Woman Was Scared to Come Out to Her Dad as a Teen. After He Found Out by Text, Everything Changed (Exclusive)

"8 years ago I was scared to tell my dad I was gay. Now we go out once a week, have a beer and just talk about women," Sierra Orth writes in a now-viral TikTok

• TikTok user Sierra Orth used to be scared to come out as gay to her dad

• Her dad, Robbie, found out through someone else, though he didn't have a negative reaction, despite Sierra's fears

• The pair's relationship has evolved over the years, with new traditions forming between the two

A woman once scared about coming out to her dad has gone viral on TikTok after sharing how the news has brought the two closer together — even sparking a tradition where they drink beer and "talk about women" at their local sports bar.

In a video posted to the social platform, Sierra Orth can be seen drinking a beer at a bar, as text reads, "8 years ago I was scared to tell my dad I was gay. Now we go out once a week, have a beer and just talk about women. Life is good."

As the camera pans over, Sierra's dad Robbie raises his glass.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Sierra says she never directly "came out" to her dad. Instead, he found out secondhand when she was a teenager.

"My parents were the last people to know. I told my close friend group and even some of their parents. We live in a one-stoplight town so I was pretty worried it could get out," the Ohio native says.

But one day, Robbie found out via text message — though it was news she had wanted to tell him herself.

"It had been relayed to him, 'Hey, Sierra's gay,' and he didn't really have any negative reaction at all," Sierra, now 24, says. "I knew at age 14 ... so there was a two- to three-year gap where I knew but hadn't said anything. Trying to find the courage to spit that out was the hardest part."

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Since she has come out, Sierra says she and her dad "relate to one another in a different way now."

"We both date so I openly tell him about my dating life and he tells me. So in that way, my coming out helps the relationship," she adds.

Robbie tells PEOPLE that he "never had a problem" with his daughter's news about being gay.

"I was like, 'Hey, I don't tell you who to love. I didn't bring you into this world to tell you you need a white picket fence and all that stuff. I just want you to be a good person. Love who you love,' " the self-described "military guy" tells PEOPLE of that initial conversation.

"And then we get to talking about girlfriends," Robbie adds with a laugh.

Sierra says that the reaction to her videos featuring her dad has been overwhelmingly positive, with many approaching her saying that it gave them the courage to come out to their own parents.

"A lot of people will message me things like, 'You've helped me see my true authentic self,' " she says. "Back when I was in that position, and trying to figure out who I was, it would have meant a lot to me to see someone else who went through it. Now, almost a decade later. people coming to me in that position ... it's a full-circle experience. I get emotional thinking about it."

Parents of gay teens have also weighed in.

In one comment on Sierra's TikTok, a father wrote that his own daughter didn't talk to him for two years, fearful of what his reaction would be if she came out as gay. "She finally told me," the commenter added. "My response: 'You think I didn't know? Come give ur dad a hug. I love u baby girl.' "

"People make comments all the time, like, 'I wish my parents were that supportive,' " Robbie, who has two sons in addition to his daughter, tells PEOPLE. "When you read that, as a dad, that's tough to read. I just can't fathom my kids not being comfortable enough to tell me something like that."

He continues: "I would encourage parents hearing news like that to be open-minded, to be accepting, to be supportive and to listen. Even those who think they don’t agree with it, they need to really think about their stance and be open to it. That's what allows your child to be open with you."