Many of you may have seen this ABC "What Would You Do?" segment that aired this last week. If you haven't...then I have to say that it's about the most amazing thing I have seen in a long time and well worth watching it all the way through. In the video ABC sets up a scenario in which a Same-sex family(all played by actors) are confronted with discrimination by a very vocal homophobic waitress(also played by an actress). The intent of the program was to uncover how the average American would act when confronted by blatant homophobia and discrimination. Now...this episode being in Texas, I have to admit that I was bracing myself for the worst. Watch the video and get my reaction below the fold...
What I found instead was nothing short of amazing and nothing that I would ever have expected from a state know for it's died in the wool conservatism. I expected to be angry but not surprised by what I was to see...so when people started to get up to defend the Female couple I had to let out a little whoop of joy. For someone who spends a great deal of time putting my thoughts and feelings into words I really have no way to describe the joy and encouragement that ran through me as I watch so many people act with compassion for total strangers...and gay strangers at that. It made this old Grinch's hearth grow three sizes today.
But what happened at made me break down and shed a few tears. Donovan..the young man who wrote that letter of encouragement and support touched me the most. Of all those who stood up to defend the gay families they saw being harmed...his touched me at the core of my being. It felt like he wasn't just writing to her..but to me and my family..and to each one of us. Good grief...I tear up just remembering it. "I know it may not mean much...but I love you all.." does mean much, It meant the world to mean and I suspect many more people who watched the show that night. And , as it reduced the woman to tears as she read that letter...so it did to me. One persons simple kindness can change a life and maybe in some small way...the world. His words not only helped me see Texas in a better light...it restored hope to my heart that the world could one day be a safe place for us. We may not be there yet...by things are changing one compassionate soul at a time.
Texas doesn't need my praise and I'm sure there are still plenty more people who would have stood on the waitresses side, like the man who gave her the high five and yet didn't want to stand by his beliefs on camera. However,...and even though it did not happen to me....I am grateful to those who stood up for those families just the same as if they had done it for me. Good Job Farmers Branch, Texas...the Lone Star State really shined tonight.
Well, yeah. It made me cry too. In a country where the extreme voice is always the one that gets heard and the hardliner is regarded as the strong one, it has be be remembered that it's the small voice that shows it's self to be so very necessary. holly xx
My daughter (18) has been dating a young man for nine months who has two gay dads. He was adopted from an orphanage in Russia when he was four and a half. We have become very close to their entire family (they have two other kids also adopted from Russia), as we go to the same church (which was where we met), and my daughter got her boyfriend involved in karate, so they go to the same dojo. My family has been struggling with unemployment, as well as medical issues, and so were too broke to pay for my daughter to go to prom. Randy and Dave, Mitch's dads, said, "We'll take care of everything." They bought my daughter her perfectly gorgeous prom dress, and paid for her visit to a beauty school to get her hair and nails done. One of the dads took the breathtaking pictures of my daughter and their son on the big day. See them here: http://pegkerr.livejournal.com/1523286.html
We are so impressed and grateful for this family, and Mitch is a wonderful young man and outstanding athlete who treats my daughter like a queen. He says that if he hadn't been adopted, he would have been on the street selling drugs for the past two years by now, as kids get kicked out of the orphanages at the age of sixteen. But instead he has two dads who love him, and have guided him to become the fine young man he is today. I will always speak up for families like Mitch's. I am glad that others do, too.
I have watched a lot of those "What Would You Do" segments and I just thought it would be like all the others. But the guy who wrote that just stands out! Very touching!
Awesome profile. May partner and I have a four year old son and live about 10 miles from this restaurant. I have never felt discrimination while we go out to eat and I am 7 generations Texas. We'd also like to share a link to a short video on Youtube about tolerance, judgment and acceptance. Please enjoy and share if you like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXwxmNjSO5U
Thank you for for sharing this. We live in such a time of political hatred toward gay couples, that it is refreshing to see the "real people" stand up and defend us. My partner and I have children and see acceptance coming from our neighbors (few even bat an eyelash), while our (WI) governor is trying to remove gay rights.
Wow. I still have tears streaming down my face. I have only recently come to realize that I am gay, now almost 50 yrs old. I think this really hit me because I am going through the divorce from hell, and my ex-wife and kids would share the views of the man who high-fived the waitress. THough the divorce has nothing to do with my new-found sexual awareness, I know if they had any idea I felt this way about a man, they would make sure I would never see them again. Sam, thank you for sharing your family with all of us. It gives me hope that true love does exist in this world, and that everyone has the ability to love. Enjoy San Diego!
