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Hi, Billy --

Some time ago, you posted about this show, comparing it to your real life firehouse. You said how you had to admit much of what is portrayed in the show is true, and that you were working very hard to make reforms. However, there is one thing that has gone unnoticed throughout this entire debate.

Firehouses are homophobic.

Fine.

Any of those who are openly gay would be either a) too scared to come out and confront their fellow firefighters' homophobia or b) so arrogant and living in a bubble that they aren't aware of the homophobia and thus, walk into the situation that that openly gay firefighter walked into when he confronted the bastard a-hole Reilly, played by Jack McGee, in the gay bar.

Fine.

But there's one thing that is simply intolerable and is indicative of something far, far greater than simple homophobic slurs and misogynistic attitudes. When a show itself poses a gay character in supporting a fallacy, then "Houston, we've got a problem." A total failure of fact and a promotion of propaganda; that's the real problem.

Reilly's son was gay. This was a gay character on the show and he was put on the stand, in court and when asked if his dad "accepted his 'choice' and his 'lifestyle' ", he simply answered "Yes." No "Excuse me, but we're not talking about working the night shift -- or being a firefighter - an example of a real high-risk lifestyle. We're talking about being gay which isn't hasn't ever been, and won't ever be a 'lifestyle'."... no "Hate to break it to you, but being gay is NOT a choice " No, this "gay son" simply answered "Yes.".

I just thought I'd mention this as some food for thought, since no one seems to have noticed! Not TV Guide (according to which, Rescue Me is "critically acclaimed" ), not the "liberal media". Calls to GLAAD have gone ignored. I guess they don't feel like raising their voices when they know there's no Kevin Smith to guilt trip out of $10K, knowing a real homophobe would not only not give them a penny for their complaints, but they'd slap the door right in their opportunistic faces.

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