Family Circle magazine just published its first story about a same-sex couple with two children. Conservative readers are outraged.
Family Circle magazine has been publishing its unique brand of Americana for 82 years. Started in 1932, it was one of several magazines my mother, and her mother, always had on hand. One of the famous “Seven Sisters” of women’s traditional magazines, today it has a circulation of about four million people.
This month, for the first time in eight decades, Family Circle included a gay couple in a parenting article.
“Mornings that begin with a big family hug are a sweet way to start the day for Chris Osner-Hackett, his husband, Bob Osner-Hackett, and daughters Cai and Ava,” the opening paragraph of the magazine’s “Modern Life” column begins. “Their busy schedules are tempered by calm weekend activities like Friday movie night, long walks with their two dogs, and jaunts to the Kalamazoo Farmers’ Market.”
In the regular segment, parents answer basic but revealing questions, like “Which three words best capture your family?,” (Loving, grateful and supportive,” and “What happens on a typical weekend?”
The response from some on the magazine’s website was uplifting…
October 22, 2014 at 4:15 pm, by Michelle Hagen
BRAVO Family Circle! I loved the feature on Chris, Bob and their beautiful family. It’s so wonderful to see Family Circle embrace the love and diversity in our world.
While I read that some narrow-minded subscribers may be leaving your circle, I for one, will now become a new Family Circle subscriber and eagerly look forward to your next issue and sharing it with my friends.October 23, 2014 at 1:36 pm, by Justin
You have just gained a subscriber! It’s wonderful to see a publications like yours accept diversity in our modern society. Let’s all move past race, gender, and sexual orientation and treat people equally. Those two beautiful girls are lucky to have such a wonderful, loving, and caring set of parents in their life. Well done Family Circle!October 23, 2014 at 10:52 pm, by Lee
I support this family. Yes, they are a family.
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 …but the backlash was huge:
October 22, 2014 at 10:06 am, by Holly
Let me start off by saying I have been reading your magazine for over 25 years, as well as my 78 y/o mother. 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!October 22, 2014 at 2:32 pm, by Donna Worley
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.October 23, 2014 at 1:14 pm, by Pam Baldock
Well, good grief FAMILY Circle??? I’ve just received my last magazine from FC…(even though I have a year and a half left on it)..because I’m cancelling my subscription. You have always stood for good family values but you’ve jumped ship! I have never been as disappointed in a magazine in my life! People say gay lifestyle is ok, but God says it isn’t! And for people that say they don’t believe in God or the Bible, let me say that you can believe all you want to that if you stick your finger in a live light socket that you won’t get shocked, but that doesn’t change the “law†of electricity. Whether you believe the Bible or not, you will be held accountable. AND FC, you will be accountable also. I hope your advertisers have something to say about this article, too. I hope your readers will contact the advertisers in this issue! God is NOT against the gay people, He loves them, but not their sin. I’m just SO ashamed of FC!
The response on social media was far more positive overall. Via Twitter:
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Image: George Burns And Gracie Allen. Photo via Flickr
Hat tip: Huffington Post