A touching short film, which tells the story of a young gay man who became estranged from his parents after coming out, and eventually being accepted by them years later, has gone viral with over 100 million views.

Produced by PFLAG China, ‘Coming home’ was launched earlier this month ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays – the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar – next week. The family reunion dinner held on the Eve of the New Year – the equivalent of Thanksgiving dinner for Americans – can be a profoundly anxiety-inducing experience for many gays and lesbians.

The emotional film also features mothers of LGBTI children in the rolling credits encouraging viewers to come out and reunite with their parents who are ‘waiting for you’ and are ‘willing to listen to your life stories.’

One mother says in Mandarin, ‘Don’t treat your parents’ love as a burden,’ while another advises LGBTI viewers to not allow societal expectations to be heterosexual and married prevent you from reaching out to your parents.

Named after the American organization of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), PFLAG China was established in Guangzhou in 2008 and now runs chapters, support groups, and counselling services across China.