Nearly 20,000 people have signed a petition condemning next week’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as a “non-binary and transgender extravaganza” over the inclusion of two gender non-conforming performers in the lineup.
The petition by One Million Moms (OMM) — a conservative advocacy group created by the American Family Association — claims the annual kickoff to the holiday season will expose “the liberal LGBTQ agenda” to the tens of millions of viewers that tune in to the broadcast each year.
The Daily Mail first reported the backlash.
The petition calls out non-binary singer Justin David Sullivan, who goes by the pronouns, he/she/they and recently landed a breakout role on Broadway as May in “& Juliet,” which will be showcased during the three-hour parade.
In the musical’s plot line, May is a non-binary supporting character who’s a close friend of Juliet’s and engaged to Prince Francois.
The petition also took aim at Alex Newell, “a biological male who also identifies as non-binary.”
Newell, who goes by he/she/they, plays the female role of Lulu in the Broadway musical “Shucked,” which will also be featured during the ultra-popular event OMM referred to as “liberal nonsense.”
It’s unclear whether Newell is set to perform the musical’s blockbuster number from Act One during the Thanksgiving Day Parade, titled “Independently Owned,” where Lulu sings: “I won’t change who I’ve always been / A W-O-M-A-N / W-O-M-A-N.”
Newell “has worn women’s clothes in recent public appearances and dressed in a shimmering, gold ball gown for the Tonys,” reads the petition. Newell became the first out nonbinary actor to win a Tony for a performance in June.
As of Monday afternoon, the petition had 18,246 signatures.
The petition’s searing description concluded with: “Shame on Macy’s for promoting and sponsoring this type of entertainment. …It is clear that Macy’s does not have our children’s best interests in mind. Macy’s needs to know that trust must be earned, and once trust is lost, it is difficult to get back.”
It’s not the first time the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has featured gender non-conforming performers in its programming.
In 2021, 31-year-old transgender German-born singer songwriter Kim Petras sang “I Don’t Want It At All” while perched atop a glitzy stagecoach-inspired float courtesy of luxury designer Coach.
The 97th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is slated to take place on Nov. 23, and will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock as of 8:30 a.m. EST.
The Post has sought comment from OMM’s parent organization, the American Family Association, and Macy’s.
A similar fit of outrage over hiring transgender talent ensued during Bud Light’s now-infamous marketing campaign with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Mulvaney’s social media posts with the once-most-popular brew showed just how ruthless consumers can be when their favorite brands pointlessly inject divisive politics into their advertisements.
As of the end of October — six months after the disastrous campaign went live — Bud Light parent Anheuser-Busch InBev’s US sales were still reeling, tumbling 13.5% in the latest quarter.
In the wake of the culture war, Adidas was slammed for advertising bathing suits on its web site under the “women’s” section with the help of a model that appeared to be male. And North Face was bashed shortly thereafter for announcing its “Summer of Pride” outdoor events series with a video on social media starring drag queen Pattie Gonia, who encouraged viewers to “come out.”
Target also saw such a “negative reaction” to its spring “Pride” clothing collection — which featured “tuck-friendly” swimwear and LGBTQ-friendly gear for infants and children — that its quarterly sales fell for the first time in six years, according to the retailer’s second-quarter earnings report.
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