After calling for pictures of married couples, Duggars delete same-sex shares

After sharing their own kissing picture, prolific parents Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar encouraged their 350,000+ Facebook followers to follow suit by posting “a happily married picture” to their wall. Except, it seems they didn’t mean all married couples can participate.

“I posted this photo (below) of Michael and me with the following comment: ‘Happily married for nearly nine years; working hard for #MarriageEquality for all loving couples. And we will win, because #LoveIsLove! #LibertyAndJusticeForAll,'” John Becker of The Bilerico Project said on his Facebook page. “It was getting lots of likes, but the Duggars must not have liked it very much — they pulled it down and blocked me from posting, liking, or commenting on the page altogether. How sad that they feel so threatened by other loving marriages!”

I can confirm that when I first saw the Duggars’ call for photos shortly after it was posted, there were several pictures of same-sex couples. Those images aren’t there any more.

Of course — just like their extreme views on abortion — their feelings about gay marriage aren’t surprising: Josh Duggar is the executive director of Family Research Council Action, the legislative affiliate of The Family Research Council. That group describes their stance on homosexuality as this…

Family Research Council believes that homosexual conduct is harmful to the persons who engage in it and to society at large, and can never be affirmed. It is by definition unnatural, and as such is associated with negative physical and psychological health effects. While the origins of same-sex attractions may be complex, there is no convincing evidence that a homosexual identity is ever something genetic or inborn. We oppose the vigorous efforts of homosexual activists to demand that homosexuality be accepted as equivalent to heterosexuality in law, in the media, and in schools. Attempts to join two men or two women in “marriage” constitute a radical redefinition and falsification of the institution, and FRC supports state and federal constitutional amendments to prevent such redefinition by courts or legislatures. Sympathy must be extended to those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions, and every effort should be made to assist such persons to overcome those attractions, as many already have.

In other words, they strongly oppose same-sex marriage and don’t believe it can ever be legitimate. That explains how the Duggars justified deleting the pictures… They asked for photos of “happily married couples,” but don’t personally acknowledge that status can apply to people in same-sex relationships, even though a growing number of states do.

John conceded that the Duggars’ have the right to monitor their personal page however they want, but still encouraged other same-sex couples to post their own photos as part of “a kiss-in, fundie style!”