It's a tradition going back to the earliest days of Christianity that believers who were subject to persecution for their faith would signal their shared faith to each other. The sign of the cross or the fish were frequently used. Nothing questionable, nothing new here, no story...
This is a “laugh off” bit of nothing.
All that’s similar, is a story of someone with a bit of humanity, recognizing in another true desperation.
Answering that, with a small sign of decency.
Nothing more. Liberals are shaken, that’s the story.