Clifford the Big Red Dog in New York City. (Brad Barket/Getty Images)
An evangelical right-wing Christian group is furious at ‘Clifford the Big Red Dog’ – a kids TV show – because one of the characters has lesbian mums.
The group, One Million Moms – an astroturf organisation from the anti-LGBT+ hate group American Family Association that has one staffer and no members, according to LGBTQ Nation – are upset that the show contains “a child character named Samantha who has two mommies”.
One Million Moms has now launched an “action alert” targeting the educational PBS show, which is based on a series of children’s books from the 1960s of the same name.
“There was no disclaimer at the beginning of the episode where their relationship is explained,” the alert warns.
The group also slammed PBS when it broadcast an episode of ‘Arthur’ that featured a same-sex wedding.
The long-running cartoon series aired a same-sex wedding as part of May 13 episode “Mr Ratburn and the Special Someone,” which revealed teacher Mr Ratburn getting married to another man.
“Discussion of such controversial topics and lifestyle choices should be left up to parents. PBS KIDS should not introduce the LGBTQ lifestyle to young children,” the group complained.
“PBS KIDS should stick to entertaining and providing family-friendly programming, instead of pushing an agenda.”
An email from the anti-LGBT+ group’s leader, Monica Cole, said: “Apparently featuring a same-sex wedding between two males on the children’s animated series Arthur wasn’t enough for those who are pro-LGBTQ at PBS KIDS.
“And if a same-sex wedding and a same-sex relationship in children’s programming weren’t enough, PBS recently announced that Sesame Street will feature a drag queen activist wearing a gender-bender tuxedo gown in one of its episodes this year.”
Studies show that children raised by LGBT+ parents actually do better at school, and are just as happy and healthy as children raised by heterosexual parents.