Like a lot of you, we were stunned that Jane Pitt, the woman who gave the world the studly gem that is Brad Pitt, wrote a letter to the Missouri News-Leader bashing the Obama administration’s support of marriage equality and reproductive rights.
Neither Brad nor Jane has addressed the letter since it was published, but Brad’s younger brother, Doug Pitt, was on The Today Show, to discuss his new ad for Virgin Mobile and Matt Lauer brought it up.
Basically Doug’s explanation amounts to “they agree to disagree.”
Jane has every right to share her views—and its actually commendable she did it in her local media outlet and not, say, TMZ. But should Brad or Doug have spoken up for the LGBT community—or for reproductive rights, for that matter? We lean on the side of keeping family business within the family, but now that its out there, maybe it’s time? Share your piece in the comments.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Source: NBC via Pink is the New Blog
Ron Wallen
Once again, we are asking our best/strongest/most articulate/most successful allies to do our bidding,ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THEY ALREADY DO.
Brand Pitt and Angelina Jolie do more for our “cause” than almost any other celebrities. If they wanted to come out and say anything to counter Brad’s mother’s intemperate remarks, they would have done so. Brad’s brother put it succinctly and properly – it’s fodder for discussion within the family – OR NOT – whatever works for them.
And, God Bless Brand and Angelina!
LaTeesha
He has stated his position on marriage equality. His mother has stated her position. What more needs to be said?
Huh?
Ron, what are you talking about? Angelina has never done anything for gay rights (unless you count the late 90’s/early 00’s when she pretended to be bi for attention, but even then she didn’t speak up for gay rights). It’s only Brad who has done all the speaking up for gay rights, donated money, and was even in that Prop 8 play. I don’t think I’ve even heard the word “gay” come out of Angelina’s mouth ever. Not surprised since she’s a closet Republican.
UsualPlayers
@Ron Wallen: @LaTeesha: Why is this so hard for you pusillanimous, closeted gays to understand? Brad Pitt needs to publicly denounce his mother, and explain to the world that he will cease all contact with her until she is ready to announce to the world that she renounces her former views.
THAT is the only way that Pitt will show he is really committed to marriage equality; anything less, and we’ll know that he’s only our “ally” in words but not in deeds.
Charlie
@UsualPlayers: So we need to completely write our of our lives anyone who doesn’t agree with marriage equality? Isn’t that a little extreme and less likely to change hearts and minds?
UsualPlayers
@Charlie: I guess you’d prefer it if all the support we got from our “allies” were mere words, instead of real actions. If everyone thought like that, we’d all be back in the closet and homosexuality would still be a criminal offense.
Charlie
@UsualPlayers: That’s not what I said at all. Do you require all family members to agree with you on all hot political topics? Can no one in your family disagree with your stance on environmental controls, abortion, immigration, and gun control without you cutting off all contact with them? That must be pretty lonely.
J Stratford
Ech! Matt Lauer sucks
Ron Wallen
@Huh?: I don’t want to get into a pissing contest about which one of the Branjelina couple did more or did less for our “cause”. I’d remind HUH that it is Brad’s family we’re talking about, and so my comment really does concern him more than her. However, I’d also like to remind HUH that as well as it takes two people to marry, it also takes two people to NOT marry, as they jointly declared they would not until all people had that same right.
@UsualPlayers: Aside from your refraining from snide name calling, you might do well to understand that you do not control the extent to which a straight ally who has nothing personal to gain, puts forth effort in our cause. We should graciously accept his support, and save the vitriol (and please tone it down – it’s juvenile) for our enemies.
UsualPlayers
@Ron Wallen: In other words, you’re happy with whatever bread crumb is tossed your way. Well, not me, I have something called PRIDE. You might want to look up the definition of that word.
Charlie
It cometh before the fall.
Ronn
Am I the only one who thinks Brads brother is actually hotter than Brad? That is husband material right there. Yum!!!
Josh
Do we really care what white trash from Oklahoma thinks anyway?
Mrs. Patrick Campbell
Josh they’re from Missouri. Brad Pitt and his brother are shitty actors and Brad has tiny meat, and is a raging alcoholic. We have seen Brad without makeup on and he’s fugly and plain!
Drew
Ron-WTF Brad and Angelina DO NOT do a lot for “Our cause” or LGBT equality and same gender marriage!
All they did was say “We are not getting married until same gender marriage is legal for everyone!” and you see how the took back that claim and promise.
John Reed
You’re my hero.
F Stratford
@Drew: Actually they campaigned against prop 8 and donated 100k to defeat it. What have you done?
F Stratford
And no, being a twit here at Queerty doesn’t count!
