In the latest installment of the Right’s culture war, Sen. Roger Marshall is demanding changes to television ratings to warn parents about LGBTQ representation in shows.
The current guidelines note if a program includes sexual situations, as well as violence and coarse language. Marshall’s proposed change would put the very existence of queer people on par with these categories.
The Kansas senator was the lead author on a letter to the TV Parental Guidelines Advisory Board. “To the detriment of children, gender dysphoria has become sensationalized in the popular media and television with radical activists and entertainment companies,” the letter reads. “This radical and sexual sensation not only harms children, but also destabilizes and damages parental rights.”
The move comes as prominent Republicans like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz rail against children’s cartoons for their supposedly nefarious LGBTQ agenda.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“When we were young, you could watch cartoons without having to worry,” DeSantis said while stumping for Nevada Senate candidate Adam Laxalt.
“When we were young, you could watch cartoons without having to worry.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) again baselessly claims Disney is injecting sexuality into cartoons while stumping for Nevada Senate candidate Adam Laxalt pic.twitter.com/7FrKGGjzLT
— The Recount (@therecount) April 28, 2022
Cruz offered an even more ridiculous take, telling an audience during a live podcast taping, “In every episode now, they’re gonna have Mickey and Pluto going at it … You can always shift to Cinemax if you want that.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) slams Disney for opposing Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law:
“In every episode now, they’re gonna have Mickey and Pluto going at it … You can always shift to Cinemax if you want that.” pic.twitter.com/iZX82OiyC2
— The Recount (@therecount) April 19, 2022
Marshall’s office pointed to four examples of the types of shows he’d like to see flagged — Danger Force and The Loud House on Nickelodeon, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and the upcoming Dead End: Paranormal Park on Netflix. He’s also apparently very concerned by a recent Pixar casting notice seeking talent for a transgender character.
The letter was co-signed by fellow GOP Senators Steve Daines of Montana, Mike Braun of Indiana, Mike Lee of Utah and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, and asks the board for an in-person meeting to discuss changing its guidelines.
“We’ve seen enough of Kansas politicians beating up on trans kids and the LGBT community,” Tom Witt, the executive director of Equality Kansas, told The Kansas City Star.
He added: “We certainly don’t need Washington, D.C., senators joining in to use these kids as political punching bags.”
Mister P
Cancel culture at Its finest.
TomG
They also need to have explicit warnings that there will be straight people on a show so parents know their kids won’t be “indoctrinated”.
jcool
while they’re at it, they should put a warning if there are any colored folk, in case the kids parents are white supremacists. we have to be very careful.
Covid Hermit
My 7-year-old niece loves She-Ra, so I guess I better warn her parents (my sister and brother-in-law) when I see them this weekend. /s
Creamsicle
What’s funny and great about She-Ra is that, if anything, the new show’s writers toned DOWN how queer the entire source material designs are. They were 1980s toys for girls, so they already wore more rainbow and hearts than a Pride Parade.
ZzBomb
We have actual problems facing our nation and this is what these morons focus on?
Ste211
Then they don’t have to do actual work.
baggins435
The GOP doesn’t actually have a platform, they just try to distract and misdirect so their base doesn’t see what is going on behind the curtain.
GentlemanCaller
Back in the 1950s, where these assholes want to live again, they were looking for Communists under their beds. LGBT folks are the wacky right’s 21st century Communists.
ondaboat0069
GAYS, GUNS, and GOD have been the republican’s agenda since as long as I can remember. I’m now 81
Kangol2
Ms. Senator Roger Marshall doth protest tooooo much!
Cam
Republicans hate LGBTQ people, this is no surprise.
loren_1955
Hmmm, are seeing the rise of McCarthyism again, the political witchhunts using the innocent to aggrandize political careers?
