This week's Entertainment Weekly
cover story on gay visibility on teen shows has been called “gay
propaganda” by a social conservative.
The
issue begins with a cover of Glee stars Darren Criss and Chris
Colfer snuggling up to each other.
Colfer plays gay bullied student Kurt
Hummel on the Fox musical comedy. Criss joined the show's cast in
its second season. He plays out-and-proud student Blaine Anderson.
While Colfer and Criss anchor the
story, its writer, Jennifer Armstrong, also discussed television's
slow acceptance of gay characters on shows geared to teens.
“As you might suspect, Entertainment
Weekly didn't plan to debate gay teen propaganda, but to
encourage it, energetically,” wrote
Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center.
“They are not celebrating diversity,”
Bozell said, referring to gay-inclusive teen shows. “They are
intimidating dissidents.”
“No one should be surprised that
Armstrong and her GLAAD [media watchdog the Gay & Lesbian
Alliance Against Defamation] allies are also pushing to take the
pro-gay message to grade-schoolers,” Bozell added in response to
Armstrong noting the absence of gay characters on tween networks such
as the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.
“'Age-appropriate' is not a term
these activists recognize. Parents should understand that their
young children are the next propaganda targets.”