They arrive like clockwork each December — formulaic, churned out versions of the same tale, with slightly changed circumstances and plot details, direct from the Hallmark Channel. Executives at Lifetime (which owns Hallmark) and the Hallmark Channel recently announced their saccharine series needed to be more “woke” and that they would achieve this by creating more of their romance specials with LBGT leads.
Right now, many of the specials do feature gay characters, but as supporting or side characters, not as leads. The latest announcement says that the channel wants to change this, starting with their popular Christmas movies.
Hallmark Under Pressure to “Diversify” Christmas
This comes in response to publications and groups outside the channel complaining about the lack of gay main characters.
“So much for making the yuletide gay,” said the Wrap detailing how Hallmark and Lifetime allegedly having no “LGBTQ main characters” in any of their 70 new Holiday movies.
The Wrap and other outlets began to pressure the channel and movie creators last year, stating that these brands do not do enough for representation and diversity. According to the complaints, it is not enough to include LGBT characters — these characters need to be the main focus.
Complaints against Hallmark, Lifetime and the parent company Crown Media began last year, and the brand is finally bowing to the pressure. The recent report capitulates to the demands for more “woke” Christmas movies with gay leads, regardless of whether the brand’s viewing audience will watch them. Hallmark released a statement this week, detailing their efforts to product more gay content and to submit to the demands of these groups and publications.
“We are continuing to expand our diversity,” said Crown Media Family Networks executive vice president of programming Michelle Vicary to The Wrap. “We are looking at pitches for LGBTQ movies — and we are looking to expand and represent the United States as a whole.”
“I think that we are making great strides,” he added. “And we are, [but] like the industry, there is a lot of work to be done to catch up in that area.”
Current Diversity at Hallmark
Of the 40 new release Christmas and holiday films in 2019, four have gay relationships featured, but not as main characters.
“This year, Lifetime has four movies which feature queer relationships in supporting positions,” reports The Wrap, “but none have carried a holiday movie of their own as the co-owners of a candy cane company or lovers in Dollywood or whatever the premise may be.”
The Wrap was also not happy with other production and streaming services – according to the Wrap, only one of Netflix’s six new holiday releases focuses on LGBTQ main characters.
Lifetime’s response came swiftly, and assured the progressives that they were working on it.
“As Lifetime has a diverse group of people working behind the scenes, we’re always looking at the environments we create with our holiday movies to ensure they are reflective of the world we live in,” said Meghan Hooper White, the senior vice president of original co-productions and acquisitions for Lifetime and sister network LMN to TheWrap.
