A gay man has penned an emotional letter to his parents, after they refused to attend his wedding on religious grounds.
Patrick Bradley, who is a food writer and founder of TheGayFoodie.com , has broken his three-year silence on the issue to finally tell "his side of the story".
"It’s been 890 days since the day that you both decided not to partake in my wedding. I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to say anything about it,” he wrote in the letter, published on Out.com.
"But the time is now because I’ve finally grown too tired of the 890 days and nights of being haunted by your presence – by your lack of presence, to be more precise.
"So at 6:22 am, after little more than three hours of sleep, I’m writing this letter to you — knowing that it is taking from my opportunity of getting a full night’s rest before work; but I’d rather work on little sleep than on little dignity."
Bradley told of the moment his parents told him they wouldn't be attending his wedding. They feared they might see an angel, who would tell them their son was "already in hell".
When Bradley gave them an ultimatum, his parents admitted they had already accepted that they would no longer see him, saying: "We give you back to God!”
"By not attending my wedding, you rejected me, and you rejected my husband, who is my own immediate family. I, in turn, reject anyone that rejects my family—out of dignity and respect for it."
But Bradley also offered a resolution to his parents.
"I will forgive you both for what you have done, if you, in front of the entire family (from youngest to eldest) admit that what you both did was wrong; admit that you both should have been at the wedding. Because I do think that what you both have done is shameful."
He added: "I want everyone to know everything. And maybe tonight, I’ll finally be able to sleep the whole night through."
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[H/T Pink News]