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More than 16,000 people have signed a petition criticizing the inclusion of LGBTQ+ content in next week’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The petition, initiated by One Million Moms, a division of the American Family Association which harbors anti-LGBTQ+ views, alleges that the parade will display a “non-binary and transgender extravaganza,” potentially exposing viewers to what they call the “liberal LGBTQ agenda.”
The petition explicitly mentions performances by self-identified nonbinary artists from Broadway shows.
One such performer, Justin David Sullivan, who uses “he/she/they” pronouns and stars in the Broadway musical & Juliet, has expressed a strong commitment to empowering nonbinary people. Sullivan notably declined a nomination for the 2023 Tony Awards, objecting to the gendered nature of the award categories.
Another performer mentioned is Alex Newell, known for using all pronouns and playing the role of Lulu in the Broadway production Shucked. Newell, who has previously portrayed a transgender woman on television, identifies as gender-nonconforming. They were one of the first two nonbinary Tony winners.
The petition also referenced the 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade performance by Kim Petras, a trans woman, and what conservatives considered a controversial Grammy performance by Petras and Sam Smith, who is nonbinary.
Related: Alex Newell, J. Harrison Ghee Make History as First Nonbinary Tony Winners
The One Million Moms website strongly opposes having LGBTQ+ people represented in the parade.
“The non-binary and transgender extravaganza on display this Thanksgiving will be brought to you by Macy’s during their annually sponsored Thanksgiving Day Parade,” the group wrote. “Unless they are forewarned about it, this year’s holiday parade will potentially expose tens of millions of viewers at home to the liberal LGBTQ agenda.”
One Million Moms — which doesn't have a million members — has a history of voicing discontent regarding LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media and advertising. It has condemned an advertisement featuring same-sex couples, calling it “perversion.”
The group has also boycotted American Girl for introducing a doll with lesbian aunts, threatened to boycott Oreo for its LGBTQ+ campaign, boycottedToy Story 4 over a scene they interpreted as depicting a lesbian couple, and criticized the cover of Parents Magazine for featuring gay dads.
As of publication, the petition against the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has garnered fewer than 16,900 signatures.
