Was Honey Boo Boo’s Uncle Poodle Gay Bashed?

“Being gay in the South,” says Lee Thompson, best known as Uncle Poodle on TLC’s hit show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, “people don’t like it. But I have a family that stands by me, supports me.” The pageant queen’s uncle (in the reality series family tree, he’s Sugar Bear’s brother) sported a purple GLAAD t-shirt for Friday’s Spirit Day.

And while Thompson admits he’s suffered his share of gay bashing and bullying growing up – and suffered everything from broken ribs and a jaw to having his car vandalized to this day, he credits his family’s support for getting him through the tough times.

Honey Boo Boo, as you may know, is quite famous for saying: “There’s nothing wrong with being a little gay.” She lovingly refers to her uncle and she even has a gay pig (or at least she hopes the pig’s gay because she dresses him in more sparkles than Toddlers and Tiaras pageantry).

Her mother has also come out in support of LGBT rights, saying that having a gay uncle is “no big deal.”

Click here to watch Thompson tell his story.