Photo courtesy of Michael Rozman
Michelle Messer of Big Lake, Minn., didn't hold back the tears when she unexpectedly got invited to come up on stage during a taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." Her son, Bryden Giving, had written a letter to DeGeneres, praising his mom for supporting him after he came out during his senior year of high school. Messer, as well as her father, Don, are big fans of the afternoon talk show and credit the host for teaching them about acceptance.
"Because of you, she was able to accept me for who I am," said the letter, which DeGeneres reads on the air before calling them up from the studio audience.
Once on stage, a tearful Messer explains how she was initially afraid of how society in a small town would react to her son being gay. DeGeneres shows her support for their bravery by granting the pair a $10,000 check for a vacation, courtesy of Shutterfly. You can see the clip below or check out the episode at 4 p.m. Monday on WCCO, Ch. 4.
