Mom Throws Out Her Gay Son After He Comes Out, Grandpa Disowns Her With Powerful Letter
Even though it’s 2019 and the LBGTQ community is a fully visible and integrated part of many Western societies, there is, sadly, still plenty of irrational intolerance to overcome. And while we might think that things are getting better, they are actually getting worse.
According to GLAAD‘s annual Accelerating Acceptance report, the number of Americans 18 to 34 who are comfortable interacting with homosexual people declined from 63% in 2016 to 45% in 2018, an alarming shift considering that the younger generation are traditionally thought to be more open-minded on sexual orientations than their parents.
“We count on the narrative that young people are more progressive and tolerant,” John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, who undertook the survey, told USA Today. “These numbers are very alarming and signal a looming social crisis in gay rights discrimination.”
This statistic, together with the finding that 36% of young people said they were uncomfortable learning a family member was LGBTQ means that ‘coming out of the closet’ is still a hugely difficult experience for many gay people. If you can’t count on your family for love and support, then who can you count on?
Image credits: shutterstock / Halfpoint (not the actual photo)
Sometimes it’s the older, wiser generation who are more capable of showing tolerance and acceptance towards homosexuality than their own children. This handwritten letter, which originally went viral in 2013, is from a grandpa who eloquently showed his heartless daughter the meaning of unconditional love.
Having made the brave decision to tell his mum, Christine, that he was gay, Chad was cruelly rejected by her and called an ‘abomination’ and ‘against nature.’
Could you imagine anything worse than being disowned by your own mum? Absolutely heartbreaking. However, Chad found the most amazing ally in his awesome grandpa, who stood up for him like a champion and cleverly held up a mirror to Christine’s appalling behavior.
“Dear Christine: I’m disappointed in you as a daughter. You’re correct that we have shame in the family, but mistaken about what it is,” he wrote. “Kicking Chad out of your home simply because he told you he was gay is the real ‘abomination’ here. A parent disowning her child is what goes ‘against nature.’”
“The only intelligent thing I heard you saying in all this was that ‘you didn’t raise your son to be gay.’ Of course, you didn’t. He was born this way and didn’t choose it any more than he being left-handed. You, however, have made the choice of being hurtful, narrow-minded, and backward.”
“So, while we are in the business of disowning our children, I think I’ll take this moment to say goodbye to you. I now have a fabulous (as the gay put it) grandson to raise, and I don’t have time for heartless B-word of a daughter.”
“If you find your heart, give us a call.”
A perfect response! People have been raving about the letter ever since, and in a time where the tide of acceptance seems to be receding, it is as relevant and important as it ever was.
Here’s what people had to say about the inspiring letter
I honestly couldn't understand how being gay could affect our love for our family and friends. I mean, we love them because of millions of different reasons. Genuine, generous, kind, caring, artistic, fun, and all that. Being straight is an highly unlikely sole reason. Unless you're romantically interested in them. In which case they're doing you a huge favour by coming out to you. Embrace it. Live and let other live
I worked for a call center outsource company and my immediate boss was gay man that was one of the most caring and understanding individuals I ever met. He tried to hide his orientation from his parents and friends for fear of being ostracized. He was constantly depressed and self medicated with alcohol. His boiling point came when his drinking had interfered with his career so much that he was at risk for getting fired. He quit his job, went into rehab and told his parents he was gay. He was surprised that his mother not only accepted him, but supported him too. i had the pleasure of meeting his husband before leaving the company to go to college. The two of them were so adorable, I hated leaving. He was, without a doubt, one of the best bosses I ever had.
Anyone downvoting positive stories about non-heteros realllllly needs to look in a mirror. The abyss that person sees will show far worse than downvotes....
It's also interesting to me that someone can stop loving their child after several years. It's not like the children come out seriously about being homosexual when they are 5-6, but when they are teenagers or older. That mother is not a mother to me.
Yeah, this seems so strange to me. You love your son for, what, say 16 years, then suddenly he's 'against nature' and you hate him now? Seems like it can't have been that great a love in the first place.
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Well, the grandfather found a reason to reject his daughter. Why is his reason valid but his daughter’s isn’t? Hypocrite much?
He was making a point. Also add the fact that being gay is not a choice but being bigoted is.
Grandpa is a role model
he definitely deserves that mug.
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A role model in bad parenting perhaps.
Why is he a role model in bad parenting? How is he wrong for being there and accepting his grandson, when his own mother isnt being there for him? Its 2019! Why is everyone still butthurt about other peoplea sexuality. Get lost!
Wow, there are some serial downvoters on the loose... tell me why you don't like what grandpa did :-) I think he is great
Must be a lot of Christines on here. It is just so sad that people care that much about what consensual adults do.
Aragorn Stellar, sexual "orientation" and sexual "activity", are NOT directly related.
