On this episode of people suck (American girl boycott)

[mrshandy]

www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Maryland-Family-Faces-Anti-Gay-Backlash-After-Child-Featured-in-American-Girl-Magazine-340590322.html

Amaya Scheer and her family were overjoyed the 11-year-old would be featured in the latest issue of "American Girl" magazine -- but they were heartbroken when a conservative group called for a boycott of the publication for showing a family with two dads.

The November/December issue of the magazine shows exuberant Amaya, who spoke about the charity her family founded, which gives foster children travel bags filled with clothing and toiletries. She, her father Rob Scheer and her three siblings all previously lived in foster care.

Rob Scheer said he was stunned when a friend called to tell him an anti-gay group was criticizing "American Girl" and had published a family photo of the Scheers, who live in Damascus, Maryland.

"The only thing ["American Girl"] did was they showed an amazing, happy family," he said. "I was shocked that this wasn't a group of men ... these were moms, moms who are looking at a picture of our children and making a judgement on them."

The website OneMillionMoms.com, which is an online project of the Mississippi-based American Family Association, urged supporters to cancel their subscriptions to the magazine, stop buying American Girl dolls and other products, and also boycott parent company Mattel.

"Scripture says multiple times that homosexuality is wrong, and God will not tolerate this sinful nature," the website says. "'American Girl' is attempting to desensitize our youth by featuring a family with two dads."

Rob and Reece Scheer said their family has seen an outpouring of love since the online post was published Oct. 29.

"On Sunday, our congregation all stood to say that they loved us, they support us and that we are just like any other family," Rob Scheer said.

"That's the only thing we ask for. We don't ask for any kind of special rights," he said. "Don't treat us any differently, just realize that we're just like everybody else."

Published at 12:10 AM EST on Nov 5, 2015

[mrsukyankee]

Dicks (the people who are boycotting, that is)

[rugbywife]

God also says the greed is wrong about a bazillion times and plenty of Christians have no problem ignoring that. And Jesus essentially said LOVE.

I hate people.

[josieposy]

As far as I can tell, all OMM does is spend time being outraged.

[taratru]

UGH. I loathe that group.

They can go ahead and send me all their AG stuff, though, because you KNOW they've got it.

[ttt]

Nov 5, 2015 12:36:56 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

That's ridiculous. SO glad American Girl is doing the right thing.

Though was it just me, or was this article kind of hard to follow? They seemed to be beating around the bush about the fact that this was about a gay family. It took a beat o get there.

Hm I didn't get that. It did say in the first paragraph that the family has two dads.

It's almost amusing to see these people work themselves into a frenzy as one by one, huge mainstream corporations are deciding to include gay and lesbian customers in their target audiences as they have come to the calculated conclusion that there are more people who support it than not. Good luck doing 100% of your shopping at Hobby Lobby and that Christian bookstore down the road!

[marriedfilingjoint]

Nov 5, 2015 12:50:44 GMT -5 ttt said:

Nov 5, 2015 12:36:56 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

That's ridiculous. SO glad American Girl is doing the right thing.

Though was it just me, or was this article kind of hard to follow? They seemed to be beating around the bush about the fact that this was about a gay family. It took a beat o get there.

Hm I didn't get that. It did say in the first paragraph that the family has two dads.

It's almost amusing to see these people work themselves into a frenzy as one by one, huge mainstream corporations are deciding to include gay and lesbian customers in their target audiences as they have come to the calculated conclusion that there are more people who support it than not. Good luck doing 100% of your shopping at Hobby Lobby and that Christian bookstore down the road!

Right? I'm sure American Girl was like, um, like you toothless rednecks are buying our $150 dolls and their $45 matching outfits, GTFO with your silly boycott.  

[marriedfilingjoint]

I bet my ultra-conservative bigoted in-laws are in a tizzy about this, guess everyone's kid is getting an AG subscription for Christmas! This year is going to be a blast.

Are spite gifts against the spirit of giving? Even if they teach a good lesson?

