Online group OneMillionMoms.com has started a petition against Disney because of a scene in Toy Story 4 which featured a same-sex couple. “The scene is subtle in order to desensitize children,” the website claims.
The authors of the online movement say “families will be blindsided” by the quick clip. For reference, here’s what happens in the scene that’s at the center of the debate: Woody’s new owner, Bonnie, shows up for her first day of kindergarten. In the background, one child is dropped off by two moms. Later on, the women are greeted by their child with a big hug when they return for pickup. Basically, it shows two loving parents and a happy child, which sounds like your standard Disney material.
That’s unfortunately not how OneMillionMoms.com sees it. “The scene was included and intentionally not announced prior to the movie release in hopes it would be kept quiet to expose as many children as possible,” it states.
And the short but sweet scene isn’t the only part of the film the group finds fault with. “Not to mention, there was a brief comment made about not ‘hiding in a closet’ also in the movie,” the website says. “Some children may not catch this reference, but it was extremely unnecessary.”
The petition, which has gathered more than 12,500 signatures, wants others to sign the message to Disney saying: “I do not appreciate Disney including LGBTQ content in the children’s movie Toy Story 4. There has been a deliberate lack of mentioning this content. Therefore, families are blindsided intentionally by your company. Actions such as this make me continue to distrust Disney.”
Sadly, this is pretty on brand for OneMillionMoms.com . The site is a division of the American Family Association, a fundamentalist Protestant 501 organization that opposes LGBT rights and expression, as well as several public policy goals. The goal of OneMillionMoms.com is to “stop the exploitation of our children, especially by the entertainment media,” according to the website’s About Us page.
The hateful petition is falling pretty flat. Toy Story 4 made $118 million during its opening weekend and became the top-grossing G-rated feature of all time, just passing Toy Story 3, which made $110.3 million back in 2010, Forbes reports . As of July 8, 2019, Toy Story 4 has grossed $310.3 million in the US and Canada, and $345.8 million in other territories. That makes a worldwide total of $656.1 million. Safe to say, the majority is on board with Toy Story 4, including its scene with two loving moms.
