When a Wilbraham family parented by two moms received a homophobic Christmas card this past holiday season, first came an outpouring of support on Facebook from their neighbors in the Massachusetts town. Then a drive for donations to the Trevor Project, thanks to the efforts of friend and neighbor Renee Considine, who set up the fundraiser.
“This is something hateful that happened to two of the most kindest, helpful people that live in this community,” Considine told MassLive. “I thought, ‘What a great way to send a message of love and support this through the Trevor Project,’ because that’s their mission.”
Reads Considine’s Trevor Project page:
If you have ever driven down Stony Hill, you can’t help but notice the Sheehan’s house. Wether it’s an election year or not, their front yard is always decorated with some colorful signage! Most notable were “Any Functioning Adult 2020” or “Collin Sheehan For President” (Colin is their middle school aged son). Regardless of your political views, you can’t help but chuckle as you go by. Most offer a beep and a wave, one even wrote a letter to them because as a member of the LGBTQ community, their signs and flags made him feel welcome in a new community. Last week, they opened the mail to find a hateful, derogatory and threatening letter from someone who drives by. The letter attacked their status as an LGBTQ family and their assumed political views. The author didn’t sign the letter, just said that they drive by.
What the author must not have known is that Melissa and Kelly are often the first people everyone calls when they need something. That’s because they will stop whatever they are doing to help anyone they can. They offer donations, time, energy, resources, care and love to anyone who may need it. They give love and support to our community and surrounding areas. The other thing the author clearly doesn’t know is that our community, the LGBTQ community and its allies, take every opportunity to hate into love. In honor of Melissa and Kelly and their children AND to stick it the coward who refused to sign their name and use a return address, we are going to turn hate into love. We are going to do our part to educate and support the youth in our community and across the country so they are not discriminated against and this behavior, intolerance and homophobia is something the next generation does not have to endure.
Please consider making a donation to the Trevor Project to support LGBTQ youth and their families and turn this hateful act into a loving and supportive gesture.
Click here for Considine’s Trevor Project page.
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