Last holiday season we were contacted by a person needing 16 of our “Allies” t-shirts. It turned out that these Revel & Riot t-shirts were part of Kelly DiPaola’s plan to come out to her entire Italian family on Christmas! Even though she has been out to her friends for several years, like so many of us, she struggled to find the courage to tell her family. But when her Aunt unexpectedly passed away at Thanksgiving, something changed.
“…It was at that time, with the uncertainty of life and the outpouring of love so blatantly before my eyes, that I realized I wasn’t giving my family and friends enough credit. I was suddenly certain that their love for me far outweighed any prejudices they may possess,” said Kelly.
Check out the whole inspirational story on buzzfeed.
We were honoured to have been a part of Kelly’s coming out process and moved by her family’s loving reaction. Her grandfather’s response was, “Kell, I couldn’t love you any less if I tried.”
Thank you to the whole DiPaola family for this fantastic story.
This holiday season if you are looking to show support to an LGBTQ friend or family member, or to give encouragement to an excellent ally, check out our shop for some great gifts ideas. Our most popular t-shirts for allies include, “Allies,” the Revel & Riot emblem, “Fun Run,” the Tegan and Sara “LGBTQ animals” t-shirt, and all the “Life Goes By Too Quickly” designs!