I Just Had To Share...
Posted by Melissa Carter at 2/26/2009 12:36 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: gay lesbian Bert Show Q100 Bert Show Melissa
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: gay lesbian Bert Show Q100 Bert Show Melissa
...an e-mail I received from a Bert Show listener.
Melissa,
Hi I wanted to tell you how much hearing you on Q100 every morning means to me. I realize you probably get a lot of life stories, but I want to share with you why you inspire my life a little every day. My maternal grandparents raised me as my mom was very young and on a lot of drugs, so I grew up in an old-fashioned Christian household. Like so many other women I had a lot of horrible things happen to me growing up. I struggled with finding myself and never knew why I was so different and why I never felt like I fit in. I had to take care of my little brother and sisters, and despite all of that, after I came out my family disowned me. I was shut out and treated inhuman for around 8 years. Growing up I never even knew an openly lesbian or gay person, and hearing you on the radio gives me hope for my future. I have since reconnected with my family and have custody of my brother. My wife Jess and I are proud to listen to Q100 with him and see you walk in the Pride parade because we are determined to raise him differently and have him see that it is ok for him to be whomever he wants to be, WITHOUT fear of loosing the people he loves. He saw you in the parade and he said, "I think I really want to work in radio, people don't seem to judge you as much." All I could do was stand there in the rain and cry. He is so grown up (17) and you and everyone on the show give us both hope that REAL change is truly here. We appreciate your disclosure with regards to your lifestyle, and want you to know you have deeply and profoundly made a difference in someone's life.
Thank you Melissa.
Hi I wanted to tell you how much hearing you on Q100 every morning means to me. I realize you probably get a lot of life stories, but I want to share with you why you inspire my life a little every day. My maternal grandparents raised me as my mom was very young and on a lot of drugs, so I grew up in an old-fashioned Christian household. Like so many other women I had a lot of horrible things happen to me growing up. I struggled with finding myself and never knew why I was so different and why I never felt like I fit in. I had to take care of my little brother and sisters, and despite all of that, after I came out my family disowned me. I was shut out and treated inhuman for around 8 years. Growing up I never even knew an openly lesbian or gay person, and hearing you on the radio gives me hope for my future. I have since reconnected with my family and have custody of my brother. My wife Jess and I are proud to listen to Q100 with him and see you walk in the Pride parade because we are determined to raise him differently and have him see that it is ok for him to be whomever he wants to be, WITHOUT fear of loosing the people he loves. He saw you in the parade and he said, "I think I really want to work in radio, people don't seem to judge you as much." All I could do was stand there in the rain and cry. He is so grown up (17) and you and everyone on the show give us both hope that REAL change is truly here. We appreciate your disclosure with regards to your lifestyle, and want you to know you have deeply and profoundly made a difference in someone's life.
Thank you Melissa.
I wanted to share this for a couple reasons. One, it is an incredible honor to have it addressed to me and helps me realize why it is so important to live my life honestly. And it is for those other listeners, who are not so inspired by my honesty and tell me to stop talking about being gay so much, to understand that there are so many who are forced by people like them to live a life of fear and rejection.
And it should teach me to speak my appreciation to those that inspire me. I assume they are likely too busy or preoccupied to hear what I have to say, but after receiving this e-mail today I realize it just might mean the world to them.
I was one of the lucky ones...my family has always been 100% supportive. It still makes a huge difference to me to hear someone I listen to every morning talking about their partner/GF/whatever term you choose just like it is the natural thing it is. Thanks so much for your honesty and openess. It really does mean the world to so many of us in the community. Basically...you rock!
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I am sorry to hear so many people write to you telling you stop talking about being gay. That would be like the listeners asking Jeff to stop being so cynical, Jenn to stop talking about her girlfriends, and Bert to stop talking about how short he is. It is what they are and nothing is going to change that. It is not like you are trying to convert all listeners to being gay. I myself am not gay, but I do feel that if any of the four of you on the show changed the way you are it just wouldn't be the same. I love that you guys open up about your lives and try to connect with the listeners. It makes it an honest show as well as entertaining. Disregard the "poops" of the world and know there are many listeners out there who love the fact that you talk about your life without holding anything back. Thank you.
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