TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – A kindhearted message on the tailgate of his pickup truck has made Cody Barlow, self-described straight county boy from Oklahoma, an unexpected poster boy for LGBTQ advocates.

Decorated in the rainbow colors of the pride flag, the bold missive on the rear-end of his 1991 Chevrolet Silverado reads: “NOT ALL COUNTRY BOYS ARE BIGOTS. HAPPY PRIDE MONTH.”

A Facebook photo of Barlow, 28, and his truck has been shared more than 150,000 times since first posted on June 6. He’s also received thousands of comments and “friend” requests.

He crafted the message from colored duct tape and letter stickers on his 1991 Chevrolet Silverado to participate in a pride parade in Tulsa. He also plans to drive in pride parades later this month  in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Oklahoma City.

A Navy veteran, Barlow said he knows and has served in the military alongside gender diverse people. He said they are good people and “I just try to do what I can to help out where I can.”

The purpose of his pickup message, he said, “is to get people to be accepting and tolerant. You don’t have to go to parades. Just stop calling people names and beating people up for who they are.”

The Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Daily Press provided details for this story.