Far from backing away from the kind of same-sex imagery groups like One Million Moms have protested against in the past, JCPenney is embracing gay couples once again with a new ad featuring two dads and their kids for Father’s Day.

The ad features Todd and Cooper and their kids, Mason and Claire, in the midst of what seems to be a fun family moment, with the text “First Pals” and the family’s names in the right hand corner. The caption reads:

“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.”

Cooper told the Dallas Voice that they were asked by a casting agent to be in the June catalog after the agent saw his family’s Christmas photo on Facebook. They agreed and did a photo shoot.

“The photo is just a one-second photo of our life,” he said. “It’s a candid moment of how we interact with each other.”

He adds that they were told about the OMM situation — the group briefly boycotted JCPenney over its hiring of Ellen DeGeneres as a company spokeswoman, and also spoke out against an earlier ad featuring two moms — but that it wasn’t an issue for them.

“Obviously we’re not ashamed of our family,” he said. “It’s very tastefully done.”

OMM responded to the Father’s Day ad on Thursday on their web site, urging people to return the catalogs, avoid shopping at the store for Father’s Day, and write to JCPenney. Their statement reads, in part:

“It is obvious that JCP would rather take sides than remain neutral in the culture war. JCP will hear from the other side so they need to hear from us as well. Our persistence will pay off! One day we will answer for our actions or lack of them. We must remain diligent and stand up for Biblical values and truth. Scripture says multiple times that homosexuality is wrong, and God will not tolerate this sinful nature.”

One Million Moms attacks J.C. Penney Fathers’ Day ad featuring gay Dallas couple and their kids [Dallas Voice]

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