To not understand why there is so much backlash against kids movies with gay characters these days?

[PennyRa]

It's all over the place these days, people "outraged", but 10 years ago there were kids movies with gay characters and you'd hear barely a peep.

Watched Happy Feet over Christmas and I'd forgotten the whole B plot was two gay shrimp having a domestic because it wasn't a big deal. Saw Strange World too but all I kept hearing about it was from homophobes throwing tantrums it seems like.

Exactly this.

Hm, yeah, I can see where you're coming from. That maybe gay characters are now catching stray bullets so to speak?

I do think some people just skip over these things and then pay it no mind so don't realise it's there until it's pointed out.

I haven’t heard any outrage from the people I know about same-sex characters.

I do think that there has been some legitimate concern about “queer theory” crap being pushed in kids’ films (and elsewhere) and this has perhaps resulted in a bit of spillover, where some people have got so fed up and jaded that their first reaction on seeing a (perfectly innocuous) same-sex relationship being portrayed, is “Oh, here we go again!!! More of this bollocks…..”

Nope, haven't come across any outrage.

Well if it's on Tik Tok🙄

I haven't heard that kind of outrage for many years!

I know a few people who are gay but no-one who is outwardly homophobic.
In my childhood, things were quite the other way about.

Change has been gradual.

I am sure that films have helped.

Myself, I prefer films where the cameras stay out of the bedroom - whether the couples depicted are gay or not.
We are not all alike...

Who is outraged? Nobody I know from the age of 70 down gives a shit.

Same way as you do anything else.
I have a couple of properly lesbian friends that have had long term sexual relationships with trans women. They were into “ not men” .

*Totally agree with this. The only friend who I ever had the used to make homophobic comments ( outrage at same sex coupes kissing in public but not batting an eye lid at opposite sex couples) was in the closet. She is now happily married ( to a woman) and shockingly enough her mental health is significantly better for it.

For what it's worth were 35 but grew up in iteland in the 90s where being gay was alot less accepted*

The most vocal homophobic person I know has been in a relationship with her female 'friend' for at least 30 years. She thinks nobody knows - actually, everybody knows, nobody cares. She was raised in a strict Irish catholic family though so I can see why she's reluctant to come 'out', her dad is an abusive arsehole (though I suspect he knows too - it's just never mentioned)

I have a couple of properly lesbian friends that have had long term sexual relationships with trans women

Funnily enough, there’s a word for that… bisexual.

Nooo it's the shrimp, the shrimp did it 😁

I love Happy Feet, one of my favourite kids movies, never seen any furore over the Shrimps and their dysfunctional relationship.

Yes Lightyear was banned in some countries. I explained to DS, he was confused because he didn't notice the two Mom family because it was that minor a plot point for most kids

Not seen Strange Worlds yet

Most people don't notice or comment on gay characters anymore, it's that unimportant nowadays. Which is simultaneously brilliant and a wee bit sad when you realise the fight to get to this point is often minimised or overlooked.

Homophobes are noisy, whiny cunts.

I'm not on TikTok, but I am on Twitter, Instagram and here (and I see TikToks on Insta) and I definitely don't see outrage about gay relationships in movies.

The algorithm will show you what you're interested in, so it might feel like it's everywhere but that's just the algorithm pushing more and more similar content your way. People also use social media for attention and to get clicks and likes, they'll say anything if it gets them noticed.

Of course there will always be groups who are homophobic/racist etc who make a noise about it on social media, but they are in the minority and should be ignored.

I think nobody much cares.

Still so much disingenuous thinking on this thread. Just because you personally haven't encountered it does not mean that it doesn't exist. Attitudes now may be better than they were 20, 30, 40+ years ago but there is still homophobia out there and you usually don't have to look too far to find it.

How many people do you know who profess to not have any issue with gay people so long as they're not rubbing "our" faces in it or who claim that they don't have any issue with gay people and what they get up to behind closed doors is their business? It's the gay equivalent of "I'm not racist but...", if your stated tolerance comes with a 'but' attached then it's not tolerance, it's conditional acceptance with the understanding that only people who conform to those conditions will be accepted.

The hate isn't only online either. Look at Pride events where protestors attend. Look at young people still unable to come out to their families or disowned for coming out. Look at the fact that in a 2021 survey of LGBTQ+ people, 64% of respondents reported being on the receiving end of anti-LGBTQ+ violence or abuse. That in schools, openly gay pupils are twice as likely to be bullied as other pupils (42% as opposed to 21%). That homophobia is rife in professional sport, particularly football, where homophobic slurs are frequently used. That statistics relating to hate crimes against gay people show that they are increasing. The fact that the "bury your gays" trope is still alive and well in television and films where gay characters are more likely to end up alone, more likely to be unhappy, and more likely to meet an early death.

@Iam4eels hear hear. As the parent of 3 gay young people I see exactly the same things playing themselves out. We aren't anywhere near true equality an acceptance.

Not really aware of any outrage apart from the odd comment from looney yank far right types, which I ignore.

I do think there is a bit of frustration about preachy and tokenistic media in general. As Hollywood catches up with the modern era I've certainly noticed some films and TV paying painful lip service to 'diversity' rather than just writing good characters that reflect the modern world.

Where there is it's because right wing nasties have been fuelling hate wherever they can.

Oh well it must not exist then

I watched Strange World last night with my 6 and 8 year old. I thought the flirting between the 2 boys was very sweet and loved the way the dad just accepted it as completely normal and it wasn't made into a big deal. More of this please Disney/Pixar.

I’ve heard it said from wider family members but don’t have much to do with them, not my sort of people. Comments range from ‘being gay is wrong’ to ‘they can do what they like but I don’t need to see it.’ They’re happy to watch heterosexual couples sex scenes though 🙄

I do get annoyed with the way gender issues are represented in some programmes I watch. I think children seeing people change gender if they don’t fit gender stereotypes, is harmful and it’s definitely being normalised on screen. There’s rarely feminine boys, that accept they’re boys, represented on screen and there should be. Gender/trans ideology is messing kids up and is the opposite of the accepting culture it Is made out to be.

@BabyOnBoard90 yep that’s what makes people gay 🙄. Please educate yourself before you damage your child/children 🙄🤬.

I can understand this point, and I do think it's important to understand the difference and not class it as phobic.
It is acknowledged that promoting positive stories of marginalised characters can be beneficial to the wellbeing and acceptance of a certain group and therefore also the whole community, however, the overkill can make things appear not authentic, and therefore can be seen as untruthful.
While we can quite easily spot this in terms of representing different ethnicities, it's different when talking about sexuality because no one can know for sure what is over representing.
Some people find it annoying when tv/ films don't represent reality, in a way that isn't easily noticeable. Science fiction therefore is ok, but not a show which seems to be showing/ representing a past time period and then show majority female doctors etc.
I think it can sometimes be problematic when TV/ film push an idea of reality because of the amount of people who view the content, ( think self harm among teens) but in the context of sexuality it isn't the same, however I believe gender theory is, and therefore sometimes lines can be blurred.

This is what people are claiming bit why is portraying gay relationships indoctrination but portraying straight ones isn't?

This seems to be an attitude because, as particular put about by parts of the American right, anything gay is apparently 'sexual' but apparently heterosexuality isn't sexual. People act as though children seeing a gay couple will immediately ask for graphic details of their sex lives, a urge strangely absent when they see heterosexual couples.