Published on November 21, 2023, 10:26 pm

The season for boycotts has begun, with 36,000 petitioners pledging to abstain from participating in the yearly Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This parade, dating back to 1924 and teeming with floats, costumes, music, and talent that fill New York City streets for the holidays, has often been characterized as family fun.

However, One Million Moms, a Christian organization committed to a strong family and Christian worldview believes this year’s event veers from traditional values. They have organized a protest against what they perceive as “liberal nonsense” seeping into these festivities.

The main trigger for their objections are two highlighted performances from Broadway musicals “& Juliet” and “Shucked”. Both productions feature key actors who identify as either transgender or nonbinary. The inclusion of such elements in an event primarily directed towards families has raised eyebrows within the concerned group who feel the LGBTQ agenda is being heavily promoted.

In a statement referring to Macy’s sponsorship of this form of entertainment, One Million Moms expressed disappointment while noting “Trust must be earned and once lost it is difficult to regain.” Other voices echoed similar sentiments – Kristen Waggoner, president of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), suggested that Macy’s initiative represents another phase in what she sees as an ideological war on families.

This protest isn’t unprecedented; past parades also featured content representative of the LGBTQ community. In 2018 crowds witnessed a same-sex kiss during live broadcast. More recently, Kim Petras – a man identifying as a woman – performed in 2021.

This current issue revolves around two nonbinary-identifying actors: Alex Newell from “Shucked” who prefers all pronouns and Justin David Sullivan performing in “& Juliet”, also favoring all pronouns. With these performances planned for public airing during an event meant for all ages viewing, it raises questions about inclusive representation versus audience comfort levels at traditionally ‘family-friendly’ events based on long-established norms and values.

Despite receiving a classification as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, One Million Moms vows to champion what they believe family-friendly entertainment should looks like. Kristen Waggoner adds that what we are witnessing now is parents standing up against forces trying to change these types of cultural events.

Meg Kilgannon, senior fellow for education studies at the Family Research Council, hopes for alternatives available for ‘family viewing’. While mothers busily prepare Thanksgiving meals and serve their communities, she emphasizes the needs for entertainment sectors to appreciate families by avoiding inserting controversial themes into all kinds of production. She contends that childhood innocence and holiday excitement need not be mutually exclusive. Ultimately, she argues that occasions like parades ought to remain safe spaces for other family-oriented groups to participate without worry.

Overall, in an era dominated by breaking changes and evolving societal norms particularly around transgender issues, this story highlights how community members grapple with shifts pertaining real news about ongoing debates over trusted news outlets’ representations and different worldviews – including from a Christian perspective – while navigating cultural events geared towards public consumption.