Guess who likes Sally Field, I mean really, really likes her? Human Rights Campaign, who just awarded the actress their Ally for Equality award. Her son, Sam Greisman, had the honor of presenting his mom with the award. And their speeches have left me bawling here at my desk, they're so beautiful.
Sam says when he came out of the closet, Sally didn't just accept him. She embraced him:
When I came out she didn't even bat an eye. In fact, she was overjoyed. Being gay was just one more thing she loved about me. She couldn't be more supportive of me.
Sam says a lot of parents of gay children could learn a lot from his mother. He mentions the "It Gets Better" video campaign and says that in his home, "My mom made it better." And as if this weren't already turning into a five-hanky Sally Field moment, Sally's acceptance speech will just leave you, well, speechless.
More from The Stir: Carrie Underwood's Gay Marriage Drama Shows She Hasn't Sold Out
Sally is pretty much the mom any gay boy would want for his mother -- and not just because she's a major gay icon! Listening to her talk made me think about my own role as a parent. My son is too young to have any kind of sexual orientation -- but whatever he is, this is the kind of relationship I want to have with him. Here are some of my favorite quotes from Sally's speech.
(Sam's) journey to allow himself to be what nature intended him to be was not an easy one. As his mother, I consider it one of the great privileges of my life to be allowed to be part of it ...
It was his (road) to travel, not mine. I had to wait for him to own himself, in his own time. I could make it easier only by standing visibly to the side, clearly loving him and always always being there, even if it was just on the phone, at all times of the day or night ...
He had to see that all the things that he wanted in life were still possible, whether he was gay or straight ...
There comes a time when parents must listen and learn from these people they brought into the world, their children. These children have something important to teach their parents. I urge them to listen ...
You've changed and are changing the lives of little boys and girls who realize somewhere along the way that they're just different from all their other brothers and sisters -- and so the fuck what!
A mother is not someone you lean on. A mother is someone who makes leaning unnecessary.
What do you think of Sam Greisman's and Sally Field's speeches and what they say about parenting?
Image via hrcmedia/YouTube
Tie-Dye for the Fourth of July!
Mom Survives Horrific Domestic Abuse
Kim and Kanye's Baby Name Predictions!
Moms Love Birthday Parties, Too!
Comments 13
I've always loved her as a strong, beautiful actor and I love her even more now.
no one knows if or when this will come knocking at there doors but, the beauty of it all is those who understand the love of their child regardless
I think a child is extra special to their parents. But good job on willfully missing the point Kelly!
I have an old high school boyfriend who works with Hollywood people. He says she is the nicest person there.
I 100% agree with Sally. When my daughter came out 18 months ago. We told her it doesn't change who she is or that we love her. To us she is the same as she has always been and we are going to love and respect her as we always have. We want the same for her as we want for all our kids. As long as the person she chooses to spend her life with loves and respects her and she does the same for them then we could care less about their color, religion, or sex. I think as parents ultimately we want our kids to be happy and fulfilledif our kids find life partners that help them achieve that then we should be happy for them.