A new set of Instagram Story posts tagged St. James in the City in Los Angeles appears to show Luke Macfarlane taking part in a baptism for his daughter, and it’s one of those quiet, genuinely moving queer-family moments.
Because this comes from social posting (not a formal announcement), the best way to frame it is simple: it looks like a baptism, it looks like love, and it looks like a community moment.
So, who are Luke, Hig, and Tess?
Luke Macfarlane is a Canadian actor known for roles like Brothers & Sisters and Killjoys, plus a long run of Hallmark fan-favorites and recent mainstream buzz from Bros.
In June 2023, Luke shared that he and his partner, Hig Roberts, welcomed a baby girl named Tess Eleanor Macfarlane, and he included her birth date as June 4, 2023.
Hig Roberts is a former U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete and a two-time U.S. national alpine champion, and he has spoken publicly about being gay.
In 2020, U.S. Ski & Snowboard highlighted Roberts’ decision to come out and noted he hoped it would help others feel less alone.
What the tagged church tells us
The account tagged in the Story, St. James in the City (@stjamesla), is an Episcopal church located at 3903 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles.
The Episcopal Church is part of the Anglican tradition, and baptisms for infants and young children are completely normal in that setting, including baptisms that happen at age one or two rather than as newborns.
So if Tess was born in 2023, a baptism happening now would not be unusual, and it often lines up with travel, family availability, and when parents feel ready for a public religious milestone.
Why this hits for LGBTQ+ people right now
There’s something quietly powerful about seeing an out gay actor, his partner, and their child move through everyday life milestones that used to be treated as “not for us.”
Whether your relationship to faith is complicated, warm, distant, or still evolving, the image of a queer family being embraced in a traditional setting can feel like a small piece of cultural healing.
And if you’re building your post around “soft joy,” the key is to keep it simple, keep it respectful, and keep the focus on the milestone rather than overexposing the child.
Because at the end of the day, the headline here isn’t drama, it’s stability: two dads, a kid, a community, and a moment that says, we belong here too.