A gay couple who were CNN’s first New Year’s kiss went viral. They continue to spread love.

Jake Erikkson and Corin Christian went viral after CNN captured them smooching at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. The kiss, the first to be aired on television that night, was also shown on multiple other networks and quickly spread joy through the queer community.

“CNN’s first shot after the ball drop appears to be an interracial gay kiss. The outrage will be hilarious,” Joe My God blogger Joe Jervis predicted shortly after the kiss aired. And, as expected, the usual suspects quickly started clutching their pearls.

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No wonder she’s making a toast to “the year ahead.”

But Erikkson and Christian haven’t let it faze them at all. Instead, they’re focused on the positives.

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The men said they hoped their kiss had a bigger impact than a few seconds of air time allowed. They want to spread the love.

“I had the amazing opportunity to share a New Year’s kiss with my partner in front of the whole world. We appreciate the positive feedback we received and hope that our experience can inspire youth to always be themselves,” Erikkson told PinkNews. “Hate and anger are secondary emotions.”

“At the end of the day, me and my partner are happy and in love, no matter where the backlash comes from,” Christian added. “Be who you are for your pride and know that you are not alone… Love your partner with everything you have because there’s nothing better than having comfort to fall back on when you need it.”

He added a message to parents of queer children, saying, “It’s OK to love your child unconditionally whether you understand it or not. There is nothing in the world worse than living your life in fear every day.”