So, I guess American family values have really gotten twisted.  In the last 45 days, my gay brothers and sisters have suffered an onslaught of attacks.  We've been labeled, not just sinners but the worst sinners and compared to bestiality by Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson;  President Vladimir Putin has recently warned, in so many words,  gay people visiting the Sochi Winter Olympics can relax and not worry as long as we "leave children alone," as the world stage for the Olympics is set and preperations for visitors from across the globe are beginning to unfold.

FYI, the Winter Olympics are my favorite - please don't mess with my Winter Olympics.  

And now this, the latest star of the ABC-TV reality show The Bachelor, Juan Pablo Galavis, calls gay people "perverts" and believes we could set bad examples to children.  This was the response Galavis gave when asked during an interview for his thoughts on the idea that the hit ABC reality show feature a gay bachelor.   For the record, unlike Phil, the star has since apologized citing poor English for the comments.

Come on!  The backlash rattled your pants a little, pretty boy.  But okay.

I'm a bit of a reality TV junkie but I have to admit, I've never watched The Bachelor and it is in its eighteenth season.  Holy crap--who knew?!  One would think with so much talk about traditional marriage and the sanctity of marriage, traditional family values and the erosion of American values that this show couldn't have gained such momentum to sustain eighteen seasons.   Um, a man has a child out of wedlock with his former girlfriend, is behind on providing support for that child, is now speed dating and possibly banging 20 chicks (yes, I said chicks), we've turned marriage into the Price is Right,  and NO outrage over this?  But there is so much public outrage over my wanting the legal right to marry my partner of 20 years, wanting recognition  and protections under the law-not special rights-but equal rights for my family?

Hmm.

The thing that really gets my undies in a knot is not someone calling me names.  I can handle it.  It's the relentless very public name calling that may hurt my child, that can hurt the some 6 million other children and adult children that have an LGBT parent.  So for this reason, I ask that if you have any sort of public platform, if you're in the news media, on TV, in politics--think before you speak because your words have more weight.  They have more bite.  They have more sting.  And they echo louder, linger longer.  So, Juan Pablo Galavis, please think next time and remember this -- beauty fades, dumb is forever.  Just ask Phil.

And for the record, my family values:

• Love


• Honor


• Respect


• Forgiveness


• Faith


• Grace


• Pride and yet, humility