THIS is what intolerance looks like, imagine how it feels...

[RZM]

94. Hate to be a wet blanket but . . .

Do we have confirmation that this particular letter is genuine? Do we know the names of the people involved? Has anybody talked to them on the record? If it is genuine, is it recent, or does it date from many years ago? I only ask because we've been burned on this type of story before, notably the 1 percent tip thing last year.

Please don't be angry at me for asking these questions, but I'm skeptical of these types of stories without confirmation from the parties involved.

Whether or not the letter is genuine, obviously this kind of thing does happen and that's the real issue. But thankfully, I'm pretty sure it happens a lot less now than it did just one generation ago.

But that also feeds my skepticism about this particular letter. Even the most anti-gay parents would find it difficult to trump their instincts and disown a child. And it's also possible that this letter was written in a moment of passion and that things calmed down not long after. When my uncle came out in the 1970s, my grandparents were initially hostile, but in short order things were worked out and relationships returned to normal. And the child posting it also raises issues. Why would they decide to make this matter public? That act speaks to disinterest in reconciliation and I find that less likely than a desire for a child to maintain a relationship with their parents. Perhaps this was also posted in a moment of anger, which would be understandable, of course.

Maybe it is the real deal. I'd like to think it is, but this is the internet we're talking about and there's a lot of dubious stuff that shows up on websites.

But like I said, real or not, this kind of thing does happen. And I'm happy that it's happening less and less as society moves towards full acceptance of the LGBT community.