[WOT?*]

PHEW. I just arranged for a special showing of "The Empowerment Project" for our Girl Scout troop at the AG store since they couldn't fit us into a regular showing and GD2 wants an AG birthday so we're doing an AG/Nutcracker Ballet Experience for her 10th birthday (complete with backstage tour during intermission). Both of these were yesterday so it was totally awesome that I was able to do it, I thought. (plus a whole 'nother Girl Scout event was able to fit us in from being waitlisted. Awesome Girl day yesterday.)

So glad they're doing the right thing and I don't have to feel guilty. And don't have to cancel the AG Magazine subscription I bought from GD1's fundraiser for the girls. And I can still buy the gift cards at Costco. Bonus!


(And I just posted this on FB to irk the conservative relatives and to get the liberal or liberalish ones to comment and share.)

[hopecounts]

I was on the fence about getting DD a 'just like me' doll for Christmas (dolls are one of the few toys she really plays with)
I think this has pushed me into the buying it

[jln]

Nov 5, 2015 12:50:44 GMT -5 ttt said:

Nov 5, 2015 12:36:56 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

That's ridiculous. SO glad American Girl is doing the right thing.

Though was it just me, or was this article kind of hard to follow? They seemed to be beating around the bush about the fact that this was about a gay family. It took a beat o get there.

Hm I didn't get that. It did say in the first paragraph that the family has two dads.

It's almost amusing to see these people work themselves into a frenzy as one by one, huge mainstream corporations are deciding to include gay and lesbian customers in their target audiences as they have come to the calculated conclusion that there are more people who support it than not. Good luck doing 100% of your shopping at Hobby Lobby and that Christian bookstore down the road!

The funniest part is that they're doing it all on Facebook, which is well-known to be gay friendly.

[keyslover]

We just entered the AG world this past summer. I am glad they are featuring family! Now I do not feel as bad buying the dolls and stuff.

[WOT?*]

Nov 5, 2015 12:50:44 GMT -5 ttt said:

Nov 5, 2015 12:36:56 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

That's ridiculous. SO glad American Girl is doing the right thing.

Though was it just me, or was this article kind of hard to follow? They seemed to be beating around the bush about the fact that this was about a gay family. It took a beat o get there.

Hm I didn't get that. It did say in the first paragraph that the family has two dads.

It's almost amusing to see these people work themselves into a frenzy as one by one, huge mainstream corporations are deciding to include gay and lesbian customers in their target audiences as they have come to the calculated conclusion that there are more people who support it than not. Good luck doing 100% of your shopping at Hobby Lobby and that Christian bookstore down the road!

Mmmmmm, lunch at Chik-fil-A.

[readyin07]

Nov 5, 2015 14:08:38 GMT -5 marriedfilingjoint said:

Nov 5, 2015 12:50:44 GMT -5 ttt said:

Hm I didn't get that. It did say in the first paragraph that the family has two dads.

It's almost amusing to see these people work themselves into a frenzy as one by one, huge mainstream corporations are deciding to include gay and lesbian customers in their target audiences as they have come to the calculated conclusion that there are more people who support it than not. Good luck doing 100% of your shopping at Hobby Lobby and that Christian bookstore down the road!

Right? I'm sure American Girl was like, um, like you toothless rednecks are buying our $150 dolls and their $45 matching outfits, GTFO with your silly boycott.  

I KNOW that you did not mean it this way, but I wish we could have this discussion without perpetuating stereotypes about other groups.

Much of the organized, fanatical religious right of the ilk that wrote this garbage are not the people that you are referencing anyway.

[Michelle]

Oh my dear niece shall get spoiled by AG this year. mwah hahahaha!

[marriedfilingjoint]

Nov 6, 2015 13:31:14 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

Nov 5, 2015 14:08:38 GMT -5 marriedfilingjoint said:

Right? I'm sure American Girl was like, um, like you toothless rednecks are buying our $150 dolls and their $45 matching outfits, GTFO with your silly boycott.  

I KNOW that you did not mean it this way, but I wish we could have this discussion without perpetuating stereotypes about other groups.

