At a time when bullying and hate crimes against LGBT people are on the rise, social media can often provide a refuge, where love, acceptance and pride are strongly encouraged.

Be you, various posts declare. It gets better. #LoveWins.

But even as legislative efforts to ban gay conversion therapy gain ground, and a record number of Americans approve of same-sex marriage, the LGBT community faces formidable headwinds from social conservatives galvanized by the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back transgender and gay rights and a Supreme Court newly dominated by conservatives.

And the toll of intolerance can have fatal consequences: Gay youths are more than three times as likely to attempt suicide as their straight peers, a recent analysis found, while transgender adolescents are nearly six times as likely to try to end their lives.

So it was that Quinn Cummings, a writer and mother in Los Angeles, came across the news this week about a West Virginia Republican delegate who likened the gay community to the Ku Klux Klan and appeared to imply he would drown his children if he found out they were gay.

Saddened by his comments, and concerned about the impact they might have on closeted youths, Cummings took to Twitter on Thursday morning to offer a message of support:

“Hello. If you are a teenager reading this and you think you might be gay, or bi, or trans, or asexual, or any way that your parents will not ever accept, and you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, here is some good news,” she posted. "I am now your Mom. @SaraJBenincasa is your Aunt," referring to Sara Benincasa, a comedian, writer and podcast host in Los Angeles.

What Cummings did not expect was for the volunteer family to grow.

“I went in for a doctor’s appointment and when I came out there were hundreds of family members,” she said.

Soon, an entire tribe of strangers showed up for family duty — dads, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, neighbors and those cool, old friends from mom’s college days, promising to bake banana bread (or gluten-free whatever), help with college applications, bedazzle clothes and make the holidays not traumatic again. (Just make sure to wash the dishes, please.)

Cummings’ post generated nearly 30,000 likes and nearly 2,000 responses, including from LGBT youths who told of not being accepted by their families.

“Hello I’m trans with transphobic family who I have come out to but have had to bury it,” wrote a user identified as Charley. “I’ve only got a few months left of school but can you adopt me please thanks.”

“You never had to ask,” Cummings responded. “You’re our kid. Learn everything, stay safe and know that everyone on this thread is just so proud of you.”