Gourmet Guy
But GentlemanCaller, Communists weren’t getting beaten to death outside their gathering places. And Joe McCarthy, their senatorial castigator, was far more famous than any of the anti-gay politicos today. Post-WWII America was a different climate. And besides, Communists weren’t exactly “born that way.” Speaking strictly for myself, I’ve been happily gay for as long as I can remember–certainly by age 4.
Den
GentlemanCaller’s point is that the the right wing is once again using unfounded fear to divide Americans and keep their base in line. They have only a few tactics to win in local elections: Fear, disenfranchisement and redistricting. They are going all in on all three of them because they have no policy or solutions to real problems to offer.
And for the record, the Rosenburgs were executed (assuaging both commie fears and antiSemitic feelings), and a huge number of people had their lives/careers ruined. Also I don’t think McCarthy was any more famous than some of the current crop of US legislative fear mongers and liars. They will likely be demonized in future history books just as McCarthy has been.
MISTERJETT
when did republicans get so dumb?
briantopher
Bigger question – why do americans keep voting for them?
Creamsicle
Around the time Newt Gingrich stoked party divisions and made it impossible for the parties the work together. Now there’s an obsession with winning super majorities and playing off culture wars and identity politics, instead of focusing on policy that is popular across party lines.
Our media doesn’t do us any favors by playing into the debate and theater of politics. Spinning, exploding graphics telling us all what to identify with Red and Blue instead of weighing policy as individuals and supporting the activism and legislative work itself. Media has turned politics into a sports matchup and we’re all wallowing in divisive toxicity because of it.
chat fisher
I think a better and more important idea is a warning that politicians are speaking on TV so to be prepared for a lot of Corrupt Lying Liars are spreading BULLSHIT!
Brian
These people haven’t seen any of what they’re talking about. The silliest example is from Ted Cruz who refers to some unnamed television show with Mickey Mouse. That character is basically just a mascot now. He’s not appearing in new episodes of a show. Also, the other speaking role is Goofy, not Pluto. If it were happening in “every episode” to the point that Cruz was uncomfortable and offended, then you’d think he would at least know the characters’ names. He got the name wrong because he made it all up. This stuff isn’t happening once – let alone daily.
bowlingbutch
I want a warning when there is going to be religion mentioned or a male/female relationship shown.
GayEGO
Well said!
BGreen1963
I totally agree. I’m sick and tired of all this force feeding of parts of their religious dogma while they leave out others. Why does this word of their god change on whims all the time? It has become more and more hateful and violent all the time. It is clearly an unstable group of Cults promoting violence against women, non-heterosexual men and anyone from other cults and religions. They promote hate and violence and people should be warned! These people are sick and their Cult Leaders in Congress are the worst of the bunch. They and their Cult are treated like they are above the Laws of the United States and the US Constitution. They tried to overthrow and end our legal democratic government. They should be banned as a hate group. Or at the very least people need to be warned about their Cult.
xanadude
Or children going on “dates” or getting “married.” Talk about GROOMING!
Tiredoftheinsanity
more pandering to an ignorant and very homophobic base…..”Elect Me because I am scared by homos too.”
GayEGO
GOB Senators want to move us back into the 1950s, when Boise Idaho embarrassed itself. The GOPs need to know that the LGBTQ community is about relationships, not sex.
shaunpaul1234
How about a trigger-warning EVERYTIME AN IDIOT FRM TH LEFT
EVERYTIME IDIOTS, frm THE PROGRESSIVE OR TH RIGHT-WING OPENS THEIR MOUTHS
SUCH AS TAYLOR GREENE, cawthorne, boebert etc… on th right
And aoc and the squad, cori bush, and the ILK, OPEN THEIR STUPID-ASS MOUTHS!!
WE R ALL WARNED IN ADVANCE!!
As for homoness on tv teigger-warning
Tht wld make it TOO-EASY FOR ALL TH HOMOPHOBES ON TH RIGHT
TO B ABLE TO FIND WHAT THEY REALLY WANT TO WATCH!!
Oh, IM GAY, POLITICALLY: MODERATE!!
