Popular gay YouTuber RiyadhK released a new video this week featuring his parents opening up about their reactions to him coming out.
Noting that his mother was raised in a traditional Irish Catholic family and that his father hails from Iraq, RiyadhK begins the video by explaining the different cultural factors influencing his mother and father's individual experiences of him revealing his sexuality to them.
When it comes time for RiyadhK's father, Sam, to share his story of his son coming out, he makes a shocking revelation: Sam was so distraught by his son's news that he considered suicide.
"I actually got up that night at -- after you all went to sleep -- about three or four in the morning, and I was looking for a tablet to commit suicide," Sam says. "That’s why I say it was so stupid."
In retrospect, however, RiyadhK's mother explains the experience brought them ultimately closer together as a family
"I wouldn't change what we have for anything because it's given me insight into a whole different world... I feel blessed that we've had this experience," she says.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of international resources.