The popular women’s magazine Family Circle has done something absolutely shocking. (At least, by its good, old-fashioned, down-home, traditional, All-American standards.) For the first time in its history, the magazine has featured a gay family.
Dads Chris and Bob Osner-Hackett and their two adorable daughters appear in the most recent issue of the magazine in a new Q&A column titled “Modern Life.”
In the column, the Osner-Hacketts describe how they’ve always felt welcomed and accepted by their community.
Until now, that is.
Some Family Circle readers did not appreciate seeing the photo. After all, a happy same-sex family hugging one another is pretty darn offensive.
Arlene Emery from New Market, AL wrote that she was “disappointed” by the article on Family Circle‘s Facebook wall:
And Debbie Vlahovic of Mesa, AZ called it an “abomination”:
But Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Family Circle Linda Fears isn’t having any of their sanctimonious hate speech.
“The Modern Life column is one of several new features introduced with the redesigned September 2014 issue,” she told Huffington Post. “Our aim is to be reflective of all families and we don’t think it’s a big deal to publish a piece on gay parents.”
“We are certainly not the first magazine or media brand to share the story of gay parents,” she continued.
Fears noted that the magazine also publishes stories on “single parents, multi-racial couples, and unmarried couples with kids” because “they are all representative of American family life today.” And if people are offended by that, well, they can shove it.
“We hope that everything we publish in Family Circle is inspiring, informative, thought provoking or motivating in one way or another,” she added. “Our goal is to be relevant, honest and realistic.”
Related stories:
These Gay Parents Could’t Find A Community Of Other Gay Dads, So They Created One
Saint Law
It’s great it upset them so much. It should. They sound awful.
Will L
@Saint Law: Don’t they, though? 😀
JerseyMike
Fcuk the haters!! There will always be people who don’t like us. Get over it.. They can talk/hate all they want as long as they don’t touch..
k6tmk6
Good for you, Linda Fierce, err, Fears. If I read magazines I’d surely buy a subscription to yours!
Bauhaus
No wonder the girls have their panties in a twist. Take a gander at the guy on the right and his “package” in the photo with the full article. They’re all just bitter and envious that they aren’t getting some of THAT action.
Bumper
That is one adorable family! Sure wish I was I was younger to have enjoyed that type of love. It’s getting better every decade fortunately. Good for them and to heck with the Family Circle tight necks. God that is beautiful!
AnitaMann
Debbie and Arlene are loons. Let them return to the cave from which they emerged.
Beachhouse
Less than 5% of the population is gay and 80% believe in god? I don’t think so sweetie. Check a real source, not a Christian blog who hates everything that is not traditional.
ingyaom
Everyone should go to the article and read the comments:
http://www.familycircle.com/blogs/momster/2014/10/08/modern-life-two-dads-two-kids-and-two-dogs-make-a-happy-home-in-the-heartland/
They’re hilariously hateful:
“I was shocked when I saw this article in your magazine. I am so tired of society making us all believe this is okay to have TWO Dads or TWO Moms raising our children. Really? God created man and woman to be together. I could go on and on….Please know you have lost a long time reader!
“I was greatly dismayed to see the article in the November issue of Family Circle concerning two homosexuals and the two little girls they have adopted. What kind of perverted lifestyle will you be giving your seal of approval to next month? Rest assured I won’t see it, since I’m cancelling my subscription.”
etc.
NoCagada
I didn’t realize it was called STRAIGHT FAMILY CIRCLE
But they’re just hatin’ in the name of Jesus
Leonard Woodrow
There is very little we can do with such stupid, brainwashed fools, except remind them that Jesus told them to love their neighbour and leave the judging to God.
seaguy
That old rag is still printed?
NJjoe
I didn’t realize Family Circle was still in print and thought they went total internet. A gay family upsets fraustrated housewives who make up FC demographics.
We’re here, we’re queer, we have families, get used to it.
Saint Law
I read the article and the comments – most of which were very supportive. But then they’re pretty dreamy. I wish they’d adopt me.
Trippy
Well, these women are just living the life Jesus told them to live when he went out on the roads of Rome with his wife and kids to condemn homosexuals and to show his fellow men how to live a good life. Oh… wait… yeah, never mind.
Brian
A brief scroll through the comments on the Family Circle webpage seems to show that the majority of readers were supportive of the couple. (Unless the excessively bigoted comments were removed.) Glad to see so many allies out there.
mcflyer54
This really should be expected. Interracial marriage has been ‘the law of the land’ for over 50 years now and yet last year when Cheerios put an interracial couple in one of the TV ads (and the couple were not even in the same room together) General Mills got all kinds of nasty hate emails and their FB account had comments that were right out of the segregated 1950s. There will always be people who are going to hate and the best thing to do is simply ignore them – they want attention for their bigoted and hate filled ranting which is why they go public.
sfbeast
One dad looks pretty cute, one is a bit too chunky, the little girls are absolutely adorable. Of course, there are two pooches. I’m guessing the cat is at home. And the home made bread is cooling on the window sill. Good for Family Circle for the article and the response.
avesraggiana
@sfbeast: I LUUUUURVE the one who looks “a bit too chunky”! He can be my daddy anytime!