Some people REALLY want ’19 Kids and Counting’ canceled
Over the years, TLC has made a heck of a lot of money airing somewhat-controversial programs about people with unusual families. It started with “Jon and Kate Plus 8” (at least the controversial part), and then went on to “Toddlers & Tiaras,” “19 Kids and Counting,” the now-canceled “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” and many more.
So should it even be remotely a surprise that someone is calling for the Duggar family program to get the ax now? The answer is no, since there are too many out there with extremely strong opinions about this show, and all of the people who take part in it. A petition was started online to have TLC cancel it this week, citing family matriarch Michelle Duggar’s recent comments about a city ordinance that would allow men to use facilities that are designated for women only. You can read some of her comments at the petition page, but many LGBTQ organizations have called these comments specifically hurtful to the transgender community, in particular this line:
“…I don’t believe the citizens of Fayetteville would want males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female to have a legal right to enter private areas that are reserved for women and girls.”
The petition already has 136,000 names on it, and there is another petition that has been started up to let TLC know that there are many who stand behind the Duggars’ stance on “traditional marriage.” It has more than 16,000 virtual signatures.
It is an interesting story to follow, mostly because everyone wants to have their voice heard the majority of the time. However, we don’t feel like this petition one way or another will have any bearing on what TLC does with their programming. Take a look back at Phil Robertson’s comments to GQ; they were way more high-profile than Michelle Duggar’s, and the worst thing that he received was a temporary suspension. This is one of the network’s most-successful shows, and regardless of what you may feel about Michelle’s comments, they do fall within free speech. The only reason that TLC would cut the family is if they had a major difference in ideology for what they want their programming to represent, and they’ve known about the Duggars’ strong religious stance for some time.
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