Hollywood producer Dustin Lance Black
has criticized the media for reporting on the backlash he and husband
Tom Daley faced after promoting Pampers in a photo with their infant
son.
Black, 44, and Daley, a 24-year-old
Olympic diver, welcomed their first child, Robbie, in June via
surrogate.
The men, who married last year in
England, shared on social media a photo of themselves gazing over
their son in front of a Christmas tree. While their baby's face is
not included in the photo, many users criticized it being used to
promote Pampers.
“Our first family Christmas,” Daley
captioned the photo on Instagram. “Having Robbie in our lives this
year is going to be so magical, our Christmas family traditions will
be passed down another generation. … When the weather gets cold, it
can irritate skin and The Pure Protection nappies [from Pampers] are
made with premium cotton and plant based materials and are kind to
the skin and soft to the touch..perfect for snuggles by the Christmas
tree #ad.”
In a tweet, Black called the outraged
“manufactured” by the “oft-homophobic UK tabloids.”
“I was heartened when a major family
brand asked us to be their 1st two-father-family reps,”
Black said. “It felt like progress. Sad to see some jump on an
'outrage' train manufactured by oft-homophobic UK tabloids. I will
keep my ire aimed at those who actively exclude our LGBTQ families.”
The
Sun wrote, “Fans branded Tom and Dustin 'sell outs' for
using their baby son in a paid partnership with Pampers,” while the
Mirror
reported that the couple “drew criticism for what looked like an
innocent photo.”