Is TV Too Gay?

This is the question posed by our local Fox News channel during a commercial break last night as we watched the ever-popular television show, GLEE.  Ryan and I were overcome with astonishment that he set the DVR to record the news immediately afterwards.  And sure enough, Bryan Fischer from the American Family Association was there to spread his message of hate. Oh by the way, he's the director of "Issues Analysis" (Go Figure).  But for those unfamiliar with him, he's a despicable human being who condemns everything you can possibly think of - he's almost as crazy as Fred Phelps.  He can't stand Gays, Hispanics, Muslims or Blacks.

So after watching the fabulous cast sing Lady Gaga's, "Born This Way" as a condemnation towards the bullying and hatred in our schools, we watched the news segment.

I felt small droplets of water fall onto my hand as I turned around and saw Ryan dripping with sweat - all I could see was red in his eyes. As he grunted and moaned, it was evident he had become agitated over this particular issue.  Unlike myself, I'm able to hold it in a little longer, but then I'll let it all out - a day or two later.  Like now...

Mr Fischer starts out by saying,  “…What these television programs are doing is glamorizing homosexual behavior, glamorizing homosexual conduct. This is conduct that carries enormous psychological and physical risks to those who engage in it. It’s just not a lifestyle, it’s not behavior that ought to be glamorized or presented in a way that makes it idealistic.”

Here is a man who thinks gay relationships are like "drug use," and furthermore, believes placing the show in a 7 PM slot the "relationships" would be viewed as "product placements".  You know - kinda like show me a Coke or a Pepsi, and I'll buy it.  Because straight people are going to jump at the chance of being gay.  I can already hear my straight brothers and sisters saying, "Oh I want to be one of those."  

Sorry to burst your bubble, but we were born this way, Mr. Fischer, Sir!

Later the news anchor asks him,"So what about the time slot? It comes on at 7 o’clock, is that a little bit too early or is that right on time?"  He responds, “I think its terrible timing. As you pointed out advertisers purchase time on television programs because they know that what people see on television influences their behavior and influences their choices. We know from the Centers for Disease Control that 91% of the males who have been diagnosed with HIV-AIDS since the epidemic began contracted it through having sex with other men man or through injection drug abuse. That means that homosexual behavior is just as risky and just as dangerous as injection drug use and we should not glamorize it anymore than we would glamorize intravenous drug use.”

Really?  Really?  I'm not even going to bring up the statistics he mentioned or how AIDS is spread; everyone should be intelligent enough to know the facts.  

A fellow blogger wrote, "were Fischer and his clan up in arms when the first season was dedicated to teenage pregnancy, where the “virginia” cheerleader tricked the clueless football player into believing that he was the actual father? Where is that discussion?  That issue showed lack of birth control, lying, deceit – whereas the story involving homosexuality is about the character being true to himself and finding love along the way. After all, homosexuals are surrounded by heterosexual stories all day long when it comes to television programming – it is about time that we get in on that spotlight as well."

When I was looking for the news video to post on my blog, I was happy to see all the gracious comments on myfoxhouston.com, including the one below from a loving mother,

My son is Gay and its not a choice!!!! Could anyone wake up and say I want to be gay today? I can promise you if you watch TV you wont turn Gay. Everyone has the right to be who they are, this is America. Don't judge that's God's job.

And another,

Too Gay!? Are you kidding me? It's not even close to being as inclusive as it should be. There are hundreds and hundreds of shows on TV that feature a straight-only cast and only a handful of shows nowadays that feature gay characters. Glee is probably the only primetime TV show that give its gay characters equal treatment as its straight ones. This is nothing. This barely graze the surface of how television should be.

Having gay characters on TV is important. It's empowering to gay kids and teens in a time when that is desperately needed. Just like seeing courageous, powerful women on TV is empowering to women, or seeing strong, successful black characters on TV is empowering to Black Americans... gay Americans deserve equal representation. There are a lot of gay people in our society, and they need a face on primetime TV...not just as a comedic sidekick, not as some psychotic murderer, not as some tragic figure who ends up dying broken and alone...but a regular happy, healthy individual surrounded by loving friends and family, who triumphs over adversity and finds love in the end. Kids need to see this. It teaches an important lesson about bullying and offers hope to kids who are going through similar situations.

Also, anyone who thinks "family values" conflict with homosexuality has clearly never watch Kurt Hummel and his father interact on Glee. These two characters are the epitome of what family should be...loving, supportive, and accepting of each other no matter what. Parents everywhere should take lesson from Burt Hummel. Unless, of course, "family values" for you translates to rejecting and kicking your gay son out of the house because of his sexuality. In that case, America doesn't need your kind of "family values" reflected on TV.

So now let's watch the Glee cast sing "Born This Way"