A WorldPride attendee and dad of two has described how he and his youngest son came out to each other as gay.

Bruce Downer, a 53-year-old from Connecticut, told the story of his family to the New York Post.

‘I was married to a woman for 23 years, but that’s all gone,’ he said at the New York City event.

‘[But] I finally was strong enough to say I don’t want to live this life anymore, I don’t want to continue to live a live. ‘I wanted to love my true life.’

The registered nurse divorced his wife in 2017, who is now in a new relationship, he says.

Bruce is now single, added: ‘I am now very happy. I love the person I am, no self-hatred. Today, I’m celebrating with my community. It makes me feel so proud.’

‘I sort of knew before he told me’ said Tyler of his dad

Before his dad shared his story, 23-year-old son Tyler then told his parents he was gay.

‘I sort of knew before he told me,’ Tyler told the publication of his dad coming out in response. ‘It was easy to talk to him because I knew he would understand.’

Tyler, who has an older brother who is straight, also said: ‘I learn some things from my father but sometimes it’s stressful because I always feel like he is critiquing me about what I’m doing because he is the same!’

The guys revealed that while it was Tyler’s first Pride experience, it was Bruce’s third.

Bruce later told GSN: ‘Attending World Pride with my son Tyler was an amazing experience. It is so nice to see so much acceptance for our community and we never felt safer to be open with who we are then we did in NYC this weekend.’

This year’s WorldPride, at which the likes of Madonna and Spice Girl Melanie C performed celebrated 50 years since the Stonewall Riots.

The next WorldPride will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2021.

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