All we would like for Christmas is a few LGBTQ illustration! And we should have made it onto the great listing this yr as a result of Hallmark Channel says that is precisely what it is planning for its 2020 vacation programming.
In an announcement to Out Magazine, Hallmark Channel introduced it’s in “lively negotiations” to incorporate LGBTQ characters and storylines into its vacation films this yr. “Variety and inclusion is a prime precedence for us and we sit up for making some thrilling programming bulletins within the coming months, together with bulletins about tasks that includes LGBTQ storylines, characters, and actors,” stated George Zaralidis, vp of community program publicity at Hallmark’s father or mother firm, Crown Media Household Networks, “We’re dedicated to making a Hallmark expertise the place everybody feels welcome.”
Proper now it is unclear who the community is negotiating with to permit for this long-awaited illustration of their programming, however the choice is a fairly large step ahead for the Hallmark Channel. Final yr the community was embroiled in controversy over its choice to pull a series of commercials that includes a same-sex wedding ceremony from the channel after a conservative group complained that it wasn’t in line with the “family-friendly” model of the community.
Discover Your New Favorite Show: Watch This Now!
The commercials have been in the end restored after public outcry, which included criticism from a number of celebrities and different streaming and cable networks. Hallmark President and CEO Mike Perry apologized for the incident. Now it seems Hallmark is doubling down on their dedication to inclusion, however we’ll have to attend and see if these “negotiations” truly bear fruit within the type of main LGBTQ characters and storylines on this yr’s vacation film lineup.
David O’Donnell and Candace Cameron Bure, Christmas Beneath Wraps