Dear Mrs. Pitt,
Today, I saw a shocking message in my inbox. I was alerted of a HuffPost Gay Voices piece that discussed your recent letter to Missouri's Springfield News-Leader where you proudly profess your support for presidential candidate Mitt Romney while also clearly demonstrating your anti-woman, homophobic and racist beliefs.
I call this message shocking because of my own wrong assumptions regarding the woman and mother I thought you to be. As a mother of a nine-year-old and a six-year-old, I am constantly learning from other parents who offer acts of parental inspiration. One such act came indirectly from you while I was watching an episode of Oprah. I remember your son Brad, discussing a bedtime ritual from his childhood. Before he would go to sleep at night, you'd talk to him about how it didn't matter how popular he was or how good he looked -- what really mattered was what good he did for others and being a good person. He went on to say that you explained that, "The world is not fair, but this means you have more responsibility -- how you handle it, what you do with it and leading the way to help others, as well."
I was so moved by that statement that I re-watched that part of the interview and I have used that same guidance with my own children. Often, when people talk to me about how beautiful my kids are, I always go back to your statement that "looks don't matter, it's how you treat others."
Sadly, your message to the News-Leader was harmful to LGBT people in Missouri and across the country and, to be quite frank, you should know that there is no telling how many souls you harmed with your public religion-based bigotry. How, in a day and age when hate crimes and youth suicides are reported on a nearly daily basis, can you take such a harmful stance?
As a mother, I am disappointed that you chose to publicly pit mother against child. As a person of faith I find your decision to engage in such a cruel and calculated manner, heartbreaking. As fellow Southerner, I can tell you that your son has been a continual source of inspiration, encouragement and pride. Watching him take personal and professional risk by clearly standing up for the minority and those facing discrimination has been empowering. His family, your grandchildren, will grow up in a more loving and just world because of the conviction and courage that your son and his partner, Angelina, have shown to others.
Being a mother and a believer in a God that is capable of an overwhelmingly powerful love for all is what gave me no choice but to respond. I can only hope that, somewhere deep in your soul tonight, you will choose to take your own advice -- that you will think about the good that your son is doing for the world and choose, once again, to consider how you can make the world a better, more fair and loving place.
Mrs. Pitt, shame on you -- I stand with Brad!
Mother to Mother,
Robin McGehee