Gay couple's army prom photo causes a stir on social media

It's prom season, so prepare to see a flood of couple photos on your newsfeeds in the next few weeks. YouTuber and director Max Emerson got the ball rolling on Instagram:

"Hello from gay army prom," Emerson wrote.

The photo quickly went viral, earning thousands of likes and hundreds of comments -- and news coverage. The photo features Emerson and his boyfriend, National Guard Soldier Andrés Camilo, in a classic "prom pose." The couple attended the prom at West Point Academy in New York.

Many of the comments applauded the couple for their photo. "Max and Andres, you both are beautiful and such spectacular role models," one commenter said. Others urged them not to worry about negative feedback. "It is beyond me why anyone is threatened by this picture," another said.

Camilo shared a photo on his own Instagram as well:

"My date is the best," Camilo wrote.

Emerson has over 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. Last June, he released a video entitled "Meet My Boyfriend," where he introduced Camilo to his YouTube audience. It received over 300,000 views:

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