I have never watched a single episode of your television show Dancing With the Stars, but I have grave concerns after it was brought to my attention by One Million Moms, that you’re showcasing a gay man and—even worse—a transgendered “man” for the upcoming season.

How dare you?!? According to One Million Moms:

Some families have already decided against watching Dancing with the Stars
because of the skimpy costumes and provocative dance routines,
but now they have gone too far! This year, not only are they casting
Carson Kressley from Carson-Nation, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,
and How to Look Good Naked, but also transgender Chaz Bono- child to
Sonny and Cher- from the documentary Becoming Chaz will be
appearing in the show. Both are LGBT rights advocates and promote this
destructive lifestyle. DWTS is helping them create visibility for the LGBT community.

Hey ABC, I’ll have you know I’m the father of a 3-year-old child. An impressionable 3-year-old child. And he watches TV. How can you have the gall to market yourself as a family show and then turn around and feature GAYS on your show. Worse than that, you’ve also got some “he-she” thing prancing around on stage. Forget the fact that my son would never know Chaz Bono used to be a woman if One Million Moms didn’t point it out. Because you know what? God knows.

This is completely unacceptable and Christians should not watch the show, no excuses!
Kressley will be paired up with a female dancer, and since Chasity, transformed to Chaz
after her sex change in 2009, will also be paired with a female dancer.
To push the envelope even further for a program that could be a family show
but is obviously not, Kressley is also author of the children’s book
You’re Different and That’s Super, a children’s book promoting
the homosexual lifestyle to children.

Don’t think I’m not onto you ABC. You think you can mitigate things by putting the gay guy with a woman? I don’t think so. God doesn’t miss a beat and neither do I. And don’t get me started on the gender-bending of placing that “she-man” with a man. I mean sure she started out as a woman and therefore God’s will is technically being followed because Chaz is paired with a woman, but it doesn’t count. Because now she’s a woman turned into a man dancing with a woman. OK, so admittedly I’m a little confused but it all sounds wicked gay. And that’s bad.

Furthermore, how can you not see the evil in Carson Kressley’s book? The title is You’re Different and That’s Super. I think we know that “different” equals “gay.” And if you’ve ever read the bible, you’d know that being gay is definitely not OK. We Christians will not stand for anything that promotes, or even acknowledges, differences. You think I want my child learning about different cultures, races and beliefs? Imagine the consequences of our children forming their own opinions on such matters after being exposed to an array of different mindsets. Horrible.

Not to mention it’s so not cool to send the message that kids should be okay with themselves in they are gay. We will not accept alternative lifestyles that aren’t in accordance with God’s plan. If we do that then kids will be more apt to accept themselves and others, and the gay kids might even stop committing suicide. Gay people are going to hell anyways, no reason to postpone the trip.

 We Christians will not have homosexuality forced on us. I mean, sure—we could just change the channel or not tune in to the show. But that’s hardly the point. Simply knowing people with different beliefs exist is awful enough, but when the gays are promoting their lifestyle by dancing, that’s when things have gone too far.

After all, it’s common knowledge gayness is contagious. Like I said, I’ve never actually watched the show but I saw it for a second while flipping channels. Even though I didn’t go full on gay, I noticed myself talking with a slight lisp for about 20 minutes. I also matched my shoes and belt the next day before work, not to mention using the word “fabulous” to describe my wife’s cooking.

Besides, all good Christians know this is just a way to gather up support for the acceptance of gay marriage. Perhaps the biggest threat to our way of life these days.

I should know. I live in Massachusetts where gay marriage has been legal since 2004. And look what’s happened in that time. We elected a black, communist president, we’re in two wars, everyone has mandatory health care and we went through an awful recession. Do we really need any more proof gay marriage is bad?? It doesn’t matter that it’s legal in several states and rapidly gaining acceptance everywhere. Two men or two women just doesn’t count because it goes against God’s plan and the sanctity of “real” marriage.

These immoral gays keep bitching about their equal rights. Why can’t they just respect the institution of marriage as God intended? They need to follow in the footsteps of Britney Spears & Jason Alexander, Britney Spears & Kevin Federline, Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston and Michael Jackson & Lisa Marie Presley. These couples prove a rock solid marriage can only be between one man and one woman. Anything less than these shining examples of fidelity and monogamy threaten the very fabric of marriage as we know it.

All I can say is thank heavens for One Million Moms. This isn’t the first time they’ve stepped up and struck a blow for integrity and Christianity.

