With all the anti-gay and anti-Pride rhetoric happening, at least Cartoon Network (CN) isn't backing down from their allyship.
We may be seeing pullbacks from major corporations like Target, but CN posted a carousel of images of fan-inspired artwork from their queer characters that showed their support of LGBTQ+ identities.
Captioned “You are an EXPERIENCE!” with a Pride flag, they went on to say, “Pride is a reminder to live bravely in your authenticity - use your voice, stand up for others, and spread love.” They closed it with a heart in each color of the flag.
This, of course, sent some people into a tailspin in the comments section, but the animated network didn’t hold back from scolding people for their homophobic and pearl clutching responses.
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Most of the negative comments revolve around how people feel like their “childhood is gone” and complaining about how CN has turned woke.
In return, CN has responded with various reactions that revolve around how it doesn’t seem like any of these people have grown up.
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After a wave of hatred, CN commented that “some of yall need to rewatch some episodes and it shows,” which further upset the haters but elevated its support from non-bigots, as well.
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They further trolled people by saying, “Watching comments be mad about characters from a show that aired 15 years ago” after people initially blew up about the post.
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It wasn’t only the hatred they responded to, either. Some users have called out the homophobia and hate crimes that have seen an uptick this year. One user said they were happy that “at least CN is here for us,” to which they responded, “always.”
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The network’s willingness to stand up for what they believe in—and the backbone they have not to back down when confronted—has left users calling for a “raise and extra vacation days” for the people who run the account.
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Their responses, for their part, have also largely turned around the conversation in lieu of more support than anger. One user commented that they “came here to fight with someone” but found a “surprising lack of negative comments now,” which also helps move the conversation forward in a more positive light.
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All in all, it’s nice to know that some companies still stand with us in the face of the unknown. It’s even better that they’re not willing to bend the knee and stray from who they are and what they believe.
Here’s to hoping more companies have a spine like this, and that the conversation becomes more positive and inclusive as it has in this comment section.