Den
Uh…learn to write legible English. This isn’t twitter where the number of characters you use is limited, nor is it a text to your bros, child.
And then maybe LEARN TO THINK. There is a huge substantive difference between politicians on the left and right. And what folks like AOC have been offering is very much in keeping with what surveys indicate most Americans want (reproductive choice, equitable treatment, living wage, prescription drug price caps, access to the polls, renewable energy, and so on). Clearly you buy into the right wing fear mongering lies more than someone with even an average level of intellect should. And I suspect calling yourself a moderate is a lie.
Cam
Typical right wing troll, spends most of it’s post attacking “The Left” then tries to claim it’s “Moderate”.
Sweetie, as always, your troll game is sad and weak.
dbmcvey
YOU’RE a KOOK!
HOW aBout a warning EVERY TIME you decidE TO post your ISANE ramblings you BAG OF NUTS!!
Oh, I don’t care if you’re gay or politically moderate. YOUR AN EFFING WACKADOO!!!!
sbsfo
JFC: just when I thought the incomparable troll BennyTheHill may have finally jumped ship for ZeroHedge, here we have an even demented version of the BennyBot in the form of shaunpaul1234.
Yup, after scrolling down through the comments, I can see that IT’S BACK.
Don’t feed the troll shaunpaul1234, people.
BaltoSteve
Hmmm.. How reminiscent of RuralQueerSocialist… Ground Breaking.
Invader7
Can you compose a CLEARLY worded sentence? Ot are you another closeted GAY republican imbecile slumming on a gay site??
Den
Funny how just a few years ago when the concept of “trigger warnings” was more common the right wing made fun of it constantly giving rise to their favorite term of projection “snowflake”. Now that the non-regressive media is depicting the diversity of American life in all its forms (both literally and figuratively) they are melting down big time or having their heads explode!
Poor little wimps.
shaunpaul1234
Think what u must “DEN”, i think its great u didnt name urself after ano room in th house, like th bathroom because, u literally pull ur BULL-SHIT, RIGHT OUT UR ASS!!
Now, apparently u havnt heard about all th precious little woke babies and their precious need for their triggers and traumas and safe spaces, i cld keep going!! I was a progressive the first 60yrs of my life!! Thn I STARTED LISTENING TO BOTH SIDES, watching major blue cities like los angeles where they have bn in charge for decades, wth more crime than EVER, homelessness just gts bigger and bigger, inner city education gts worse, more people in poverty, lower-income expanding!! Watch how they riot on campus to avoid hearing a different viewpoint, not just los angeles!! Check out nyc, San Francisco, etc….crt bng shoved down kids throats and most important, on a federal level, a DISINFORMATION BUREAU!!
Thts th diff between progressives of now, and whn i was growing up: WE BELIEVED IN FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!
Progressives of today, want to tell u, WHT U CN AND CANNOT SAY!! We NEVER ATTACKED FREEEDOM OF SPEECH!! Progressives of today, thts ALL THEY DO!! Ao, u see, the progressives r JUST AS BAD FOR THIS COUNTRY AS TH RIGHT-WING!! I doubt uve ever read an article or a book tht wast prescribed by th progressives!! As far as DISINFORMATION!! Its time for stupid-people to research wht they read or hear from a source, become responsible, u cn figure out whts disinformation, instead of having mommy and daddy like figures do it for u!! Thts the problm wth th “woke” crowd, they take NO RESPONSIBILITY for their feelings, instead of growing up into grown-ass adults, they want EVERYONE ELSE, to b responsible for their triggers and traumas and figuring out th disinformation for thm!! If they were grown up, they might realize its their responsibility to deal wth their traumas, triggers, etc…. and if they cnt, C A DAMN SHRINK!! I say the dems shld cut th progressives, OUT, the repubs, CUT TH RIGHT-WINGERS OUT, and let th MODERATES AND WHTS LEFT FORM A PARTY OF THEIR OWN!!
