The conservative group One Million Moms, which lobbies against the alleged “immorality, violence, vulgarity and profanity the entertainment media,” is calling for a boycott of the latest movie in the beloved “Toy Story” franchise. In “Toy Story 4,” two women appear in the background of a scene dropping their child off at daycare. They later appear—again in the background—to pick the child up from daycare. Their sexual orientation is not discussed at any point in the film. This small moment of acknowledging that lesbian people exist in the world was enough for the group to issue a statement in opposition to the film.
One Million Moms released a statement calling for a boycott and saying that the messaging in the brief scenes was intentional and dangerous.
“The scene is subtle in order to desensitize children,” the online statement says. “But it is obvious that the child has two mothers, and they are parenting together.”
The group also claimed that the scene was intentionally hidden from audiences, saying that “the scene was included and intentionally not announced prior to the movie release in hopes it would be kept quiet to expose as many children as possible. So many families probably plan on seeing this movie if they haven’t already and will be blindsided by this subtle but obvious promotion of the LGBTQ lifestyle.”
According to the One Million Moms website, about 13,000 people have signed their petition against the movie. In contrast, “Toy Story 4” has made more than $771 million globally and has a 98% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
For many, the mundane moment of seeing two moms picking up a kid from daycare is—while certainly not radical inclusion—a meaningful scene and nod towards acceptance nonetheless. It comes on the heels of other Disney attempts at inclusion, including an “exclusively gay moment” in last year’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast,” when Le Fou dances with another man, and rumors that the upcoming “Jungle Cruise” will feature a gay main character.
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