Kristin Chenoweth has clapped back at accusations that Wicked is “pushing an LGBTQ agenda” onto families.
One Million Moms (a group that’s definitely not “one million” and seems to have a very narrow definition of family values) has issues with the film’s LGBTQ representation. They accused Wicked of “pushing an LGBTQ agenda” and “normalizing same-sex crushes.” Don’t they sound fun to have at a party?
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In a post online, the group sounded the alarm: “Alerting All Parents! One Million Moms needs your help to make sure as many people as possible are aware of Universal Pictures pushing the LGBTQ agenda on families, particularly children, in the musical Wicked.”
They even pointed out that four of the film’s main stars—Jonathan Bailey, Cynthia Erivo, Bowen Yang, and Marissa Bode—are openly queer. Apparently, they’re just beginning to catch on to the fact that gay people occasionally perform in musicals.
“Universal has decided to be politically correct instead of providing family-friendly programming,” the group fumed. “But Universal should stick to family-friendly entertainment, especially in children’s films, rather than pushing an agenda.”
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Chenoweth knows a thing or two about the musical—as Broadway’s OG Glinda, she shared the stage with Idina Menzel as Elphaba. Both stars even made cameos in the Wicked movie.
And she definitely wasn’t here for One Million Moms‘ comments. She swiftly fired back on Instagram: “Everyone knows the ‘One Million Moms’ are really just a few hundred. Maybe,” she wrote, tossing in an eye-roll emoji for good measure.
“It’s called entertainment. Artistry,” she continued. “I’m a Christian woman who originated the role of Glinda, and all the silliness these women spew out of hate? No, no, no. I try to love them anyway, but they just don’t get it.”
Kristin wrapped it up with a little sparkle: “For anyone who wants to see girl power, go [see] Wicked. Onstage or in a movie theater,” she added, with a string of heart emojis and a laughing face.
One Million Moms is an offshoot of the American Family Association, a group that claims to promote traditional values and opposes LGBTQ+ rights. It is labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