The progressives run cities into th ground, theyve proven they R not leaders and neither is th right-wingers!! Thnks to th progressives, the repubs r taking back th house and senate in November!! Even th abortion issue, unfortunately, wont save th dems!!
Assume all u want about me, thts all u progressives really have, is ASSUMPTIONS, cause HEAVEN-FORBID, u EVER CHCK OUT AN OPPOSING VIEWPOINT, U JUST CNT TAKE UR HEAD OUT OF UR ASS, CAUSE IN UR WORLD, THEIRS ONLY TH VIEWPOINT U ADHERE TO FROM INSIDE-UR-ASS!!
GOOD LUCK WTH ALL UR ASSUMPTIONS!! UR good for a LAUGH, wth a HUGH DOSE OF PITY!!
shaunpaul1234
Attack all u want!! Name-calling is th go to for progressives, whn they cnt come out wth facts for wht is bng said to thm!! Progressive, like right -wing is a disease!! U CNT SEE ANYTHING, but wht ur party tls u, U MUST THINK!! Now u want a DISINFORMATION BUREAU!!
China, the former East Germany, Russia, and the like, r wth u on tht!!
But, u say so much more wth th name-calling!! Gives me a good chucle, tht just warrants the sympathy i already have for u tender little snowflake souls!! GOOD LUCK!!
Den
@shaunpaul1234
1. CRT is a social/historical theory taught in graduate and law school. It is not taught to kids. You are lying or stupid.
2. NYC is considered one of the safest cities in the US at this point and SF is certainly not in the top 10 of crime ridden cities (I live there). You are lying or stupid.
3. As mentioned earlier that whole safe space/snowflake/triggers thing is a projection of the right wing, as you make so clear melting down in the course of your ignorant rant.
4. Free speech as guaranteed in the Constitution has nothing to do with either the TOS of social networks or the policies of corporations/businesses. But it is in fact the right that tends to cancel/muzzle those with opposing views (as easily demonstrated by the TOS of the failed “Truth Social” and “Frank Speech” sites. Not to mention the frequency with which right wing “news” networks end interviews when the interviewees do not toe the line. Again you are either lying or stupid.
I could go on, but you seem so far gone.
As for facts that you accuse others of not having, you list none…You simply spout the far right line. You make it quite clear who and what you are. And a lot of folks are either shaking their heads in disbelief or laughing at you outright.
Sad indeed.
dbmcvey
With all the things going on right now, thank God someone is concentrating on really important issues.
/s
[email protected]
Make them freak out even more.
Hopefully they will all get heart attacks and die.
shaunpaul1234
One LAST THING
How about instead of coming back wth labels, at someone, u actually point out wth facts where they r WRONG!! U progressives dnt do tht, tht wld take indepth knowledge of looking at both sides of an issue and debating thm!!
But, whn u dnt have facts to back up ur opinions, u just go th assumption route, label thm whtever!! If i am whtever label ive bn assigned, or if i am not, shldnt matter, but whn u dnt have any way of dedending wth facts, thts ur only route!! I wld love for u folks to prove me WRONG, thtlll give me ano point if veiw!! But, ur NOT CAPABLE!! Thts why u always espec on collge campus, drown out any opposing views wth SILLY LITTLE TANTRUMS!!
Den
@shaunpaul1234
Damn! You cannot spell (or maybe you are not aware that your keyboard is broken), you don’t know how to think logically, and you are ranting like someone whop is coming down from too many days on an amphetamine binge…yet you amusingly accuse others of “SILLY LITTLE TANTRUMS.”
I seldom see anybody so lacking in self awareness, critical intellectual skills or native intellect.
Fname Optional Lname
You might want to add more fiber to your diet. Just saying
white-queer-african
@shaunpaul1235, screenname nunber 15?
You don’t fool me troll. Suddenly using tactic 5 out of the troll notebook?
Using spelling mistakes and poor grammar? You still remain a moron.