I saw the program and to say the people were supportive is stretching it a bit... the people (most) who stood up and defended the couples were themselves gay..if str8 people would have done the defending then that would be different.. TX is still a very right wing bible thumping part of the countryso I wouldn't give em too much credit
My friend at work told me about this episode, and this is the first time Ive watched what happened. I didnt even know I could be denied service for being gay. I told myself I wasnt going to cry, but when Donavon handed the lady the note, I couldnt help it. I live in Houston, and dont face any discrimination. I think people only see the anti gay extremists and stereotype all Texans, unless gay, as anti gay. Im glad that half of the people stood up for these actors. I was surprised that it was more than in New York. But I think that even if people dont agree with gay families, we are from Texas, and the southern hospitality is far more accepting than anything else.
I am sharing this on my facebook. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this!
ReplyDeleteWell, yeah. It made me cry too. In a country where the extreme voice is always the one that gets heard and the hardliner is regarded as the strong one, it has be be remembered that it's the small voice that shows it's self to be so very necessary. holly xx
ReplyDeleteI cried as well. It was incredible. I felt like, finally, we really are making progress in the world.
ReplyDeleteI, too, shared this on facebook.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter (18) has been dating a young man for nine months who has two gay dads. He was adopted from an orphanage in Russia when he was four and a half. We have become very close to their entire family (they have two other kids also adopted from Russia), as we go to the same church (which was where we met), and my daughter got her boyfriend involved in karate, so they go to the same dojo. My family has been struggling with unemployment, as well as medical issues, and so were too broke to pay for my daughter to go to prom. Randy and Dave, Mitch's dads, said, "We'll take care of everything." They bought my daughter her perfectly gorgeous prom dress, and paid for her visit to a beauty school to get her hair and nails done. One of the dads took the breathtaking pictures of my daughter and their son on the big day. See them here: http://pegkerr.livejournal.com/1523286.html
We are so impressed and grateful for this family, and Mitch is a wonderful young man and outstanding athlete who treats my daughter like a queen. He says that if he hadn't been adopted, he would have been on the street selling drugs for the past two years by now, as kids get kicked out of the orphanages at the age of sixteen. But instead he has two dads who love him, and have guided him to become the fine young man he is today. I will always speak up for families like Mitch's. I am glad that others do, too.
I have watched a lot of those "What Would You Do" segments and I just thought it would be like all the others. But the guy who wrote that just stands out! Very touching!
ReplyDeleteAwesome profile. May partner and I have a four year old son and live about 10 miles from this restaurant. I have never felt discrimination while we go out to eat and I am 7 generations Texas. We'd also like to share a link to a short video on Youtube about tolerance, judgment and acceptance. Please enjoy and share if you like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXwxmNjSO5U
ReplyDeleteThank you for for sharing this. We live in such a time of political hatred toward gay couples, that it is refreshing to see the "real people" stand up and defend us. My partner and I have children and see acceptance coming from our neighbors (few even bat an eyelash), while our (WI) governor is trying to remove gay rights.
ReplyDeleteWow. I still have tears streaming down my face. I have only recently come to realize that I am gay, now almost 50 yrs old. I think this really hit me because I am going through the divorce from hell, and my ex-wife and kids would share the views of the man who high-fived the waitress. THough the divorce has nothing to do with my new-found sexual awareness, I know if they had any idea I felt this way about a man, they would make sure I would never see them again. Sam, thank you for sharing your family with all of us. It gives me hope that true love does exist in this world, and that everyone has the ability to love. Enjoy San Diego!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this...there are hope for the world. I´m so touched
ReplyDeleteGod bless TEXAS!
ReplyDeleteI saw the program and to say the people were supportive is stretching it a bit... the people (most) who stood up and defended the couples were themselves gay..if str8 people would have done the defending then that would be different.. TX is still a very right wing bible thumping part of the countryso I wouldn't give em too much credit
ReplyDeleteMy friend at work told me about this episode, and this is the first time Ive watched what happened. I didnt even know I could be denied service for being gay. I told myself I wasnt going to cry, but when Donavon handed the lady the note, I couldnt help it. I live in Houston, and dont face any discrimination. I think people only see the anti gay extremists and stereotype all Texans, unless gay, as anti gay. Im glad that half of the people stood up for these actors. I was surprised that it was more than in New York. But I think that even if people dont agree with gay families, we are from Texas, and the southern hospitality is far more accepting than anything else.
ReplyDelete