JC Penney Celebrates Gay Dads on Fathers' Day ...

... With A Real-Life Committed Same-Sex Couple

Copy via Joe.My.God ...  The text on the upper right reads: "First Pals: What makes Dad so cool? He's the swim coach, tent maker, best friend, bike fixer and hug giver--all rolled into one. Or two."  The text at the bottom right reads: "Real-life dads, Todd Koch and Cooper Smith with their children Claire and Mason."

Religious Right activists experienced a collective conniption fit when the retail giant JC Penney hired Ellen DeGeneres as its official spokesperson.  Although the usual anti-gay hate groups issued press releases expressing their outrage, CEO Ron Johnson made it clear that his company would not be supporting America's homobigots. 

Stated Johnson:  "We stand squarely behind Ellen as our spokesperson and that’s a great thing, because she shares the same values that we do in our company. Our company was founded 110 years ago on The Golden Rule, which is about treating people fair and square, just like if you treated yourself. And we think Ellen represents the values of our company." 

A nationwide boycott of the retailer failed miserably, Ellen being so beloved by the public - but now there's this new bone for Christian fundamentalists to gnaw on:  JC Penney is celebrating two men raising children!  Horrors! 

I want everybody reading this post to please run out and purchase something from JC Penney.  Really.  I'm as serious as a Baptist preacher ogling the collection plates.   If JC Penney can stand up to One Million Moms (which is actually about 800 "submissive" housewives), the American Family Association, and Republican lawmakers who insist on firing people simply for being gay, LGBT citizens and their straight allies can make an effort to visit this fantastic store and shop till we drop.