• Bert and Ernie will not be getting married and homosexuality will not be spread
• Old Navy was selling shirts that actually encouraged gay teens to “Live Proudly.” Imagine thousands of gay teenagers being encouraged to take pride in themselves and who they are. The horror!
• They actually discouraged Google’s support in the “It Gets Better” campaign, on the grounds that “choosing the homosexual lifestyle actually increases the risk of suicide.” Family values has to come before the lives of troubled gay teens who are already hellbound. Everyone knows that.
• One Million Moms also took aim at a Dentyne commercial, because even though it features no sex at all it too closely imitates a condom commercial. And condoms are evil. Especially when used during filthy gay sex.

As you can clearly see, One Million Moms is a pure, Christian group that is not at all insane. Gays are ruining the world, Dancing With the Stars is featuring LGBT people so therefore DWTS is an evil, liberal regime that must be stopped. I urge you to stop exposing the general public to people of varying backgrounds. I will not stand for differences to be showcased to millions on a national TV show. If you need guidance as to how to proceed, I have a book you can read that’ll do just fine. It’s a little old and some of it may not make total sense, but you’d be wise to live your life by it and interpret it as we do. Because that’s the only way. The right way.

We will not rest until you comply with our perfectly rational, not-at-all nuts demands. Stop trying to poison the minds of our youth with messages of equality and acceptance. And cease bringing all this gayness into our living rooms. If I come home and find my son doing a perfect Paso Doble, there will be hell to pay.

And where does it end? Perhaps Handy Manny gets a Manly Handy in a shady Sheetrock Hill back alley? Maybe Phineas and Ferb are more than just stepbrothers? And The Wiggles…well, I think they speak for themselves. Lord only knows the kind of nipple-twisting that goes on when Jeff the narcoleptic Wiggle passes out.

I’m gonna bottom line it for you ABC: Take these gays off the air!

It’s a well-known fact that TV and the entertainment industry is no place for homosexuals. And having them beamed into our homes is dangerous and deeply upsetting. Align yourself with God—with us Christians—and live in the light of the truth and His way. Because that is the only way we’ll leave you alone.

Until we, the denizens of One Million Moms, display our bigotry by needlessly latching onto the next non-issue that keeps us in the spotlight and validates our pathetic existence.

Warmest Regards,

Aaron Gouveia
Parent & definite non-gay

Chris, now 42, grew up in northern Michigan and had no idea his decision not to do battle on the gridiron would be the start of the biggest fight of his life. Because from that day on, all the other kids in school called him a faggot and made his life a living hell via daily emotional, physical and verbal abuse. And after a couple of years of being called a homo, Chris eventually realized his tormentors were right. He was gay.

Coming out of the closet can be a life-changing, liberating moment for many gay teens. But only under the right circumstances and with a solid support system in place.

Chris didn’t have that. His family snubbed him and the final straw was when all of his co-workers told him they hated him because he was gay. So after years of bullying because of his sexual orientation combined with everyone in his life turning their backs on him just for being gay, Chris decided he didn’t want to live anymore and swallowed six bottles of pills.

Luckily, Chris lived. But others have not been so lucky.

Chris was one of 200 people on Saturday night who attended a candlelight vigil in Provincetown. The event was put together to remember the five gay teens from across the country who committed suicide last month because of bullying.

As a reporter it’s my job to observe. To describe what I see and accurately convey that to the reader. But what I witnessed was pain the likes of which I can’t possibly fathom. Their faces, reflected in the flickering candlelight, were contorted not only with the horror of kids committing suicide but no doubt many of them were reliving their own childhood traumas as well.

As a white, straight middle class kid from the suburbs I realize I have no way to truly understand what gay teens must go through. But think about it:

Maybe you’re in a small school in a small town in a part of the country where small minds simply don’t grasp the concept of diversity and acceptance. And you’re different. You’re gay. Now you’re called a faggot every single day. People constantly make fun of you and tease you. They make jokes about being a cocksucker and how you take it in the ass. The occasional physical beatings you endure are actually a welcome reprieve from the mental and emotional anguish.

You have no friends because no one wants to associate with a fag, and anyone who does stick up for you will probably be beaten and bullied as well. Your family, the people who should love you no matter what, have turned their backs on you as well. You are alone. Totally and hopelessly alone. And eventually your situation becomes too bleak to keep going, and without a light at the end of the tunnel you make a split decision to end it all. Because death can’t possibly be worse than hell on Earth.

Most of the 200 people at the vigil, the vast majority of whom were gay, knew that pain. Some of them cried uncontrollably. Others held each other and did their best to provide comfort. Most of the people I talked to said there isn’t much advice they can give to gay teens who don’t have any support, except to hang on.

