A teen got kicked out of her home for being queer. This father took her in.

In a country that’s growing more and more hostile towards young LGBTQ+ people, coming out can feel like an impossible situation. But living life in the closet just isn’t a possibility for most of us. When you know who you are, you can’t wait to tell the world, even if “the world” includes your parents, who might have some misinformed ideas about what a queer identity means for their child.

According to a recent research study from the University of Chicago, about 40% of American youths facing homelessness identify as LGBTQ+. The problem isn’t getting better, either, thanks to an increasingly anti-trans climate in conservative states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.

That’s why it’s so important for parents to show up for kids, even if they don’t happen to be their own. A recent viral video from Georgia-based singer, YouTuber, and father J’Amore Love, doubles as a masterclass in stepping up and showing every parent exactly how it’s done. When Love’s daughter told him that her friend had just been kicked out of her parents’ house for being gay, he knew just what to do.

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“You call her,” he tells his daughter, “and tell her to come on over here. My door is always open.” Showing up for kids, as Love knows, doesn’t always mean showing up for your kids only. It means being the person in the community that people can come to when they can’t go anywhere else. He goes on to ask whether or not his daughter and her friend are dating. When his daughter says no, he explains that it would be totally fine if they were, it would only change the room assignments.

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Family chose St Patrick’s Cathedral, despite its anti-LGBTQ+ reputation, because “it is an icon, just like her.”

When the subject of coming out comes up, Love had even better advice for his daughter. After she explained that she feels guilty for being the one to tell her friend to come out to her parents, Love explains that she should have let her friend come out in her own time. But he explains this gently, making sure not to shame his daughter for her mistake. “It’s not your place to tell her that,” he says. “You’re a good friend for doing it, but…now you see what it resulted in.”

A clip like this is important for so many reasons. It reminds us that, while there are plenty of horrible parents in the world, there are also some truly decent, humane, and understanding parents out there, too. Not only that, but it provides a perfect blueprint for parents trying to navigate tricky discussions with kids who are trying to figure out how to stay safe and be who they are, as well as kids who are trying to be the best friends and allies they can be.

When Mr. Rogers talked about how we need to “look for the helpers,” he was talking about fathers like J’Amore Love.