Sharon Underwood

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Sharon Underwood, from White River Junction, Vermont, USA, is a mother of a gay son who gained fame in April 2000 when she wrote an open letter disposing homophobic myths to her local newspaper, the Valley News, West Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Underwood's letter, the result of more than two decades of anger built up by "standard gay bashing", was subsequently reproduced in newspapers, emails and on websites around the world, including that of Democratic National Committee treasurer Andrew Tobias, who posted it under the headline "The best thing I've read all year".

Underwood later also wrote another letter in support of Mark Noel, a gay member of the Boy Scouts of America who was expelled from the organization in 2000 for publicly revealing his sexual orientation, a case that subsequently drew nation-wide attention in the USA.