Tony Dungy, coach of Super Bowl champions the Indiana Colts, just can’t win when in the opinion of some gay activist groups.Â
An organization that opposes same-sex marriage, the Indiana Family Institute (IFI) will be honoring Dungy with the “Friends of the Family” award and according to its president, Curt Smith, they have received obscene messages and hate calls to thwart their plans.Â
Gay activists reportedly have also attempted to pressure Dungy not to attend and attempted to influence the events sponsors.
Along his journey to the top, the victorious coach exemplified his Christian values which caught the attention of IFI. Smith says the “Friend of the Family” award is given to a national leader involved in family ministry who “walks the talk,” and Dungy fits the bill having been involved with All Pro Dads and similar organizations. “We think he’s the living embodiment of the family ethic that we try to promote at the Indiana Family Institute,” Smith notes, “and it’s that ethic that we think is essential to a healthy, successful society.”
Smith says that his group is a commonly castigated and speculates that gays are against his organizations credo because of self-loathing. “I’ve been stunned [to find] when we stand up and say we’re for marriage, that immediately we’re called a hate group, homophobes, we’re ‘small-minded bigots,’ and it’s just shocking to me,” he observes.
There is no indication that Dungy won’t appear to accept the award.