(CNN) When Cody Barlow missed the Pride parade in Tulsa -- the closest celebration to his rural Oklahoma town -- he found another way to be an LGBTQ ally.

Using duct tape and mailbox letters, he decorated the tailgate of his 1991 Chevrolet Silverado with a rainbow pride flag and a message:

"Not all country boys are bigots... Happy Pride Month."

Barlow, 28, identifies as a heterosexual man. He has gay friends and relatives who have experienced hatred because of their sexual orientation, he said.

He wanted those people and others like them to know they're not alone, even in places where same-sex relationships are not the norm.

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