GayForTrump, BennyTheHill, M*ntalMarcy, BarryM et al, blah, blah, blah.
Sad and pathetic.
woodroad34
Sooooo, I wonder, what’s their take on Madison Cawthorn’s two gay-adjacent (or totally gay) videos that were recently released? I don’t remember the big hulabloo from them about Mark Foley, Larry Craig or Aaron Shock. I suppose when the term “Republican” is mentioned or any “Republican” is on TV, then a warning sign should be placed over the screen, too.
GreekKeys
So what? With so many gay people raising children you’d think we could get behind raising your own kids. They want to avoid certain shows? Who cares? They’re not stopping anyone else from watching. Do we have to go Shock And Awe on everything? Demand to also be shielded from heterosexual relationships on TV? You couldn’t even watch Will & Grace. The hysterical diatribes on this page resembles nothing so much as the ranting of a highschool girl who didn’t make the cheerleadering squad.
ericm
I am triggered by Republican politicians. Can I get a warning for any shows that have them appear or mentioned on them?
CityguyUSA
Shouldn’t “Don’t Say Gay” have a partner law that is “Don’t Say Str8”? Seems to me that if you don’t expose LGTBIQ lifestyles on one side of the equation the other side gets 100% but not because it should but because there’s no other option. Shouldn’t there be representative percentage for both.
UlfRaynor
Actually, the Florida bill doesn’t mention the word gay, it say’s “sexual orientation.”
The last time I checked, heterosexual, bisexual and homosexual are all sexual orientations.
Perhaps some industrious gay or bisexual teacher/student, who overhears or witnesses any discussion of heterosexual sex or relationships during school hours, should file charges against them citing this new law about to go into effect.
Gotta say, the stoic in me would just love the irony of that happening.
Jaquelope
There most certainly should be.
JeffBaker
The tv characters I grew up watching were heterosexual. And; taaa-daaaaa! I’m not! My story is not unique at all. Oh, and remember conservatives saying that if we passed Gay marriage people would be marrying their dogs and lawn mowers? Didn’t happen.
cuteguy
Forget abortion. Forget inflation. Forget the war on Ukraine. We have to all be afraid when Vanity Smurf, SpongeBob and Peppermint Patty are all after our kids. The sad part is that the GQP will most likely succeed with this hysteria and gaslighting
Den
“Shaunpaul” opines hysterically:
“Think what u must “DEN”, i think its great u didnt name urself after ano room in th house, like th bathroom because, u literally pull ur BULL-SHIT, RIGHT OUT UR ASS!!
Now, apparently u havnt heard about all th precious little woke babies and their precious need for their triggers and traumas and safe spaces, i cld keep going!! I was a progressive the first 60yrs of my life!! Thn I STARTED LISTENING TO BOTH SIDES”
Funny how you criticize others for name calling and not stating facts. Projection of the worst sort as that is all you do. You speak of progressives having no regard for the opinions of others but anybody with an ounce of critical skills understands that not all opinions are equivalent. Yours are based on other opinions, dogma and the fear mongering lies of the far-right wing media. By contrast those of progressives are based on statistics, and academic analysis. You are just like the flat earthers who rail against those who accept science as “being against God”.
You talk about being progressive for the first 60 years of your life. I suspect that is a lie told to further your rant. Or perhaps, sadly that was when you first experienced neurological degeneration (your spelling, punctuation and lack of coherence as well as obvious anger issues supports that).
And the name I use here has nothing to do with any room in the house, it is a common nickname for my full name. Odd that you think your comment was either clever or mature.
Heywood Jablowme
shaunpaul should rename himself after a typical house room… the Mud Room! (needed here in New England, maybe not so much elsewhere)… that’s also usually where the cat litter box is kept, and any boots with mud or dog sh!t on them.
sbsfo
shaunpaul1234 is a bot (think of it as [pick your favorite STD] of the Queerty comments sections). Ignore it.