KELLIE RESPONDS TO ANGER:

Wow. A lot of anger on my Facebook wall this morning.

We discuss a lot of things on our show, and the subject of gay marriage came up. Some of you say I was wrong to have said anything and that I just should've kept my mouth shut. However, had I said I was all for gay marriage, you'd be the ones giving me virtual high-fives and thanking me for sticking my neck out there on such a controversial subject. So, I told the truth about how I felt about it. I stuck my neck out there and now it's like people are fighting over who gets to swing the hatchet.

And the thing is, I have very seldom talked on the subject. I don't campaign for or against gay marriage. I don't boycott, picket, petition or threaten anybody who doesn't agree with me. In fact, I can't tell you the last time I've talked to anybody about it because the subject simply doesn't come up that often. I am sure now it will come up more and that's probably a good thing. But when I was asked how I felt about it, I didn't run from the question and I didn't lie. I told the truth about how I feel.

Yes, I had a very religious upbringing. And as a child, you sometimes simply believe what you are taught. And then you grow up. And as I grew up, I questioned a lot of what I was taught. Did I believe as I did simply because of what I was told? Did I believe as I did because of what could be proven in the scriptures? There were some things I was absolutely sure of, but there were other things that fell into a bit of a gray area for me and then some other things that I completely changed my mind on. For instance, there was a time when I thought only Baptists were going to Heaven and I was just so glad that I was one of them! You'll be happy to know that I have since changed my position on that. And as I grow older, my feelings on lots of things may change.

But what about gay marriage? I was raised to believe marriage is between a man and a woman and I still lean towards that…but like other things, my mind might change on that someday, as well. No, I haven't pored over the scriptures to find a definitive answer. Perhaps I should do that now since it's suddenly become my "issue." But I'm not mad at anybody who thinks differently than I do. Gay marriage is not a chest-thumping conviction of mine, but I can certainly understand when someone feels they don’t have full equality that it is a strong conviction for them. It's something I struggle with because I have gay friends who I love so much that I consider them to be part of my family. And because I love them, I want them to be happy and have a truly fulfilled lives and enjoy the same rights as anyone else. That's why my I sometimes feel conflicted. While some of my friends are very passionate about gay marriage, some have not discussed it with me. But even when the subject has come up in some of our discussions, never has any one of them threatened to no longer be my friend because of it. Not one of them has called me a bigot or accused me of spreading hate. Nobody has ever wished that my daughter would grow up to be a lesbian to "teach me a lesson." It's just happens to be something we don't agree on, but miraculously, we're all still friends. I know that our president has similar views as the one I honestly expressed, that marriage is between a man and a woman. The president says his views are evolving. Who knows? Maybe mine may, too! No doubt he has people from the community who disagree with him, but I would hope nobody wishes ill of him as we all examine how we feel. Hopefully we ALL continue to evolve.

I don't know the real intent of what seems to me to be an attack campaign being waged against me on Facebook. I can't tell if you want me to apologize, change my mind, quit, get fired, or kill myself...I also realize a lot of you didn't even hear the conversation yesterday. You just heard about it and then jumped on the "You're a hate-filled bigot!" bandwagon. If your intent was to hurt my feelings, then yes -- my feelings were hurt. Did I cry? Yes. A few of you made me cry. Let's be honest, some of the comments are kinda mean...But I know in my heart that I'm not coming from a hateful place. I wasn't looking to seize some opportunity to promote my anti-gay marriage agenda because I DON'T HAVE AN ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE AGENDA!

But I do want to say this, especially to my friends -- If what I said was interpreted by any members of the LGBT community as insensitive or if it was hurtful I do apologize for that. That's the last thing I would want. I've supported, given my time and volunteered for organizations that are vital to this community. The work that is done by organizations like Black Tie Dinner and the Resource Center aren't just important for the LGBT community, but for all of us. And being a mother is one of the main reasons I am drawn to and support the Matthew Shepard Foundation. My heart breaks for kids who are bullied to the point of suicide or who are beaten to death because they dare to love who they love. I would be thrilled if my daughter grew up in a world absent of hate. The Matthew Shepard Foundation is working to make that happen for her, whether she grows up straight as an arrow or sits me and her dad down one day for a little chat.

To those who know me, I trust you know my heart. To those who don’t know me, thank you for letting me know how you feel. We all have a lot of living and learning and growing left to do on this earth! And I have DEFINITELY lived and learned and grown a lot over the past 24 hours!

XO
Kellie