Can you imagine?  Hang on and gut out the next few years. I’m not sure if I could take a month of that, nevermind years. Years of isolation, bullying, discrimination and abuse all because someone is gay. Not because they’re a bad person or because they’ve done anything wrong mind you, but just because they’re different.

I don’t care if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, for gay marriage or against it. That’s not what this is about. This is about human decency. It’s about civility and tolerance. It’s about respecting people enough to just leave them the fuck alone if you disagree with their lifestyle, which is none of your damn business anyway. If you’re against gays no one will change your mind about that, but at the very least practice some compassion. Leave these confused, scared teenagers the hell alone so they can figure things out. And please stop torturing them to the point that they’re killing themselves. It’s the most unnecessary waste of life I can imagine.

Now before anyone goes accusing me of being on a high horse, I will admit that I’m not entirely innocent here. I use the term faggot when I’m around friends (including gay friends but it’s used in a joking manner) and sometimes I describe things as being “gay” when I’m giving something a negative connotation. The fact that I don’t mean these things as a slur doesn’t change the fact that that’s what they are. It’s something I’m working on but far from mastering.

And as a father I have preconceived notions of what Will is going to be like when he gets older. I fully admit I envision him having girlfriends and eventually marrying a woman. I think about one day giving him girl advice and talking about chicks we find attractive. Never in my hypothetical situations have I pictured him bringing his life partner Blaine home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and watching them hold hands and kiss.

Like most parents, I’ve wondered how I’ll handle it if Will comes to me one day and tells me that he’s gay. I’d like to say my response would automatically be positive. I should be able tell you with absolute certainty that I would say “I don’t care son. As long as you’re happy and true to yourself that’s all I care about.” But there was always lingering doubt for me because it would be such a shock and so contrary to what I envisioned for him.

But not anymore.

After reading the news accounts of these gay teenagers and seeing first-hand what happens when people aren’t supportive, I can say without a shadow of a doubt I would be in his corner. I will hug him, kiss him and tell him that I love him no matter what and I’ll have his back at all costs. Anything less than that would mean falling short of being a real father. Of being a good person.

I think of the parents who weren’t supportive, and as a result, may have contributed to their kid’s suicide. And I want to ask them which is worse: having a gay kid or a dead kid?

Earlier this week I was picking Will up at daycare. I routinely spend a few minutes chatting with my provider. When I asked how Will did that day she smiled and told him to repeat what they say before meals. At that point, to my displeasure, Will said “God is great, God is good, and we thank him for our food.” Some people, like my wife, think that’s cute. I was less than amused. Because while I was fully aware my provider is very religious, I did not expect her to teach religion to my son. Frankly that’s not something I want him exposed to. But I let that one go because eventually he’ll go to church with MJ and I figure I shouldn’t get upset about harmless exposure to religion. So I sucked it up.

But she wasn’t done yet.

She then asked me about my job. I told her that next week I’m headed to Martha’s Vineyard for a few days because President Obama and the First Family are vacationing in Chilmark and I’ll be covering a portion of their visit for the paper.

Wrong move.

The mere mention of Obama’s name got her started on a mini anti-Obama tirade, which I patiently weathered with a half-hearted smile as I listened to the familiar rhetoric. But then she started telling me about a carnival somewhere (New Jersey I think, go figure!) where you could pay $5 and throw things like balls and plates at a mannequin of Obama. But regrettably, she said, it was shut down after someone was offended and complained.

“Well some people are always going to be offended by stuff like that,” I said as I collected Will and my things to leave.

And then she dropped the hammer.

“Yeah but they get offended by this kind of stuff and never the things they should be offended by,” she said. ” You know, like taking prayer out of school and gay marriage.”

I’m not usually stunned or silent. But this time I was both. Thankfully her elderly mother had just come home and that provided me with an out. Because honestly, at that point I was so angry I’m not sure if the words that came out of my mouth would’ve been advisable.

When I got home I let my anger subside and tried to think about things rationally.

On one hand, it’s a free country and everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. And this is an in-home daycare, which means she’s free to espouse any viewpoint she wants in her own house. She’s religious and conservative, just like some of my friends and family, and so it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that she’d be against homosexuals having the right to marry. And if I decided to pull my son from her care simply because we disagree politically, isn’t that me being intolerant of her religious beliefs?

I pride myself on having friends from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some believe in God and others are atheist. Actually, I probably have more conservative friends than liberal, despite my left-leaning tendencies. And I’m a firm believer that our differences, and specifically our ability to get along despite those differences, are what makes the world go round.

But in the end, for me, this is about more than ideological differences.

