Dear Mr. Harris,
Greetings. I hope this letter finds you in good health and...
No. I'm not going to do this. I won't hide my fan-girl gushings behind a veneer of formality and obvious thesaurus use. You deserve better than that, Mr. Harris.
I'm a little too young to have seen your earliest work, but I've known who you were since your two-line appearance on 'The Simpsons.' Sad, I know. Feel free to make fun (everyone does). I didn't get heavily into Broadway until I was fifteen, and missed your apparently impressive performance during RENT. Ditto for your turns hosting the televised award ceremonies of the last few years. I was lucky enough to see your performance of Tobias Ragg on video when I did Sweeney Todd a few years ago. Great, great stuff. I didn't even see 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' until a few months ago. Now, I've seen it, bought the comic prequel, plan on going as Dr. H for next Halloween, and am singing the 'My Eyes' duet (your part, I'm a female Tenor) for a musical review. When I find a new interest, I don't exactly go half-way.
Which brings me to How I Met your Mother, and the main reason for my writing. I started watching that show earlier this year, catching up via friend's DVDs and Netflix. The main cast works wonderfully as an ensemble, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't find you the funniest. It's my favorite show. It piqued my interest in you, and your story. What I found out shocked me in the best possible way.
When you came out, I only knew because I frequented IMDB. You were just another celebrity who'd been suddenly outed; I didn't even care enough to find out why you came out. It was just another factoid to be memorized and trotted out in front of my friends. I wasn't much interested in gay rights then either: a few of my good friends were gay, and I wished they could get married, but it never crossed my mind to do anything about it. I'm not proud of that.
In the last few years, I've changed.
Gay rights is the first political issue I consider when voting for any candidate in any election, local especially. My friend's rights, and lack thereof in my home state of Michigan, are constantly on my mind. I created a Blog to chronicle my experience talking with people about GLBT issues, and what was going on in my state. I began reading books on gender identity and GLBT history. My eyes were open. I didn't like a lot of what I saw.
That's when I looked a little deeper into your story, Mr. Harris. Coming out after having your partner David (Husband now? I know you proposed once NY legalized it, but I haven't seen confirmation of a wedding. Wikipedia only takes you so far) on an episode of How I Met Your Mother. Having two beautiful children via surrogate. Recording a video message for Gay youth in trouble, and countless other efforts post-coming out. It was inspiring. You are who you are, and don't seem to give a damn what anybody thinks. In this era of Sheens and Lohans t's rare enough to see a well-adjusted celebrity with his life together get as much press as you, straight or gay.
I was so excited when you got a star on the walk of fame. It's well deserved: in a few short years you've gone from a former household name on the small screen to a current household name on small, large, and computer screens, all while being out, loud, and proud. Well done, sir.
I'm not gay, and many would argue that it's not my fight. I'm a supporter at best. I'll never know the discrimination you've faced. I'm just a half-Jewish girl from Michigan who's got a little bit of a crush on yet another taken celebrity. But you inspire me too, Mr. Harris, for so many reasons. Your journey has been amazing, and I can't wait to see where it takes you next.
Keep it up, Mr. Harris.
Warmest regards to you, David, and the kids,
Shayna Lax
