Susan Olsen says 'being gay killed' Brady Bunch dad Robert Reed in heartfelt tribute

[catlover79]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...e-tribute.html

By Shyam Dodge

PUBLISHED:21:53 EST, 31 March 2013| UPDATED: 21:53 EST, 31 March 2013

Susan Olsen recently posted to her Facebook page a heartfelt open letter about her onscreen Brady Bunch father, Robert Reed, and his struggles as a gay man in Hollywood.

The online note addressed the current U.S. Supreme Court debate regarding same sex marriage and offered her own take on the issue from a very personal standpoint.

Olsen wrote that 'being gay killed' her TV father, referring to Reed who died in 1992.

Reed, who played Mike Brady on the hit television show, died at the age of 59 from health complications that included his status as HIV positive.

It was only after the actor's death that the public learned he was gay, a secret he had kept hidden throughout his long career - and one that his onscreen daughter believes led to his untimely demise.

Olsen, 51, said on the social networking site: 'As a child, I was BLESSED to have another father figure in my life. He did not replace my own beloved, Norwegian version of Jed Clampett, nor would he have wanted to. He simply harmonized with all of my family values and brought his own heart to our table.'

The actress who was made famous as Cindy, the youngest girl in the Brady clan, explained that the man 'who bottle fed puppies when he wasn’t quarreling with the heads of networks' shaped her heart, 'as much as my biological parents did.'

She added, 'So I really can honestly say, "My dad was gay."'

Reed played Olsen's father on their iconic television show from 1969 to 1974.

But the former child star voiced her own heart wrenching perspective on the influential man's death: 'I can also say that being gay killed him.

'Because it was so taboo, he could never make peace with himself. He never allowed himself to have a genuine love. He was forever taunted by his own disdain for the natural inclinations that he was BORN WITH.

'Bob was a family man. Had he been allowed to form a relationship with another man, he would have been the best husband ever and might still be alive.'

Olsen revealed that 'the people surrounding' the television actor, 'shoved their own judgment down his throat and, sadly, he bought into it. He thought he was wrong.'

On Friday, the TV icon noted on her Facebook page that her tribute to her 'gay dad' had stirred an overwhelmingly positive response amongst her online fans.

'Many thanks to all the wonderful people (nearly as many straight people as gay!) who thanked me for expressing my love and respect for Robert Reed and compassion for the LGBT community,' she graciously wrote.

And just a couple days prior, on Wednesday, the author and artist posted a new cover photo to her fan page with the caption, 'Please God, let the Supreme Court know that you think it's OK for gay people to marry.'

[MyMovieRomance]

I get what she's saying, but I kinda take issue with the way she said it. Because maybe without even realizing it, she backed right into the "aids is a punishment from God" reasoning that anti-GLBT people use all the time.

[catlover79]

I can see where it could be misinterpreted, definitely. But her heart is in the right place - she and the rest of her TV siblings clearly adored Robert Reed as much as he loved them.

[Vahan]

Originally Posted by MyMovieRomance

I get what she's saying, but I kinda take issue with the way she said it. Because maybe without even realizing it, she backed right into the "aids is a punishment from God" reasoning that anti-GLBT people use all the time.

Without trying to get TOO political here, there are a few things I'd like to know about the gay community:

Does God really hate gays like the anti-LGBT people say? And is homosexuality REALLY a sin as they claim it is? Finally, are all gays atheists?

[dakert]

[QUOTE=Vahan]
Vahan to your 3 questions a NO for each of them

[DJM77]

Originally Posted by Vahan

Without trying to get TOO political here, there are a few things I'd like to know about the gay community:

Does God really hate gays like the anti-LGBT people say? And is homosexuality REALLY a sin as they claim it is? Finally, are all gays atheists?

1) No

2) The lifestyle is, yes, but so are a lot of other things that myself, you and everyone else is guilty of.

3) No

[Yong Fang]

One is not born homosexual. There is nothing genetic about homosexuality whatsoever.