I have friends and relatives who are gay. I have aunts who are legally married with children. MJ and I are teaching Will to be tolerant of all lifestyles, races, religions, etc. And yet the woman I pay to watch Will felt there was nothing wrong with telling us — her paying clients — that our friends and relatives are in fact, offensive.

That’s just not right.

So I confronted her the next morning and calmly told her that while I don’t want to preach or make her conform to my more liberal viewpoint, MJ and I are very much in favor of gay marriage. And I told her about our family members, and why I was insulted and offended by her remarks. Then I told her, in no uncertain terms, that I did not EVER want Will to hear her say that homosexuality is wrong.

She told me that while she won’t preach in front of Will, she firmly believes homosexuality is wrong. That it’s against God’s will and that it’s a sin. However, she oh-so-kindly said she “hates the sin and not the sinner.” As if that somehow makes the bigotry palatable. And for kickers, her ex-husband — who she is best friends with — is gay. But she still thinks he’s a sinner.

Look, I know that when you opt for daycare (as we have to), you take your chances by having someone else spend so much time with your kids. And everyone is different. I am a proponent of Will being surrounded by all types of different people with varying viewpoints.

But I think this is a different story.

This person thinks being gay is wrong. She believes a whole segment of the population, my loved ones included, shouldn’t have the same rights as she does. And I’ve witnessed first-hand that she has no problem saying so in front of my impressionable 2-year-old. Will is not dumb. Sometimes you only have to say something once and he never forgets it. And even though my provider is generally a nice enough woman, the fact that she openly looks down upon gay people for no good reason is very troubling. And unacceptable.

I’m all about celebrating differences, but there’s no room for intolerance and bigotry. And I think we’ll be finding another daycare for Will as soon as we can, because as parents we have to be comfortable with the authority figures we let into our kids lives. And if I’m paying someone for a service, I don’t think I (and especially Will) should have to be subjected to offensive remarks regarding the people I love.

What’s so hard about teaching young children love and acceptance as opposed to exclusion and derision?

Gay people shouldn’t be parents because they’re immoral porn addicts, and they certainly shouldn’t be in a Catholic school because their lifestyle will negatively influence the “truthful” and “moral”  teachings of the almighty Catholic Church.

I knew this one would be a doozy right from the first paragraph when Pakaluk writes “The question arises of whether children in the custody of (one cannot say, ‘children of’) same-sex couples should be admitted to Catholic parochial schools.” So right off the bat, Pakaluk lets us know that not only are gay parents unable to be “real” parents, but adoptive parents are inferior as well. Because environment doesn’t matter at all, and the only way to be an effective parent is to be blood related. Got that? Moving on…

Pakaluk goes on to say his son is a first-grader in a Catholic parochial school, and there is one boy in his class who has two daddies. To this, Pakaluk writes “From what I observed then, I concluded that the arrangement served neither my son nor the other students in the class.” Yet Pakaluk never says how some other student’s family structure can possibly influence his child. Not to mention it’s none of his goddamn business in the first place. But then again, it’s all about Pakaluk and his homophobia.

Speaking of Pakaluk’s hate and fear, he goes on to unleash the following gems:

“It was inevitable that either the teacher, or some parent, would deal with the two men in such a way as implicitly to teach my son, or other children in the class, that there is nothing wrong with same-sex relationships.”

“The second reason is that parents are rightly given access to a child’s classroom, and yet I could not trust the designs of the same-sex couple. A mother or father may volunteer to read to the class or chaperone for a class trip. If the homosexual parent does so, what guarantee would I have that he would not be an advocate for his lifestyle, implicitly if not explicitly? One would expect him to be: he says he takes “pride” in his life; the school, it seems, has implicitly endorsed his role; and so why wouldn’t he speak unabashedly about his lifestyle?”

“The third reason is that it seemed a real danger that the boy being raised by the same-sex couple would bring to school something obscene or pornographic, or refer to such things in conversation, as they go along with the same-sex lifestyle, which–as not being related to procreation– is inherently eroticized and pornographic.”

If you have half a brain, it’s easy to see why many people would be so offended at these ignorant, hateful and misguided statements. As if children of same-sex couples are somehow prone to an increased likelihood of running across porn. Or how about criticizing gay parents who strive to take an active role in their kid’s lives, out of some crazy notion that they’re only doing it to infiltrate the minds of our nation’s youth and champion homosexuality? And at one point he even demands that school administrators inform him of the sexual orientation of parents before they host school events at their homes, in order to avoid a homosexual haven. It’s like he believes being gay is a contagious sin, and anyone close to gay people or their children could catch it. You know, like cooties.

