Gay Dads on Oprah: Forums Ignite

I mentioned on Friday that gay dads Mark and Andy Sutherland-Travino, along with their children and great niece, are going to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show tomorrow, January 29, in an episode titled “Fascinating Families” (previously titled “Extraordinary Families”).

The message boards on Oprah’s Web site are ablaze with the usual prejudiced comments, along with those speaking in support of our families. My personal choice is not to jump into the fray here: flame wars on a message board are not likely to alter the views of those so strongly against us. I have great admiration for the Sutherland-Travino family, however, for sharing their life with America in an attempt to change minds. Mark Sutherland-Travino posted his own comment on Oprah’s forum, which shows a vast sense of diplomacy and a generous spirit:

In regards to all the comments good or bad, we just want to say thank you for taking the time to comment. We would like to thank Oprah and her staff for such a wonderful experience that our children are still excitedly talking about. the one question we have been getting asked daily is “Why”? The answer is simple. We agreed to appear on the show to try to put a face to an issue so many people seem to have an opinion about but also seem to have little or no facts about – the ability of gays to be effective parents. We also hope to start changing hearts and minds with regard to this issue and foster care. We will continue to work daily to help anyone interested to better understand that love knows no bounds or stereotypes. Our children are happy, health, well-adjusted kids with TWO parents that love them and each other with no regrets, excuses, or apologies.

Check your local listings for the show’s air time in your area. (Thanks to Nadine at Blogging Baby for pointing out the forum debate.)