People choose their sexual orientation. The LGBT crowd absolutely hates that, but it's the truth. Robert Reed was married to a fellow college student. Did Robert initially ask this woman out on a date and court her just to make his new wife a cover for homosexuality? I guess it could be. But there were a lot of gay actors in the 1960s-1980s. Paul Lynde, Richard Deacon, Dick Sargeant, Jim Nabors, Liberace, Rock Hudson, Truman Copote. I do not think any of them outside of I think Hudson were ever married to women or even been with a woman in a sexual fashion.

Reed stayed married to her for five years and concieved a child. If Reed was 100% gay, he would not have sex with a female, and reach a sense of arousal to complete "the act" to make a kid. For whatever reason, his sexual urges changed completely from his wife to men. And yes, there are cases of people moving back and forth between the sexes and end up having a committed relationship with someone of the opposite sex.

It seems that AIDS has fallen off the radar, but AIDS is still a disease that is incurable and 100% fatal. Promiscuous male homosexual contact where bodily fluid is exchanged is a major factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS. Most all women who get HIV get it from a bisexual partner who is having hidden homosexual sex. That is the truth and something else the LGBT hates hearing. Gay, homosexual "bareback mountain" sex is dangerous and spreads HIV, a fatal disease. All the hip shaking, tounge wagging and yelling "homophobe" doesn't change the truth.

Reed died in 1992 of AIDS, which he contracted back in the 1980's, at the height of AIDS, when there wasn't much to be done in treating the condition and people died like flies left and right. The word came out. Do not have unprotected sex unless it is with a committed, trusted partner. Do not have promiscuous sex. Robert Reed decided to have unprotected sex with multiple partners and he contracted AIDS. He was warned and did not heed. It was his fault. Guys like Jim Nabors have long time partners they have been with for decades, and Jim is around the same age as Robert and is still here. The homophobes have never camped outside Nabors' macadamean plantation with torches and pitchforks for living with another dude.

It's not so much about homosexuality as it is having multiple partners, and again, Reed played roulette and lost.

[zypherix]

People choose to be religious - a disease if ever one.

But to get back on topic.. the practice of whoever one has sex with is a choice, but the basic attraction is not. Its like being left/right-handed... you simply just dont choose.

People do not actually die of AIDS, but of the health problems it causes; nonetheless, properly medicated one can live a near-normal life and slow down the process the HIV virus causes.

I find it pathetic that people describe two men having sex as "homosexual sex", whereas there is no way to know their sexual identify without asking them.

[Neutronman67]

Wow i dident no she was gay

[Rich3]

I believe homosexual feelings are a result of abuse or other negative experience of some kind during childhood. So I would have to vehemently disagree with some of Susan Olsen's statements.

But I still admire Robert Reed as an actor.

[WalterTheDrinker]

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

One is not born homosexual. There is nothing genetic about homosexuality whatsoever.

People choose their sexual orientation. The LGBT crowd absolutely hates that, but it's the truth. Robert Reed was married to a fellow college student. Did Robert initially ask this woman out on a date and court her just to make his new wife a cover for homosexuality? I guess it could be. But there were a lot of gay actors in the 1960s-1980s. Paul Lynde, Richard Deacon, Dick Sargeant, Jim Nabors, Liberace, Rock Hudson, Truman Copote. I do not think any of them outside of I think Hudson were ever married to women or even been with a woman in a sexual fashion.

Reed stayed married to her for five years and concieved a child. If Reed was 100% gay, he would not have sex with a female, and reach a sense of arousal to complete "the act" to make a kid. For whatever reason, his sexual urges changed completely from his wife to men. And yes, there are cases of people moving back and forth between the sexes and end up having a committed relationship with someone of the opposite sex.

