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19 Kids and Counting: Will TLC Series Be Cancelled Due to Change.org Petition?

One thing that is popping out faster than Duggar children on TLC‘s 19 Kids and Counting is support for a recent petition to cancel the show. And after Honey Boo Boo got the axe, people are wonde...
19 Kids and Counting: Will TLC Series Be Cancelled Due to Change.org Petition?
Written by Mike Tuttle
  • One thing that is popping out faster than Duggar children on TLC‘s 19 Kids and Counting is support for a recent petition to cancel the show. And after Honey Boo Boo got the axe, people are wondering if it just might happen.

    After Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, the parents on 19 Kids and Counting, encouraged married couples on Facebook to post pictures of themselves kissing, blogger John Becker posted a photo of himself kissing his husband. Soon after, Becker says his photo was removed and he was banned from the Duggars’ page.

    The Duggars’ photo caption read, “God designed marriage to be a loving, dynamic relationship between a husband and wife for a lifetime. God loves marriage and it is supposed to be full of love, joy, fun and romance. We challenge all married couples to take a happily married picture and post it here.”

    However, not all marriages are created equal in the eyes of the conservative Christian family. In response, a Change.org petition was created to ask TLC to cancel the family’s 19 Kids and Counting reality show.

    “End LGBTQ fear mongering by the Duggars,” a letter posted on petition page reads. “The Duggars have been using their fame to promote discrimination, hate, and fear-mongering against gays and transgendered people. You need to take a stand on the side of justice and cancel their show.”

    So far the petition has over 87,000 supporters.

    But accusers say that the Facebook post isn’t the only sign of discrimination within the Duggar family. Another complaint alleges that they have donated $10,000 to repeal equal housing rights for LGBTQ members. 26-year-old Josh Duggar, the oldest of the Duggar children, is the executive director of the Family Research Center’s Action Arm. In 2010, the FRC was labeled as a “hate group” which promotes “false and demonizing propaganda about gays and lesbians.”

    In addition, mother Michelle Duggar has opposed a Fayetteville City Council ordinance that proposes to allow transgendered people to use the restrooms consistent with their gender identity. She recorded a robocall message for a campaign to defeat the ordinance.

    The recorded message said:

    “Hello, this is Michelle Duggar. I’m calling to inform you of some shocking news that would affect the safety of Northwest Arkansas women and children.

    “The Fayetteville City Council is voting on an ordinance this Tuesday night that would allow men – yes I said men – to use women’s and girls’ restrooms, locker rooms, showers, sleeping areas, and other areas that are designated for females only. I don’t believe the citizens of Fayetteville would want males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female to have a legal right to enter private areas that are reserved for women and girls.”

    Michelle Duggar’s characterizing the transgender population of Northwest Arkansas as “child predators” did not sit well with them.

    Jim Wissick started the petition on Change.org in order to stop “rewarding hate with more and more air time.”

    With millions of loyal viewers, it is unclear if TLC will consider canceling 19 Kids and Counting but Wissick hopes that his message will be heard either way.

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