Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky

Dean Unglert, 25-year-old former (as of Monday night’s episode) “Bachelorette” contestant and verifiable BABE, took to Instagram on Saturday to call for religious tolerance.

For context, last night was the hometown episode of “The Bachelorette,” in which the remaining contestants bring their lady home to meet the fam. While prepping “Bachelorette” protagonist Rachel Lindsay to meet his unorthodox family, Unglert used the term “eccentric” to describe his father. Unglert’s father, who goes by the self-given name of Parumrup (which translates to “divinely beautiful”), is a converted kundalini yogi who adheres to the Sikh faith. Unglert’s choice of words while describing his father’s religious conversion spurred one fan of the show to call him out for associating Sikhism with eccentricity.

Unglert apologized and clarified that he did not mean to equate “eccentricity” with the Sikh faith. And he took it a step further, too, with a dreamy Instagram photograph calling for everyone to be “cognizant and accepting of the millions of people that belong to the Sikh community.”

Hometowns are 2 days away! ..and I’m asking for a favor: when I said my father was eccentric, I was not referring to his Sikh faith or the turban he wears on his head. I’m not asking you to spare his feelings (or mine) but instead to be cognizant and accepting of the millions of people that belong to the Sikh community. Although he and I are not close, I respect my father’s decision to follow his heart and pursue the life he has chosen. Let us not criticize him for his appearance or his beliefs because by doing so we are disparaging an entire faith and culture that includes millions of people. And I know we are all better than that. That is all (for now) #endrant HAPPY SATURDAY PEOPLE ?

A post shared by Dean Unglert ? (@deanie_babies) on Jul 15, 2017 at 1:04pm PDT

Unfortunately, Unglert will no longer be competing for “Bachelorette” protagonist Rachel Lindsay’s heart because, after he publicly aired all his family’s dirty laundry in the name of love, she kicked him to the curb.

I guess love hurts — especially the kind that happens on national television.

Becky Scott is the editor of The Schmooze. Follow her on Twitter, @arr_scott

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