It seems that AIDS has fallen off the radar, but AIDS is still a disease that is incurable and 100% fatal. Promiscuous male homosexual contact where bodily fluid is exchanged is a major factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS. Most all women who get HIV get it from a bisexual partner who is having hidden homosexual sex. That is the truth and something else the LGBT hates hearing. Gay, homosexual "bareback mountain" sex is dangerous and spreads HIV, a fatal disease. All the hip shaking, tounge wagging and yelling "homophobe" doesn't change the truth.

Reed died in 1992 of AIDS, which he contracted back in the 1980's, at the height of AIDS, when there wasn't much to be done in treating the condition and people died like flies left and right. The word came out. Do not have unprotected sex unless it is with a committed, trusted partner. Do not have promiscuous sex. Robert Reed decided to have unprotected sex with multiple partners and he contracted AIDS. He was warned and did not heed. It was his fault. Guys like Jim Nabors have long time partners they have been with for decades, and Jim is around the same age as Robert and is still here. The homophobes have never camped outside Nabors' macadamean plantation with torches and pitchforks for living with another dude.

It's not so much about homosexuality as it is having multiple partners, and again, Reed played roulette and lost.

There is so much ignorance in this post, I don't know where to begin.

You are utterly clueless when it comes to this subject. So if you don't like to look and sound like a fool, you should keep these warped opinions to yourself.

[shotzette]

Originally Posted by WalterTheDrinker

There is so much ignorance in this post, I don't know where to begin.

You are utterly clueless when it comes to this subject. So if you don't like to look and sound like a fool, you should keep these warped opinions to yourself.

[McGillicuddy]

Originally Posted by Neutronman67

Wow i dident no she was gay

You're an idiot!

[PrettyinPink55]

Originally Posted by WalterTheDrinker

There is so much ignorance in this post, I don't know where to begin.

You are utterly clueless when it comes to this subject. So if you don't like to look and sound like a fool, you should keep these warped opinions to yourself.

[James]

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

One is not born homosexual. There is nothing genetic about homosexuality whatsoever.

People choose their sexual orientation. The LGBT crowd absolutely hates that, but it's the truth. Robert Reed was married to a fellow college student. Did Robert initially ask this woman out on a date and court her just to make his new wife a cover for homosexuality? I guess it could be. But there were a lot of gay actors in the 1960s-1980s. Paul Lynde, Richard Deacon, Dick Sargeant, Jim Nabors, Liberace, Rock Hudson, Truman Copote. I do not think any of them outside of I think Hudson were ever married to women or even been with a woman in a sexual fashion.

Reed stayed married to her for five years and concieved a child. If Reed was 100% gay, he would not have sex with a female, and reach a sense of arousal to complete "the act" to make a kid. For whatever reason, his sexual urges changed completely from his wife to men. And yes, there are cases of people moving back and forth between the sexes and end up having a committed relationship with someone of the opposite sex.

It seems that AIDS has fallen off the radar, but AIDS is still a disease that is incurable and 100% fatal. Promiscuous male homosexual contact where bodily fluid is exchanged is a major factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS. Most all women who get HIV get it from a bisexual partner who is having hidden homosexual sex. That is the truth and something else the LGBT hates hearing. Gay, homosexual "bareback mountain" sex is dangerous and spreads HIV, a fatal disease. All the hip shaking, tounge wagging and yelling "homophobe" doesn't change the truth.

Reed died in 1992 of AIDS, which he contracted back in the 1980's, at the height of AIDS, when there wasn't much to be done in treating the condition and people died like flies left and right. The word came out. Do not have unprotected sex unless it is with a committed, trusted partner. Do not have promiscuous sex. Robert Reed decided to have unprotected sex with multiple partners and he contracted AIDS. He was warned and did not heed. It was his fault. Guys like Jim Nabors have long time partners they have been with for decades, and Jim is around the same age as Robert and is still here. The homophobes have never camped outside Nabors' macadamean plantation with torches and pitchforks for living with another dude.

It's not so much about homosexuality as it is having multiple partners, and again, Reed played roulette and lost.

I agree!