Growing up, I would come home from middle school and turn on the Disney Channel. These shows represented the traditional American family: a mother, a father, kids, maybe a dog. However, I never noticed any gay presence on television. Now, marriage equality is one of the most pressing issues in America. To reflect this, Disney has shown its support for marriage equality and acceptance of homosexuality as a whole.
On Jan. 26, the Disney Channel show Good Luck Charlie aired an episode (entitled “Down a Tree”) featuring a lesbian couple.
Disney announced the decision to include a same-sex couple in an episode back in June 2013, according to TV Guide. “Like all Disney programming, it was developed to be relevant to kids and families around the world and to reflect themes of diversity and inclusiveness,” said a spokesperson from Disney.
US magazine noted that Susan and Cheryl will most likely not be featured again considering the series is ending this month.
I applaud Disney for including a same-sex couple in their programming. While not all states in the U.S. have legalized same-sex marriage, according to statesthatallowgaymarriage.com, 16 states and the District of Columbia allow it while Oregon, Nevada, Colorado and Wisconsin allow civil unions or domestic partnerships. Eight of those 16 states legalized same-sex marriage in 2013, and marriage equality takes effect in Illinois on June 1 this year.
A poll conducted by The Washington Post and ABC News “showed 55% of Americans support allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally; seven in ten Americans between the ages of 18-39 said they support same-sex marriage.” With so much support for same-sex marriage, especially from the younger generation, Disney wants to continue that momentum of support by showing kids it’s okay to have two moms or dads.
After the decision was made to air the episode, former Disney star Miley Cyrus tweeted her support, writing, “[Disney] control[s]… so much of what kids think! Life isn’t bright sets & wardrobe & kids becoming superstars! This is INSPIRING.”
Cyrus brings up a couple of good points. First, Disney plays a large role in the upbringing of children with its movies, television shows and toys. As a kid, I grew up watching movies like Pinocchio and The Lion King and after-school cartoon shows like Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers and Darkwing Duck. As I got older, my sister and I would come home and watch Lizzie McGuire and Even Stevens. Now, I still find myself going to the theater for the latest Disney animated movie and watching older ones from time to time. My experience isn’t unique.
Nikki Nunzio, a freshman undecided major, watched many of Disney’s classic movies when she was younger, including Aladdin and Cinderella.
“I feel like Disney movies are [now] giving a more realistic approach,” Nunzio said.
According to disneybythenumbers.com, in 2009, “Disney Online averaged over 30 million unique visitors and over 140 million videos streamed per month.” With online presence increasing every year, it is inevitable that more and more children will be exposed to Disney content, especially online.
Cyrus also has a point in terms of Disney’s live-action shows. While Hannah Montana featured Cyrus as a girl with a pop star alter ego, such a situation is not very realistic. The presence of same-sex couples and homosexuality in general, on the other hand, is not only realistic, but it has been a hot topic politically and socially these past few years. I am not saying Disney should do away with unrealistic, live-action shows, but including same-sex couples in their shows can positively affect the way children see families and allow them to become more open-minded.
The organization One Million Moms, on the other hand, believes the episode will have a negative effect on children. The organizations website indicates One Million Moms was created “to give moms an impact with the decision-makers and let them know we are upset with the messages they are sending our children and the values (or lack of them) they are pushing.” After the episode was announced, One Million Moms responded by writing, “Conservative families need to urge Disney to exclude confusing topics that children are far too young to comprehend.”
While I may not be a parent and while love can be confusing, I doubt seeing a family with two mothers would harm a child viewing the episode. If your child asks about it, tell him/her that the two moms love each other like a mom and dad do. The world is changing and becoming more open to the idea of homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Parents should encourage their children to be more open-minded, including the idea that some families have two moms or dads. With Disney having such a heavy influence on children, Disney is a good place for children to be exposed to such ideas.
The One Million Moms article went on to ask readers to email Disney to request the scene with the two mothers be taken out of the episode, and if Disney did not omit it, they would no longer allow their families to watch the Disney Channel. Since the episode aired anyway, I’d say Disney disregarded the threats. They may have “one million mothers,” but according to a 2011 report from The Williams Institute, roughly nine million Americans identify as LGBTQ. Chances are that some of those one million mothers have children who have a classmate who has same-sex parents. Disney is doing the right thing by showing children same-sex marriage exists. Let children see the episode and decide what they think.
Jake Koniszewski can be reached at john.koniszewski@spartans.ut.edu