(OPINION) CBN – After complaints that none of Hallmark’s 40 upcoming holiday movies feature an LGBTQ lead character, a Hallmark Channel spokesman told ABC’s “Good Morning America’ Thursday that change is coming soon.
The company representative said Hallmark will soon make announcements about “projects featuring LGBTQ storylines, characters, and actors.” “Diversity and inclusion is a top priority for us,” read the company’s statement. “We are committed to creating a Hallmark experience where everyone feels welcome.”
As CBN News reported last December, after being smacked around by a few heavy hitters on social media, the Hallmark Channel apologized and vowed to reinstate a handful of previously removed LGBTQ-friendly wedding commercials on its platform.
Hallmark’s parent company, Crown Media, also vowed to partner with LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD “to better represent the LGBTQ community across our portfolio of brands.” “The Crown Media team has been agonizing over this decision as we’ve seen the hurt it has unintentionally caused.
Said simply, they believe this was the wrong decision,” Hallmark Cards CEO Mike Perry said in a statement at the time. “We are truly sorry for the hurt and disappointment this has caused.” “Across our brand, we will continue to look for ways to be more inclusive and celebrate our differences,” he added. READ MORE
