This Reddit story takes “keeping it in the family” to the next level.
On the subreddit r/AskGayBros, one user regaled his fellow gays with a story of unknown identity. “My ex is my bf’s brother,” read the title of his post. According to the user, he “didn’t recognize they [were] brothers from physical similarities and last names” until being introduced to his current boyfriend’s family, ex-boyfriend included.
Though his post was confusingly worded (as many other folks pointed out in the post’s comments), it seems that the user’s current and ex-boyfriend are half-brothers, sharing the same father but different mothers. Still, they were raised in the same household since childhood, leading to everyone meeting at a family dinner.
Though a social situation like that could easily get majorly tense, the user said “the family introduction wasn’t awkward and it was one big laugh.”
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An added complication, though, was that his relationship with the ex ended due to infidelity on the ex’s part — a fact his parents weren’t aware of. According to the user, he had told his new boyfriend weeks prior “that my previous relationship (which was with his brother) failed because I got cheated on. My bf shared this in one of their family dinners and they were all unknowingly sh*t talking someone in their house.”
“After dinner my bf’s stepdad came to me and said ‘I didn’t know I raised a cheater but let me tell you he got it from his mom,’” the user added.
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“Why should I feel bad for one of the very, very few advantages we have over straight guys?” mused one commenter on Reddit.
For the most part, folks responded positively to the user’s story, despite giving it a little side-eye for the unlikelihood of the situation.
“What in the romantic comedy crap is this,” one commenter quipped. “This reads like the back cover of some romance novels.”
“This could almost be a plot thread in a gay romcom (including the stepdad’s zinger),” agreed another. “Real life is often just as wacky and full of surprises as fiction.”
Another commenter advised that the family situation shouldn’t be a problem, so long as the user makes sure not to pit the brothers against each other. “Just don’t start openly getting into ‘comparisons’ at the next family event,” they wrote.
Others appreciated the queer family dynamic at the heart of the story: “The two gay bros grew up together,” one commenter pointed out. “How lovely.”
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