Original Dec. Ad with Same-sex Brides Reinstated
Last month, One Million Moms (1MM) launched a campaign calling on Crown Media, Hallmark’s parent company, to pull several ads for the wedding planning site Zola. A Hallmark account representative told a Zola ad buyer that “we are not allowed to accept creative that are deemed controversial.”
The most recent offense to the 1MM was an ad showing two lesbians kissing at the altar. The group claims its mission is “to stop the exploitation of our children, especially by the entertainment media.” The organization, a division of the ultra-conservative American Family Association, describes homosexuality as a “sinful lifestyle that Scripture clearly deems as wrong.” It certainly does not approve of public displays of affection, especially among the gay population.
However, 1MM weren’t the only ones protesting. Ellen de Generes, William Shaftner, and Sandra Bernhard launched their own pro-LGBTQ campaign and counter tweeted #Boycott Hallmark Channel: Hallmark’s decision was wrong. In their minds, Hallmark had alienated the LGBTQ population as well as “religious freedom.”
With pressure from other LGBTQ voices and GLAAD, an organization that reviews the portrayal of the LGBTQ population in the media, Hallmark capitulated and vowed to re-air Zola ads featuring the same-sex couple. The CEO of Hallmark Cards admitted that pulling the ads was not a good decision and that “we are truly sorry for the hurt and disappointment this has caused.”
It amazes me that in 2020, children are shielded from knowing that families are formed in different ways and that it is o.k. for two people of the same sex to fall in love and get married. Are these children not allowed to watch television, read or observe the world around them? What a pity!
When Your Child Is Gay: What You Need To Know
For more detailed advice, see book, co-authored with a mother of a gay son and a psychiatrist, Jonathan L. Tobkes, M.D.
