This American soldier took his boyfriend with him to his army prom and the pair’s photos have quickly gone viral.
Max Emerson – a model, filmmaker and YouTube personality – went to the West Point Military Academy’s army prom with his boyfriend Andrés Camilo Hernandez and sent the internet world into a meltdown.
The suave pair posted photos of themselves looking dapper on their night out and have earn’t themselves viral status, after their pictures were featured on Yahoo Style, Elite Daily and The Washington Blade.
One of the couple’s photos attracted so much attention, it received more than 36,000 likes on Instagram on Friday, the Huffington Post reports.
The pictures are presumed to have been so popular because of the former prejudice surrounding homosexuality in the armed forces in America.
The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ campaign, relating to people’s sexual preferences and identities, has been thankfully repealed for the last six years and the LGBTQ community have reportedly taken the couple’s photos as a sign of inclusion for gay people in the armed forces.
Max explained to the Huffington Post, how the fact their photos have swept the internet, are particularly poignant for Andrés, who is in the National Guard and made a video documenting his sexuality last year.
He said:
Andrés was pretty concerned about coming out last year, and to see how many people are being inspired by his story is really encouraging.
Sadly, it’s not all a story of total happiness, as the couple have received negative comments on their viral photos, although Max was keen to point out how ‘incredibly important visibility is.’
He told the Huffington Post:
I think the haters already know they’re on the losing side of history. That’s why they’re getting more and more desperate.
The 28-year-old also has a strong message for those who may be struggling to deal with their sexuality too.
He added:
Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Be patient, because it gets better.
It’s fantastic the couple feel confident to embrace their relationship as these things haven’t always been encouraged by the U.S army.
It’s also brilliant to hear the majority of comments they’ve received are encouraging and supportive too.
No wonder their posts have gone viral and as they’re spreading a message of honesty and acceptance and not listening to bigoted people who try to bring others down, it can only be a good thing.
Great work guys.