LaTeesha
@UsualPlayers: Are you insane? He’s supposed to disown his mother? She’s a grown woman. He’s a grown man. He’s not responsible for her beliefs. Seriously. You really sound psychotic and out of touch with reality.
Ron Wallen
@UsualPlayers: No, in fact I’m not “happy with whatever breadcrumb is tossed my way”, and indeed put MY PRIDE up for all the world to see and hear when I testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee when Diane Feinstein introduced the Respect for Marriage Act. Not to mention all the organizations to which I belonged during my long (I’m pushing 79) years of activism, most of the time being when it was not too cool or safe to be an activist. AND I never during that time attacked my own fellow activists with the not so friendly fire you seem to enjoy.
We have enough problems with the bigots who are actively working to take away our freedoms and limit what we can achieve if only we work together and not take cheap shots at one another.
Finally, this is a big bore – I’m not enjoying this round and round (like a frantic hamster), and really do have better things to do than to argue with a bitter know it all like you.
Marie Cohn
Wonder how close Granny Pitt hugs baby dyke Shiloh. . .
Dirty Ole Man
@Ron Wallen: Pay no attention to UsualPlayers. Thats just a local troll that visits too often
Richard Ford
Seems clear that some of y’all think anyone who doesn’t make gay causes the be-all and end-all of their lives and support us all the way, gung ho, 100%, fight to the death, is our enemy.
The irony is that many of the people who write these comments have done much less to promote valuing gays than the people they are criticizing so bitterly. Physician, heal thyself.
Kind, accepting, encouraging words and deeds from well-known, well-meaning people with high visibility in society are a positive commodity.
Fortunately, folks like UsualPlayers enjoy no higher visibility than venting incoherently on Queerty.
axon
Mama Jane’s rant was really, really uncomfortable on so many levels – for instance her use of Obama’s full name, Barack Hussein Obama, which is usually code for racism of some sort (“he’s not like us”). I was pretty shocked. There are probably heated discussions going on in that family, but you have the parents you have, you love them and make the best of it. I wonder how she sees Shiloh and the adopted children? Bigots sometimes make exceptions for people they know well. For the kids’ sakes, I hope she does, or I suppose relations would be really strained. If forced to choose, you put your children before your mother.
cray-cray
Keeping up with the Pitts
Shannon1981
While it is none of my business how Brad and Angelina handle this, I am hoping they don’t let her crazy views influence their kids. I don’t think keeping distance from family members who are bigots is unreasonable- I personally take the rainbow version of family more to heart. Can’t help who you are born to by blood, but that isn’t what makes a family.
I know many people, gay and straight, who keep their distance from family members who are racists or homophobes or anti semites. Mrs. Pitt is at least 2 of those things, perhaps more.
I am sure, as vocal as Brad has been, that there is some heated discussion behind closed doors.
Shannon1981
While it is none of my business how Brad and Angelina handle this, I am hoping they don’t let her crazy views influence their kids. I don’t think keeping distance from family members who are bigots is unreasonable- I personally take the rainbow version of family more to heart. Can’t help who you are born to by blood, but that isn’t what makes a family.
I know many people, gay and straight, who keep their distance from family members who are r@cists or homophobes or anti semites. Mrs. Pitt is at least 2 of those things, perhaps more.
I am sure, as vocal as Brad has been, that there is some heated discussion behind closed doors.
Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/brad-pitts-brother-doug-discusses-their-moms-anti-gay-newspaper-rant-20120709/#ixzz20KI28LYI
Sam
[Check out this little web reaction to the big, current Pitt news!]
Brad Pitt’s Mom is Right !
In Luke 17 in the New Testament, Jesus said that one of the big “signs” that will happen shortly before His return to earth as Judge will be a repeat of the “days of Lot” (see Genesis 19 for details). So gays are actually helping to fulfill this same worldwide “sign” (and making the Bible even more believable!) and thus hurrying up the return of the Judge! They are accomplishing what all of the Bible-thumpers couldn’t accomplish! Gays couldn’t have accomplished this by just coming out of closets into bedrooms. Instead, they invented new architecture – you know, closets opening on to Main Streets where little kids would be able to watch naked men having sex with each other at festivals in places like San Francisco (where their underground saint – San Andreas – may soon get a big jolt out of what’s going on over his head!). Thanks, gays, for figuring out how to bring back our resurrected Saviour even quicker!
Tracy Johnson
At a certain point, you really do have to agree to disagree and love your loved ones the way they are; just like they think they are loving us “flaws and all”. I’ve been out 20 years now and my brother and step mother still think it’s a “choice”.