'Dear Abby' Backs Gay Marriage

Rights group to honor columnist's accepting 'mainstream voice'

By Asta Hostetter, Newser User

Posted Oct 10, 2007 8:32 AM CDT

Copied

'Dear Abby' Backs Gay Marriage — Author Jeane Phillips, the daughter of the original advice columnist Dear Abby poses for a photo in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 5, 2007. Dear Abby is publicly declaring her support for same-sex marriage next week in Washington, DC. She has hinted at this in past columns, but plans to step it up in the... (Associated Press)

'Dear Abby' takes a simple stance on gay marriage: "I believe if two people want to commit to each other, God bless 'em." Over the years Jeanne Phillips, aka Abigail Van Buren, has consistently urged support for gay family members in her nationally syndicated column. Now she's being honored by Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays for using her “mainstream voice” to advocate for gay civil rights.

Abby, who's receiving the group's "Straight for Equality award" this week, said she's not worried that aligning herself with gay rights advocates will hurt her column. It must be a generational thing. The original Abby, Phillips’ mother, brought PFLAG national recognition when she referred a distressed parent to the organization in 1984. (More Dear Abby stories.)

See 1 more photo

Report an error