What began as a simple Valentine’s Day surprise turned into a moving display of parental love, as a father from Tarlac honored his gay child in a gesture that resonated with many online.
Les Tuquero, a father from Victoria, Tarlac, shared a video on Facebook capturing the emotional moment he surprised his child, Ezekiel, with a bouquet of gifts on Heart’s Day.
The clip shows Les arriving at their home as Ezekiel, wearing a red dress, hair clip and white heels, stepped out to receive the surprise.
“Happy Valentines my Queen Ezekiel Tuquero. I love you palagi ‘nak, Salamat sa mga yakap mo ‘nak, sa mga halik mo, sa lahat lahat. Ikaw ang nagsisilbing energizer ko sa mga panahong gulong gulo ako. Mahal na mahal ka ni [daddy],” Les captioned the touching video.
In an exclusive interview with Latest Chika, Les shared that it was the first time Ezekiel had ever received such a gift, making the surprise even more meaningful.
“Alam ko po kasing ikakasaya ng anak ko yun, kasi never siyang naka-receive pa ng bouquet,” Les said.
To pull off the Valentine’s surprise, Les gathered the help of relatives to make the moment extra special. His sibling, who sells bouquets, prepared the gift seen in the video, while a cousin helped style Ezekiel’s look.
“Kinausap ko yung kapatid ko. May benta kasi siyang mga bouquet, kako kuha akong isa, ibibigay ko kay Ezekiel, i-make up mo siya, mag-heels and dress, para sa mismong valentines siya po ang i-date ko,” shared Les.
Beyond the gesture, Les emphasized his full acceptance of Ezekiel’s identity as a member of the LGBTQ community. For him, supporting his child’s happiness comes first.
“Bukas po ang isipan ko sa mga ganyan. Doon ko nakikitang nag-eenjoy at nagiging masaya ang anak ko, susuportahan ko po siya,” he said. “Never po kasing magiging masaya ang bata kung laging may takot sa likod ng mga bagay na komportable siyang gawin.”
Les also had a heartfelt message for fellow parents raising LGBTQ children, urging them to lead with love and understanding.
“Mahalin po natin sila. Sa’tin po dapat magsimula ang pagmamahal na nararapat nilang maramdaman, ‘wag po natin silang pagbawalan sa mga gusto nila sa buhay basta masaya sila sa ginagawa nila,” told Les.
He added. “Gumagaan kalooban nila sa mga hilig nila, suportahan po natin, lagi nating tignan ang mga positibong bagay. Never silang magiging masaya kapag tayo mismong magulang ang dahilan ng mga takot nila sa buhay.”