GOOOOD, she's such a judgmental Christine! ...the new Karen meme
“... sad that people care that much about what consensual adults do.” Oh, just below my comment, at this time is, “Pseudo Puppy “ expressing THE DIFFERENCE between sexual “orientation” and sexual “activity” are NOT directly related.” As a gay person , as a female person, a person with a family, a person with friends, as an artist, as a taxpayer ,as a voter, as a neighbor, as a shopper, as an on time bill payer, as a HUMAN BEING with compassion and empathy I’d often wonder why homophobic people think ONLY of what happens behind closed doors, if ANY thing in the privacy of our HOME? I think about and love people for their character and generosity and the same moral compass of those I admire.
What! I'm Christian and don't judge people's sex orientations. How dare you put everyone in the same basket?
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What if her son Chad is a child? Doesn’t she have a say in what he does sexually?
Bible says honour your parents... nothing much about children =). Oh yeah, occasionally sacrifice your son in some deranged "prove that you love me" test from G*d, which paints him (her?) as an insecure psychopath.
Marcellus the Third, I have literally thought the *exact* same thing, since I was a kid (around 8 years old), and being taught the "bible" from multiple aunties, from multiple denominations / religions.
Old Testament God come of as a cruel insecure child. Not that torturing your child so you can forgive people comes of as much better.
Serial ignorant cunts more like it.
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It’s because he wrote her off just like she wrote off her son. Also, he raised her (or allowed her to be raised) into a bigot in a family that communicates by disowning each other.
I honestly couldn't understand how being gay could affect our love for our family and friends. I mean, we love them because of millions of different reasons. Genuine, generous, kind, caring, artistic, fun, and all that. Being straight is an highly unlikely sole reason. Unless you're romantically interested in them. In which case they're doing you a huge favour by coming out to you. Embrace it. Live and let other live
I worked for a call center outsource company and my immediate boss was gay man that was one of the most caring and understanding individuals I ever met. He tried to hide his orientation from his parents and friends for fear of being ostracized. He was constantly depressed and self medicated with alcohol. His boiling point came when his drinking had interfered with his career so much that he was at risk for getting fired. He quit his job, went into rehab and told his parents he was gay. He was surprised that his mother not only accepted him, but supported him too. i had the pleasure of meeting his husband before leaving the company to go to college. The two of them were so adorable, I hated leaving. He was, without a doubt, one of the best bosses I ever had.
Anyone downvoting positive stories about non-heteros realllllly needs to look in a mirror. The abyss that person sees will show far worse than downvotes....
It's also interesting to me that someone can stop loving their child after several years. It's not like the children come out seriously about being homosexual when they are 5-6, but when they are teenagers or older. That mother is not a mother to me.
Yeah, this seems so strange to me. You love your son for, what, say 16 years, then suddenly he's 'against nature' and you hate him now? Seems like it can't have been that great a love in the first place.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Well, the grandfather found a reason to reject his daughter. Why is his reason valid but his daughter’s isn’t? Hypocrite much?
He was making a point. Also add the fact that being gay is not a choice but being bigoted is.
Grandpa is a role model
he definitely deserves that mug.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
A role model in bad parenting perhaps.
Why is he a role model in bad parenting? How is he wrong for being there and accepting his grandson, when his own mother isnt being there for him? Its 2019! Why is everyone still butthurt about other peoplea sexuality. Get lost!
Wow, there are some serial downvoters on the loose... tell me why you don't like what grandpa did :-) I think he is great
Must be a lot of Christines on here. It is just so sad that people care that much about what consensual adults do.
Aragorn Stellar, sexual "orientation" and sexual "activity", are NOT directly related.
GOOOOD, she's such a judgmental Christine! ...the new Karen meme
“... sad that people care that much about what consensual adults do.” Oh, just below my comment, at this time is, “Pseudo Puppy “ expressing THE DIFFERENCE between sexual “orientation” and sexual “activity” are NOT directly related.” As a gay person , as a female person, a person with a family, a person with friends, as an artist, as a taxpayer ,as a voter, as a neighbor, as a shopper, as an on time bill payer, as a HUMAN BEING with compassion and empathy I’d often wonder why homophobic people think ONLY of what happens behind closed doors, if ANY thing in the privacy of our HOME? I think about and love people for their character and generosity and the same moral compass of those I admire.
What! I'm Christian and don't judge people's sex orientations. How dare you put everyone in the same basket?
This comment has been deleted.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
What if her son Chad is a child? Doesn’t she have a say in what he does sexually?
Bible says honour your parents... nothing much about children =). Oh yeah, occasionally sacrifice your son in some deranged "prove that you love me" test from G*d, which paints him (her?) as an insecure psychopath.
Marcellus the Third, I have literally thought the *exact* same thing, since I was a kid (around 8 years old), and being taught the "bible" from multiple aunties, from multiple denominations / religions.
Old Testament God come of as a cruel insecure child. Not that torturing your child so you can forgive people comes of as much better.
Serial ignorant cunts more like it.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
It’s because he wrote her off just like she wrote off her son. Also, he raised her (or allowed her to be raised) into a bigot in a family that communicates by disowning each other.