Father of the Year Award will probably not be going to Rick Burgess, who used his radio show to demean, insult, and wound his bisexual daughter.
Rick hosts the “Rick and Bubba Show,” a title that tells you pretty much everything you need to know about it before you find out that it’s based in Alabama. It’s the usual five-hour (!) conservative blah-blah-blah, and he’s been doing it for 20 years.
His daughter Brandi is 27 and an actress who lives in Philadelphia. She started sharing queer-affirming messages on social media, to which he responded with outright hostility: “I got a text demanding its removal: ‘How dare you compromise my platform!?’, ‘Remember who you represent.’, ‘Are you a gay?’”
From there, he barraged her with shame and abuse, first in private and then in public. He brings her up on the show, describing her as a lost sinner. She tried to reach out to him, and arranged a meeting at his radio office, but he refused to listen.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Now, heroically, she’s doing whatever she can to counteract her father’s hateful message, speaking out and organizing to encourage others like her who have been wounded by dangerous religious ideology.
“I cannot hear another story of someone dying or getting beat up or killing themselves without sharing my voice,” she told AOL. “Without saying I did all I could to fight in the name of love.”
We like the sound of that.
Kangol
Conservative family values! As a party far too many high-profile conservatives, like the GOP, remain very anti-gay, and yet so many gay people do all they can to support them!
nitejonboy
To hell with him, he doesn’t deserve you Brandi!! You be you!! God made you this way and he loves you and I love you!! God is love!!
danemichael
The only reason I would go to Alabama or Mississippi is…well…damn I can’t come up with anything.
TylernKY
My convo with Rick:
To RICK;Try being a an unconditional father you prick. Shame on you
I hope you lose your syndication you fake.
From Rick:
Hey brother any shot we could talk ? Have a real conversation without this approach. Is there a number I could call you ?
To Rick:
For one, I am not your brother. A brother of mine would love his children no matter what. As have I!
Secondly, your daughter is something that GOD allowed you to create and create in his liking. Do you seriously doubt his creation? Just be because she has the capacity to love all, and to accept the possibilities of eternal love and life no matter the sex, color or creed?
Yet, you choose to pass hatred and abandonment of your own blood and creation. Would you want your GOD or parent to disown you? Especially, in a despicable, disrespectful way against a beautiful creation of love and beauty, in such a publicly humiliating way?
I am not a father of a “gay” child, but I am relative to some and friend to many.
You have a daughter that has the ability to accept love and give love, and only wants the respect and love from her father. I pray to god her mother has secret talks and accepts her baby girl.
She is so beautiful…… she deserves happiness no matter the gender…. geez…
Grow up
And if you would like to chat, I am possibly open to that. “On Air” even. But, how about you provide the number. Not, I.
From Rick:
Ok. At practice right now but you want on air or private ? Both ?
To Rick:
Which ever helps your daughter regain the love of her father.
TylernKY
SHAME !
SHAME!!
SHAME!!!
Tête Carrée
I bet it was like Christmas day for her father. All pumped up and proud of his moral superiority.
P.S. Who let the straight in here?
Xzamilloh
Girl, you are better off… no one needs that kind of hatred or love with conditions in their life. I know firsthand how much that shit hurts, but it gets better and you learn to love yourself more and more with that negativity extracted from your life.
Transiteer
This is what “values” means then?? This ‘dad’ savages his daughter because her status might hurt ‘him’ and his persona? This that bullshit Christianity at work again, or just the usual Conservative fascism that we’ve become so familiar with, or both?
The daughter is best off without him. The simple minded, spandex clad, neo-con audience will continue to tune into this failure of a father because hate, and condoning violence to others of gods creatures is what jesus always said should be done (not). They prove every day, that living in the gutter, breeding hate and violence shows them to be sad unhappy people who live the opposite of what their fake religion teaches them. They’ve missed the point altogether. They are sub-human. Vilify this useless father. Take pride in the daughter – a person of far higher quality than her dud of a dad.
esslar
When I first told my religious parents (a long time ago) that I was living with another man, they pretty much disowned me, so I know how truly painful this can be. All you can do is keep talking, if you can, and, if that doesn’t work, go your own way and let them go theirs. That’s what you have to do. I’m proud of her for being open about herself–that’s the only way to go!
rbernard
If we are to change the culture be more tolerant and accepting, we have a duty to come out and stand our ground. It was good for Rick Burgess, daughter Brandi to come out and publicly confront her right wing father. The confrontation is a chance to reason and open up closed minds. This is probably stressful for both sides and not to be simplistic, but in most cases, blood is thicker than water and the more members of our tribe comes out, the easier it will be for the next .
phallictomato
My brother merely tolerates me ever since I came out to him. He said he didn’t want this ‘lifestyle modeled to our family’, to basically keep this ‘lifestyle’ away from his kids (as if it’s some sort of infection?), that I chose this, and that they’ll have to assess things.
Needless to say, despite coming out to him and his wife, and explaining I never chose this, he refused to listen, completely ignored all of it, but still ‘loves’ me because I am his brother.
Today, I have basically written both of them off in my mind. When I think about all the times they let me down, and how little they have added to my life, I will enjoy the day when I move out of my parent’s house and say that I don’t actually want to be around them and their ‘ignorant lifestyle’. They are Christian (surprise of the century I know), and sometimes some betrayal cannot be forgiven.
Brandi, take my advice, move on without your father. If they are so far down the rabbit hole of no return, and so religious to the point they would choose a 2000 year old book over their own flesh and blood, you’re better off without him. Sometimes family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs, and those who love and accept you no matter what. He doesn’t accept you, so remove the toxic family member I say. It will only eat you up inside.
JessPH
I don’t understand why some adults think that it is necessary to get their parents’ approval about how they live their lives.
Louis
Live your truth darling forget him you are far better off without him .
You are already a strong compassionate and lovely person you did that your father didnt that was you being that person you are better then he will ever be.
Sometimes we have no choice but to cut off people like this completely even if they are your parent either he will learn from his mistakes or be devoured by his hatred.
Either way its not your fault nor your problem keep spreading love dear you are a champion of peace and compassion your father is just one of many embarrassing excuses for an American much less a human being or parent.
Terrycloth
One day he may wake up come to his senses..by then it will be too late …somehow.I believe it already is…sigh
dustashed
Stay. Stay for the cause. Stay for family.
Endure until you no longer can.
Sometimes it pays off sometimes it doesn’t.
At least that’s my 0.02
laura_louise
http://www.rickandbubba.com/sponsors.php
I’ll be calling his sponsors, will you?