A man who published a hate letter from his father disowning him because he is gay has received a flood of supportive messages from thousands of shocked readers around the world.

The man, known only as James, claims the letter was sent to him by his father five years ago after he came out.

‘Don’t expect any further conversations with me. No communications at all. I will not come to visit, nor do I want you in my house,’ the handwritten note, signed ‘Dad’, reads.

The letter continues by blasting his ‘choice’ as ‘wrong’, saying his ‘unnatural lifestyle’ went against God.

‘If you choose not to attend my funeral, my friends and family will understand,’ the letter reads, ending by wishing James a happy birthday, good life and a final goodbye.

Published online yesterday (7 August) under the title ‘This is how hate sounds’, the letter has received more than 800,000 reads.

James, using the username RegBarc, told readers on reddit.com to ‘please pass your acceptance and love to the people you personally know who are going through this type of persecution and harm from their blindly religious parents/guardians’.

He added: ‘It's important to know just what this zealotry from Bryan Fisher, Maggie Gallagher, Dan Cathy, et al., does to everyday people.

‘I've never done drugs, was an excellent student, an obedient child…didn't drink until I was 22 because it terrified me, and have had just one speeding ticket in my life. Yet I am still seemingly deserving of this terrible act of hate and cowardice that one person can place on another.'

He said he is fine but the letter still bothers him sometimes.

Over 4,500 people have left messages of support, urging James to ‘stay strong’.

One reader with the username WelcomeMachine says he is a father of two and commented: ‘This person is no longer your dad. Stop giving him the honor of that title.

‘As long as he feels like this, he is your biological father. Nothing more. He deserves no more respect from you than any other person in this world.’

While fuzzycuffs suggested James ‘guilt him back’

He wrote: ‘Send letters back showing you in happy situations, feeding homeless people at soup kitchens, volunteering with kids, etc.

‘You're a good person and if they don't like it, here's all the reminders of it. Or not care. Blood isn't a family requirement.’