Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Right-Wing 'One Million Moms' Group Launches Petition After Hallmark Channel Airs Commercial Featuring Lesbian Kiss

Right-Wing 'One Million Moms' Group Launches Petition After Hallmark Channel Airs Commercial Featuring Lesbian Kiss
Zola/YouTube



"One Million Moms" (OMM) has been a thorn in the side of LGBTQ+ people since its founding 35 years ago in Tupelo, Mississippi.

The group—which is well shy of their claim of one million members—consistently files complaints about any sort of representation in film, television or ad campaigns.


The group gained its greatest notoriety calling for a boycott of JC Penney's for featuring Ellen DeGeneres in their ads. DeGeneres' talk show entered its 16th year on the air in September 2019.

OMM's campaign against DeGeneres proved less than successful.

Unfortunately, sometimes their campaigns get enough traction and are successful—as was the sad case with a Hallmark Channel commercial featuring a lesbian wedding.

The commercial, for wedding planning website Zola, depicts a same-sex couple at the altar discussing how Zola made their lives easier planning for the wedding, before kissing and walking down the aisle.

Watch the commercial here:

Zola | Easy Wedding Planning | TV Ad Spotwww.youtube.com

OMM (founded by the American Family Association, which has been labeled as a homophobic and transphobic hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre since 2010) said that the airing of the commercial soiled Hallmark's status as "family friendly."

"Family entertainment is not the outlet in which to be politically correct by forcing tolerance and acceptance of homosexuality—a sinful lifestyle that Scripture clearly deems as wrong. You can read so in Romans 1:18-32."

FYI: that scripture reference refers to Temple Whores, a holdover from pagan religions and makes no mention of lesbians

"One Million Moms is asking Hallmark to stay true to its family friendly roots that so many families have grown to love, and to keep sex and sexual content—including the promotion of homosexuality—out of its programming."

Crown Media Family Networks (which owns The Hallmark Channel) CEO Bill Abbott pulled the commercial from airing shortly after OMM aired its grievances.





Zola directed a second ad, nearly identical to the "controversial" ad, that featured a heterosexual couple.

That ad was not removed by The Hallmark Channel. Zola decided to pull all of their ads from the network however in protest over the homophobic reaction to the one ad.

Pete Buttigieg, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, said of THC's decision:

"Families are built on love—no matter what they look like. Being 'family friendly' means honoring love, not censoring difference. This truth will be more important than ever as we rebuild our nation into a place defined by belonging, not by exclusion."





Strangely enough, The Hallmark Channel reversed its course on this again after Zola pulled ads from the network, and decided to reinstate all of the ads.

Said Mike Perry, president and CEO of Hallmark Cards:

"The Hallmark Channel will be reaching out to Zola to reestablish our partnership and reinstate the commercials. Across our brand, we will continue to look for ways to be more inclusive and celebrate our differences."






This back-and-forth seems to show the value of potential boycotts in response to the boycott calls supporting bigotry by hate groups like One Million Moms, as Hallmark and all associated made these decisions within a couple of days.

Perhaps one day, this kind of whiplash won't be necessary.

More from News/lgbtq

Chris Martin from Coldplay
Dave Simpson/WireImage/Getty Images

Chris Martin Divides Fans After Thanking India Concertgoers For 'Forgiving' British Colonialism

It's always important to remember our history, take responsibility for our ancestors' actions, and try our best to improve. But there's a time and a place for discussing historical events and conflicts.

As fans of Coldplay pointed out, bringing up intense political conflict during a concert might not be the best choice.

Keep ReadingShow less
Adrien Brody & Felicity Jones
A24

'The Brutalist' Director Speaks Out To Defend Film's Use Of AI After Igniting Backlash

Another day, another industry grappling with the use of AI.

Director Brady Corbet had to clarify and defend his film's artistic choices to use AI in his low-budget, high-profile movie about a Hungarian architect in post-war America.

Keep ReadingShow less
Carrie Underwood singing at President Donald Trump's inauguration
Julia Demaree Nikhinson - Pool/Getty Images

Carrie Underwood Reportedly Had A 'Hissy Fit' After Her Glitchy Inauguration Performance

Country singer Carrie Underwood's rendition of "America the Beautiful" inside the Capitol rotunda after Republican President Donald Trump was sworn in on Monday hit a technical snag when she was forced to sing a cappella.

The American Idol alum managed to do what any other trained, professional singer would under the circumstances and expertly sang live without the expected backing music track.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Anderson Cooper and Michael Fanone
CNN

Capitol Officer Slams Trump For Pardoning Jan. 6 Rioters: 'I Have Been Betrayed By My Country'

Michael Fanone—who worked for the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia for 20 years until he sustained serious and life-threatening injuries when he was brutally attacked by President Donald Trump's supporters during the January 6 insurrection—spoke out on CNN after Trump issued a mass pardon of all the insurrectionists on his first day in office.

Fanone's name has become synonymous with the many police officers who suffered horrific and unprecedented trauma as they attempted to restore order and protect the seat of the nation's government on January 6, 2021.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot from @kclmft's TikTok video; Donald Trump
@kclmft/TikTok; Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

TikToker Calls Out Subtly Racist Message After Spanish Version Of White House Website Disappears

The moment Republican President Donald Trump was sworn in during Monday's inauguration, the twice-impeached former president became the first convicted felon to become Commander-in-Chief—and for a second term, no less.

Trump didn't waste time making good on his campaign promises by signing off on executive orders and revamping the White House website, the latter of which featured a hype video on the home page and the deletion of a Spanish language version of the site.

Keep ReadingShow less