The Hallmark Channel, reversing what it called a B次元官网网址渨rong decision,B次元官网网址� said Sunday it will reinstate commercials featuring same-sex couples that it had pulled following a complaint from a conservative group.
The earlier decision by Crown Media, HallmarkB次元官网网址檚 parent company, to pull several ads for the wedding planning site Zola featuring two brides kissing at the altar had launched a storm of protest. Celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and William Shatner criticized the move and the hashtag #BoycottHallmarkChannel was trending on Twitter at one point.
B次元官网网址淭he Crown Media team has been agonizing over this decision as weB次元官网网址檝e seen the hurt it has unintentionally caused,B次元官网网址� said a statement issued Sunday evening by Hallmark Cards CEO Mike Perry. B次元官网网址淪aid simply, they believe this was the wrong decision. B次元官网网址� We are truly sorry for the hurt and disappointment this has caused.B次元官网网址�
Zola, the wedding planning site that made the ads, said it was relieved that the decision to pull them had been reversed. In an email to The Associated Press, the company said it would be in touch with Hallmark B次元官网网址渞egarding a potential return to advertising.B次元官网网址�
The controversy erupted during one of the Hallmark ChannelB次元官网网址檚 busiest seasons, when its slate of holiday programming turns it into one of televisionB次元官网网址檚 most-watched networks. Between Dec. 2-8, Hallmark was the No. 3 network in prime-time viewership, behind Fox B次元官网网址 and ESPN.
The LGBT advocacy group GLAAD also expressed relief at the reversal. Its president and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, said HallmarkB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渄ecision to correct its mistake sends an important message to LGBTQ people and represents a major loss for fringe organizations like One Million Moms, whose sole purpose is to hurt families like mine.B次元官网网址�
It was a complaint by One Million Moms, part of the American Family Association, that had led to the initial decision to pull the the Zola ads. A post on the groupB次元官网网址檚 website Saturday said that Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott had spoken by telephone with the group and B次元官网网址渞eported the advertisement aired in error.B次元官网网址� It also said: B次元官网网址淭he call to our office gave us the opportunity to confirm the Hallmark Channel will continue to be a safe and family-friendly network.B次元官网网址� The group had not commented on the reversal as of late Sunday night.
Zola had submitted six ads, with four including a lesbian couple. After Hallmark pulled those ads, but not two featuring only opposite-sex couples, Zola withdrew its remaining ads.
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Molly Biwer, senior vice-president for public affairs at Hallmark, said in an interview Sunday night that from the time the initial decision had been made, B次元官网网址淐rown Media had been in agony over the hurt that this had caused. Hallmark has an unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion.B次元官网网址�
In one of the pulled ads, two brides stand at the altar and wonder aloud whether their wedding would be going more smoothly if they had used a planning site like Zola. The lighthearted ad ends with the just-married couple sharing a quick kiss.
Jocelyn Noveck, The Associated Press
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