During ABC’s Good Morning America Pride Month segment Tuesday, LGBT reporters Becky Worley, Robin Roberts, and Sam Champion spoke on the phenomenon that was “guncles.” Gay uncles. Everybody’s got one. You know that one uncle with the skin-tight white pants and the “roommate” that your mom told you not to ask any questions about at the family reunion? These days, people are celebrating him.
This new term, popularized by the internet in the last few years, was gaining traction as a way of shouting out gay uncles who played a positive role in their families’ lives. “If you are lucky enough to have a brother who wants to be in his niece or nephew's lives,” Worley said, “there's a good chance all of you will be fabulously enriched by this multigenerational relationship.”
If the criteria for being a “guncle” was just being a brother who wanted to be in his niece or nephew’s lives, it would seem there was no difference between him and his straight counterpart.
Luckily, one “guncle” interviewed during the segment clarified what it meant to be a gay uncle: “Being a “guncle” means being a protector, being a guy, guiding my nieces and nephews to being better human beings.”
Interestingly enough, these were all things that every uncle, regardless of orientation, does. So, since this also failed to clear anything up, you may be asking yourself what exactly makes a “guncle” special apart from his sexuality.
Interviews with the nieces and nephews of different “guncles” revealed that the fact that their uncles were gay meant nothing to the kids or in any way affected their relationship with their uncles. Their uncles played with them, took them on outings, and loved them as if they were their own kids. But the media made sure to play up the “guncle” side of the story, even when it seemed irrelevant.
Later in the segment, Worley spoke with Steven Rowley, author of The Guncle, a children’s book series following a “reluctant uncle whose fabulous lifestyle is surprisingly enriched when his niece and nephew come live with him.” When asked, Rowley defined what it took to be a good “guncle” as such:
Oh my goodness. I think just leading by example. We are very much in touch with the difficulties, particularly through teenage years, you know, that we all experienced. And so we have the opportunity to be there with love and great compassion.
Of course, not only “guncles” but all uncles have experienced hardships and can show love and compassion to their nieces and nephews. There really was not a single defining feature of the “guncle” aside from the fact that he’s gay.
Both the media coverage and the children’s novel showed what’s really going on with “guncles.” This was just another excuse to push an agenda through a group tied to the LGBT movement. Much like PBS unnecessarily raising concern over low homosexuality percentages in skilled nursing homes, ABC was essentially creating a new group for the sake of making their point.
“Guncles” are no different than all other uncles. Their sexuality should not and does not define them. What matters is maintaining a healthy, positive relationship with their families, and being gay has nothing to do with that. So instead of pushing an ideology through families, the media should encourage and highlight relationships with family members without attaching them to any movements.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read.
ABC’s Good Morning America
June 17, 2025
8:39 a.m. ESTROBIN ROBERTS: We are back now with our Pride Month series, GMA Out Loud!, and this morning, an important member of many families, the “guncles,” who are getting a lot of love on social media.
[ON SCREEN HEADLINE: Getting to Know the “Guncle”]
Becky joins us more with that. You gotta explain what that is.
BECKY WORLEY: “Guncles.” Gay uncles. If you are lucky enough to have a brother who wants to be in his niece or nephew's lives, there's a good chance all of you will be fabulously enriched by this multigenerational relationship.
(Cuts to video)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: No hug for your guncle?
WORLEY: The “guncle.”
UNIDENTIFIED MAN 2: Look how strong you are, girl!
WORLEY: Short for gay uncle, the distinguished title is popular across social media, and for many gay men who decided to not have children or don't have children quite yet, being a guncle is something many take pride in.
DEON MIMS: Being a “guncle” means being a protector, being a guy, guiding my nieces and nephews to being better human beings.
RYAN GREENFIELD: To me, being a “guncle” is allowing your nieces and nephews to truly showcase who they want to be each and every day in life.
WORLEY: For Deon Mims and Ryan Greenfield, the love for their nieces and nephews is larger than life.
MIMS: I don't think I have ever felt a love that I felt now.
MIMS’ NIECE: Some of my favorite things I do with him is to sit in the car, and sing songs.
GREENFIELD: Getting to watch them grow up, seeing their personalities, like, each one of them is so beyond different.
GREENFIELD’S NIECE: Uncle Ryan shakes his booty when – when we dance party.
WORLEY: Ryan is a ”guncle” to Emma, Olivia, and Michael.
WORLEY: Uncle Ryan, is he funny?
GREENFIELD’S NIECES: Yeah!
GREENFIELD: As soon as the sun's out, we’re like, boop, right in the pool.
GREENFIELD’S NIECES: I love Uncle Ry Ry!
WORLEY: Deon is a “guncle” to Soriah, Jacob Jr., Isaac, Isaiah, and Caleb.
MIMS’ NEPHEW: I love him so much because we walk together, he does nice things.
MIMS: I like to put on my favorite movies, I like to bring out my old Goosebumps books that I still have from when I was, like, a kid. I come home, like, the phones are down.
WORLEY: There's even a book series called The Guncle about a reluctant uncle whose fabulous lifestyle is surprisingly enriched when his niece and nephew come live with him. It was written by Steven Rowley, who understands the power of “guncles.”
STEVEN ROWLEY: It really truly has been a magical way to sort of connect with the next generation. I think that's true for a lot of gay men.
WORLEY: What does it take to be a fantastic “guncle”?
ROWLEY: Oh my goodness. I think just leading by example. We are very much in touch with the difficulties, particularly through teenage years, you know, that we all experienced. And so we have the opportunity to be there with love and great compassion.
GREENFIELD: I always have said I think my primary purpose of being on this planet is to one day be a dad. This is kind of my trial run.
MIMS: I'm really, really adamant on molding them into being good people. I want them to be honest. I want them to have empathy for other people and to just really stand up for what's right.
MIM’S NEPHEWS: We love you.
GREENFIELD’S NIECE 2: I love Uncle Ry Ry every day.
GREENFIELD’S NIECE: I love uncle Ryan with all my heart.
(Cuts to live)
WORLEY: Aw, that is really just a cute tribute. I do want to give a shoutout to all of the gay aunties, the “gaunts.”
SAM CHAMPION: The “gaunts?”
WORLEY: The “gaunts.” “Lesbiaunties?” I don't know. I can’t speak for all queer women, but I think it’s really important to honor the guys because women have more choices around becoming parents and it's more challenging for guys.
ROBERTS: True.
WORLEY: And so, I think it's great that they jump into their niece and nephews' lives and we've got a great “guncle” right here in Sam.
CHAMPION: I'm a decent one. I don’t know that I'm a really, really good one, but to Sydney, look, Rubem and I knew, a lot of people have families, but we knew that was not the direction we were going to go. So, on his side of the family and on my side of the family. We're happy to be “guncles.” I really tried, Syd, I'm sorry, I'm not fabulous enough but, it is our way to connect, you know, with them at the stages as they grow up.
ROBERTS: I have seen you many, many times with Sydney and the way she looks at you so lovingly. You've done well.
WORLEY: “Guncle” Sam.
(...)