One Day Soon No Family Will Be Considered Controversial

This weekend, as the owner of The Green Monkey, The Alternative Family Store, I was told that I was too controversial to participate in a live broadcast of WPTF’s The Weekend Gardener radio show. The show was broadcasting live from the Raleigh Flea Market where our store is located. During the broadcast several of us that have stores at the market were asked to be a part of the broadcast at specific times by flea market management. (Our times were scheduled a week in advance by flea market management). When I arrived for my scheduled time, I was told by flea market management that the radio station’s “upper management” refused to allow me to go on the show because an alternative family store/gay pride store was too controversial!

Immediately I thought back to 1980 when the state of UTAH banned Olivia Newton John’s hit single, Physical, from being played on radio stations! I must admit, I found this amusing. Wait a minute, we are in year 2010!! OMG! Now, families are controversial!

If you have read other blogs posted by me you will be familiar with my saying, just because your family looks different than mine doesn’t mean that my family is wrong. As one of our T-shirts we sell states, Love Is All It Take To Make A Family. A family can be a single parent, a bi-racial couple, a couple with adopted children, a couple with no children, two mommies or two daddies. Families come in all shapes and sizes. All families deserve to be treated equal and respected. What in the world is controversial about that?

This week the Supreme Court past judgment to no longer limit corporations’ and individuals’ donation to political candidates based on the First Amendment; however, this is the same Court that says it’s OK for individual states to discriminate against same-sex couples who want marriage equality. What is wrong with this picture!!

Now, please understand that WPTF had every right to not allow me on their program. It’s their radio station. However, they missed a great opportunity to acknowledge the diversity in our community and to spread the education of tolerance and acceptance.

I have the right to tell everyone I know about this situation. It will be up to each person to decide what they do with this information. I’m an owner of a very small store that is opened two days a week at a local flea market where all families are welcomed. No matter if they look different.