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Dad Paints Nails to Support His Son Who Got Bullied
Bullies sucks, but having your dad on your side can help make it all better.
Heartwarming and empowering news might be hard to come by these days, but a man's simple gesture in support of his son is going viral for all of the right reasons, and we're here for it.
Because gender norms are still so prevalent in society (and because we can't have nice things), a kindergarten student named Sam Gouveia was bullied by his classmates for wearing nail polish to school. When his dad Aaron found out about what had happened, he took to Twitter in a now viral thread to talk about how amazing his son is, and how toxic masculinity can rear its ugly head anywhere.
\u201cSam is my middle child & he\u2019s a terror. A \u201cboy\u2019s boy\u201d as so many (not me) would say. He\u2019s rough and tumble, he\u2019s loud, he\u2019s always dirty, loves trucks, plays sports and knee drops me from the couch. But he also loves a lot of \u201cgirl\u201d things.\u201d— Reproductive rights are human rights (@Reproductive rights are human rights) 1540253968
\u201cSam has a collection of purses because he likes to carry things around. And he also loves to have his nails painted bright colors because he thinks they \u201clook beautiful.\u201d And he\u2019s right \u2013 they are beautiful\u2026\u201d— Reproductive rights are human rights (@Reproductive rights are human rights) 1540253968
\u201cSo he proudly wore his red nail polish to kindergarten this morning because Sam has absolutely no concept of nail polish only being for girls or reason to think anyone would possibly have a problem with beautiful nails.\u201d— Reproductive rights are human rights (@Reproductive rights are human rights) 1540253968
\u201cBut his classmates did have a problem. A big one. Sam was ridiculed for being a boy with nail polish. They called him names and told him to take it off. This lasted the entire day.\u201d— Reproductive rights are human rights (@Reproductive rights are human rights) 1540253968
\u201cWhen my wife picked him up from school he collapsed into her arms and cried uncontrollably. He was devastated at how other kids turned on him, even his friends. He asked them to stop but that just made it worse. Only 1 kid stood up for him.\u201d— Reproductive rights are human rights (@Reproductive rights are human rights) 1540253968
\u201cHe called me at work, his words barely decipherable through the sobs, and I told him nothing those kids say matters. That his nails are BADASS! And the only thing that matters is whether he likes his nails. And then my heart broke\u2026\u201d— Reproductive rights are human rights (@Reproductive rights are human rights) 1540253968
\u201c\u201cDaddy, I want mommy to take off the nail polish so they don\u2019t make fun of me.\u201d\u201d— Reproductive rights are human rights (@Reproductive rights are human rights) 1540253968
\u201cMy son is far from perfect but he\u2019s got a huge heart and empathy for miles. He finds beauty in everything around him and for 5 years he\u2019s never been afraid to be different because different has never meant \u201cbad.\u201d Until now.\u201d— Reproductive rights are human rights (@Reproductive rights are human rights) 1540253968
\u201cI know these kids are only in kindergarten but this toxic masculinity bullshit is LEARNED. Learned most of the time from parents. So parents, I hope you\u2019re proud. I hope this is what you wanted. I hope you\u2019re satisfied.\u201d— Reproductive rights are human rights (@Reproductive rights are human rights) 1540253968
Although Sam was heartbroken that he was treated so badly by some of his classmates for doing something as innocuous as wearing nail polish, his dad assured him that it's not weird for a boy to wear nail polish and that he should keep it on despite what his schoolmates think.
He even painted his own nails to support Sam!
\u201cThat moved me to paint MY nails. Sam picked out this color called \u201cMain Squeeze\u201d & I think it\u2019s understated but lovely. Sam is sticking with red because \u201cit\u2019s pretty and good luck for the @patriots.\u201d #ItsOnlyWeirdIfItDoesntWork\u201d— Reproductive rights are human rights (@Reproductive rights are human rights) 1540254112
Stay strong, Sam! You've got some awesome parents! And don't let the bullies keep you from being you!
Raffy is a Los Angeles-based writer, editor, video creator, critic, and digital director of Out Magazine. The former editor-in-chief of PRIDE, he is also a die-hard Rihanna and Sailor Moon stan who loves to write about all things pop culture, entertainment, and identities. Follow him on Instagram (@raffyermac) and Twitter (@byraffy), and subscribe to his YouTube channel.
Raffy is a Los Angeles-based writer, editor, video creator, critic, and digital director of Out Magazine. The former editor-in-chief of PRIDE, he is also a die-hard Rihanna and Sailor Moon stan who loves to write about all things pop culture, entertainment, and identities. Follow him on Instagram (@raffyermac) and Twitter (@byraffy), and subscribe to his YouTube channel.
