People are boycotting the Hallmark Channel for playing an ad for Zola, a wedding planning website. The ad features two brides kissing during their wedding ceremony, something a conservative organization took issue with.
The American Family Association's group One Million Moms launched a petition earlier this week to urge Hallmark to pull the aid. They wanted the station to stop airing the commercial and other LGBTQ content."One Million Moms is asking Hallmark to stay true to its family friendly roots that so many families have grown to love, and to keep sex and sexual content – including the promotion of homosexuality – out of its programming," the petition read.
The network informed Zola on Thursday that the ad would be pulled. Four of the six ads had already run.
“We are not allowed to accept creatives that are deemed controversial,” a Hallmark account representative said in an email exchange with a Zola ad buyer, The New York Times reported. “The decision not to air overt public displays of affection in our sponsored advertisement, regardless of the participants, is in line with our current policy, which includes not featuring political advertisements, offensive language, R-rated movie content and many other categories."
Zola was upset by the sudden decision.
“The only difference between the commercials that were flagged and the ones that were approved was that the commercials that did not meet Hallmark’s standards included a lesbian couple kissing,” Zola Chief Marketing Officer Mike Chi said in a statement. “Hallmark approved a commercial where a heterosexual couple kissed. All kisses, couples and marriages are equal celebrations of love, and we will no longer be advertising on Hallmark,”
Now people are boycotting both the channel and the store.
Instead of buying a Hallmark card, get one from a charity in the true spirit of giving for the holidays.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) December 15, 2019
Greet for Good helps patients with brain tumors. https://t.co/aHDM31DGpw
UNICEF Market benefits children around the world. https://t.co/MuM6xrqgFQ#BoycottHallmarkChannel
I married my husband in 2009, and we raised 5 children together. The ?@hallmarkchannel?’s decision to cave to pressure from homophobes is very sad. Until they affirm the equality of LGBTQ families, we will #BoycottHallmark. LOVE MAKES A FAMILY. ?? https://t.co/IYmEQiF39Q
— Jon Cooper ???? (@joncoopertweets) December 15, 2019
LGBTQ families are families. We have spouses, kids, 9-5 jobs, grocery store trips, holiday get-togethers, moments of grace and happiness and loss and tragedy.
— Charlotte Clymer?????? (@cmclymer) December 15, 2019
Our families matter. They are beautiful.
Shame on @HallmarkChannel for validating bigotry.#BoycottHallmarkChannel
Isn’t it almost 2020? @hallmarkchannel, @billabbottHC... what are you thinking? Please explain. We’re all ears.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) December 15, 2019