If you knew Ron-Ron…

Posted by Mary Mancini on October 21, 2006 under Uncategorized |

Our friend, the dear Pam Kidd, wrote a moving and eloquent letter to the editor regarding Referendum #1. She says it better than we ever could - voting “yes” will write bigotry into the Tennessee constitution.

To the Editor:

When I was 3 years old, my cousin Ron-Ron, age 2, made it clear: He’d rather carry a purse like me than throw a baseball like my big brother.

He tried to fit in. He was the star of his high school football team — but Ron-Ron was still the person he was born to be.

Don’t pull out your Bible and tell me that God, who created this dear man, stood in judgment over him. The truth is, my cousin was better by far than I could ever be.

No matter how ugly he was treated, he never gave up on people. He never retaliated. He accepted others for who they were and loved them without condition.

I don’t know of anyone I would have trusted more to look after my children.

When Ron-Ron died last year, he was surrounded by an incredibly loving community. He had spent his short life empowering others and making them feel that they were worthy of God’s great love. He embodied all the best of our best Christian values, like judging-not and forgiving.

My question is this: Should Tennessee pass a law that discriminates against people like my cousin?

If you think not, will you me join me on Election Day as I take a stand for all those countless friends, relatives, coworkers and neighbors who just happen to be, among many, many other things, gay?

When I pull that lever and vote “No,” I’ll be standing proud against writing discrimination into Tennessee’s constitution.

Thank you, Pam.