Much of the organized, fanatical religious right of the ilk that wrote this garbage are not the people that you are referencing anyway.

What do you mean? That the people being A-holes about this don't actually represent 1 Million Moms or their associated charity?

[hopecounts]

Nov 6, 2015 14:24:07 GMT -5 marriedfilingjoint said:

Nov 6, 2015 13:31:14 GMT -5 readyin07 said:

I KNOW that you did not mean it this way, but I wish we could have this discussion without perpetuating stereotypes about other groups.

Much of the organized, fanatical religious right of the ilk that wrote this garbage are not the people that you are referencing anyway.

What do you mean? That the people being A-holes about this don't actually represent 1 Million Moms or their associated charity?

Most likely (and accurately) that the women who are part of '1mm' are not poor red necks.
they are middle to upper middle class religious conservatives (i.e. a number of moms I know tangentially in my area). 
these are not poor uneducated women, they are smart enough to know better. 

[marriedfilingjoint]

Oh gotcha. Yeah, sadly I was picking that up from the Facebook page and that's scary. I have no ragrets about stereotyping bigots though.

Attachments:

[readyin07]

Nov 6, 2015 14:29:11 GMT -5 hopecounts said:

Nov 6, 2015 14:24:07 GMT -5 marriedfilingjoint said:

What do you mean? That the people being A-holes about this don't actually represent 1 Million Moms or their associated charity?

Most likely (and accurately) that the women who are part of '1mm' are not poor red necks.
they are middle to upper middle class religious conservatives (i.e. a number of moms I know tangentially in my area). 
these are not poor uneducated women, they are smart enough to know better. 

Correct.

[Michelle]

I posted about this over on the Starbucks thread, but my SIL hates gays.

Would it be wrong to give my niece this outfit for her AG doll for Christmas?

[meshaliuknits]

Michelle you are cracking me up.

[Michelle]

meshaliuknits Sorry, I'm giddy with glee over this. Only because i have so much resentment in my heart for my SIL's bigotry when it comes to the LGBT community.

I would feel endlessly guilty if I actually followed through with any of the passive aggressive ideas. I prefer to just be assertive and put it out there. I hate when other people are passive aggressive to me so even if I think of good ideas like I am sharing here this afternoon, I can't bring myself to follow through on them.

[meshaliuknits]

Nov 6, 2015 18:03:05 GMT -5 Michelle said:

meshaliuknits Sorry, I'm giddy with glee over this. Only because i have so much resentment in my heart for my SIL's bigotry when it comes to the LGBT community.

I would feel endlessly guilty if I actually followed through with any of the passive aggressive ideas. I prefer to just be assertive and put it out there. I hate when other people are passive aggressive to me so even if I think of good ideas like I am sharing here this afternoon, I can't bring myself to follow through on them.

Don't be sorry! Before this I was in a bad mood because they had me digging through old files for something I was already 99.999999% sure is in another building. And now I'm chuckling.

[Michelle]

Nov 6, 2015 18:05:49 GMT -5 meshaliuknits said:

Nov 6, 2015 18:03:05 GMT -5 Michelle said:

meshaliuknits Sorry, I'm giddy with glee over this. Only because i have so much resentment in my heart for my SIL's bigotry when it comes to the LGBT community.

I would feel endlessly guilty if I actually followed through with any of the passive aggressive ideas. I prefer to just be assertive and put it out there. I hate when other people are passive aggressive to me so even if I think of good ideas like I am sharing here this afternoon, I can't bring myself to follow through on them.

Don't be sorry! Before this I was in a bad mood because they had me digging through old files for something I was already 99.999999% sure is in another building. And now I'm chuckling.

Well I'm glad for that. Me too - my seratonin levels have shot through the roof since seeing the AG and SBX posts today!

[WOT?*]

I am pleased to announce that I was chairing a meeting with other PTA members for a school event and brought this subject up. One of the moms was "I wish they weren't so expensive." and I responded "Costco has gift certificates for $80 gets you $100 and she's now going out to buy some so she can shop AG and support the cause. (not sure whether it's this or the "every girl should have an AG doll" cause.)