The real kicker is that A&E KNEW he and his family were Christians. It was NO secret what they believed.
It's possible to be Christian and to also believe in treating people equally and lovingly. ("Love the sinner, not the sin.") It's also possible to know people feel a certain way and be okay with it but have an "agreement" so long as everyone keeps their thoughts to themselves that we can make this work.
Then he goes and talks. Which makes his employers (A&E) look bad at which point the agreement between the two is compromised.
A minor celebrity? It's been a number 1 rated cable show. That's why this story is national.
It's not quite #1. Anyway he's still a minor celebrity given that he's hardly raking in million dollar+ salaries, getting red-carpet walks and limo rides and is known by pretty much everyone on sight.