a mermaid costume tugged at the heartstrings of many over the weekend. John Alexis Avestrus posted the photo of him and his son, Santino, who wore the mermaid costume as the latter celebrated his birthday. It was his message that warmed the people’s hearts.
“Pinanganak kang lalake pero pusong babae. Di ako magician para gawin kang iha,” John wrote.
“Pero mahal kita kaya, suporta ako sa kung ano mang ang gusto mo. Ayan ang wish mo, isa kang sirena… wag mong hayaan ibaba nila ang bandera mo. I Love you Santino.”

The post has garnered 38,000 likes and shares and close to 6,000 comments on his Facebook page. Some of the comments also praised John for respecting his son’s choice.
A Parent’s Love
Although family members, particularly parents, still have a hard time understanding the LGBTQ+ community, John’s story is just an example of many parents out there who continue to love their children despite hard choices.
Other parents have also learned to embrace their child’s gender or sexuality preference and have been advocating for them since.
Here are more stories about the LGBTQ community:
Truths LGBTQIA+ Parents Want You To Know About
This Couple Shares How Families Can Be Better Allies to the LGBTQ+ Community
How To Talk To Your Kids About The SOGIE Bill And Gender Identity