Did I mention this clown is actually a professor? Frightening.

All of this from someone who claims to reside on the moral high ground, yet is immersed in a religion filled with priests who abuse young boys and then have it covered up by church leaders. Yet no mention of that in Pakaluk’s column.

Look, it’s no secret to anyone who’s been reading this site for awhile that I’m very much in favor of gay marriage and gay rights. Only so much as I’m a proponent of equality for everyone. Yet some people still ask me why I get so worked up about this issue seeing that I’m a straight guy seemingly without a dog in the fight.

But you know what? I’m a father now. And as a dad to a 2-year-old who will soon be asking me tough questions about everything, I think parents everywhere can use this as a teachable moment. One of my favorite movies, Boondock Saints, has a fantastic quote that has stuck with me for years:”Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most. And that is the INDIFFERENCE OF GOOD MEN.”

As parents we have a responsibility to teach our kids that prejudice, hate and injustice of any kind is not OK. But more important, we need to teach them to speak up about it. To do something. Be heard. Because standing idly by and saying/doing nothing is tantamount to condoning what’s happening. This is a lesson that can be applied to everything from the hypocrisy of not making gay marriage legal, to standing up for the kid being bullied on the playground.

Will and I won’t always agree on everything, just like my father and I have different viewpoints on various matters. But if I do my job as a dad, Will is going to grow up speaking his mind and speaking out for people being unfairly discriminated against. Even when it’s not popular and he’ll be labeled a homo or a faggot simply for being a proponent for basic human rights, I want my son to be someone who does the right thing and falls on the side of compassion, tolerance and acceptance.

Unfortunately, he’ll be battling the children of people like Mr. Pakaluk, who will no doubt pass on his hatred and intolerance to a new generation.

WHEN YOU’RE DONE HERE CHECK OUT FATHERHOOD FRIDAY AT DAD-BLOGS, WHERE THEY DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE GAY OR STRAIGHT AS LONG AS YOU’RE THE BEST PARENT YOU CAN BE.

My son Will is only 14 months old, and although I think he’s smart enough to take and pass the SATs right now, he’s not currently enrolled in school. But just because he’s too young to be in the classroom, doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention to what’s going on in school systems around the country.

All too often, I read stories in the news about parents who are furious their children are being taught about homosexuality. They feel the subject matter is taboo or inappropriate for their kids. They act all indignant and demand that the teacher either stop teaching such things, or alert the parents when the subject arises so they can pull their kid out of school that day. Most of the people against teachers raising awareness of non-traditional families are of a religion that believe homosexuality is a sin, and as a result punishable by spending eternity in hell.

But hell is exactly where I’d tell those people to go.

I live in Massachusetts, where gay marriage has been legal for 5 years. And in that time, the world hasn’t ended. Gay marriage hasn’t affected heterosexual marriage one iota. But what it has done is give basic human rights to ALL of our population, instead of excluding and marginalizing gay people. And although some would disagree with me, I’m proud of our legislators in this state because they stood firm against a petition to put gay marriage to a popular vote, knowing that human rights has no place at the ballot box.

But back to the classroom. Teachers, especially in a state like mine where two people of the same sex can be married legally, should ABSOLUTELY teach kids from an early age that some boys and girls have two daddies or two mommies instead of one of each. I highly doubt any teacher in his/her right mind is getting into the specifics of either gay or straight sex, so it’s not like the minds of poor, young children are being poisoned with evil, damaging thoughts. The message being sent is there are all different kinds of families out there and kids should try to be accepting of all of them.

I understand some people disagree with homosexuality and genuinely feel it is wrong. Aside from the fact that discriminating against someone based on their sexual orientation is the worst kind of ignorance, that shouldn’t matter. If you feel gays are evil then you can tell your kid that at home. You’d be wrong and foolish to do that in my opinion, but if that’s what you believe then knock yourself out. But at school, in the classroom, kids should be made aware of the different kinds of families that exist and taught to keep an open mind no matter what. After all, would people get upset if their kids were reading a book with a black, latino, asian character? I would hope not. So why get so upset about kids learning about gays in class? Diversity is diversity.

And sure, a parent has a right to keep their kid out of school. But pulling your kid out of the classroom on the day homosexuality is being discussed, is nothing more than putting your head in the sand and needlessly shielding your child from receiving an education in diversity.

Some people may not like it, but gays, gay marriage, and gay families are here and they’re not going anywhere. Maybe the Bible beaters are too busy quoting an outdated book in an attempt to continue discrimination against homosexuals, but maybe there’s still hope for their kids as long as they’re taught to accept and respect gay families.