January 18, 2023
A Disney Cartoon Character Has 2 Mommies – 1MM Freaks Out
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
The fact that a character in a Disney cartoon has two mothers has ignited the wrath of American Family Association side-gig group One Million Moms, with the numerically dubious group's one and only paid staffer, Monica Cole, demanding that viewers tune out.
Comic Sands reported on the show, noting that "Firebuds is a show about young first responders and their talking vehicle sidekicks."
"But OMM – via its executive director and only visible member Monica Cole – said 'Disney Junior is no longer safe for young children' because the studio 'has added a same-sex couple to the program.'"
Perish the thought that any kids, including those with same-sex parents, see representation of such families on their TV screens!
In an email riddled with the usual anti-LGBTQ+ hard-right buzzwords – "lifestyle choice," "sexuality," "agenda" – Cole sounded the alarm and explained that "One of the main characters, Violet, has two moms in the Vega-Vaughn family."
The show premiered on both Disney+ and Disney Jr. last September and currently has 16 episodes. Its racially diverse cast includes not only Violet, described as "Asian-American," but also Filipino-American Bo Bayani, African-American Jayden Jones, and their respective EMS vehicles – an ambulance, a fire truck, and a police car.
The trio of main characters have parents, as do their vehicles; those secondary characters make recurring appearances on the show.
Cole was overt about the reason for her displeasure: Out of a mix of heroes, villains, and family members that includes more than 30 characters, two of them are a married female couple.
"This type of sexuality should never be included in a children's cartoon, much less praised," Cole's email seethed.
Cole recalled that "This isn't the first time a same-sex couple has appeared on Disney Junior. In 2017, two lesbian moms were included in the Doc McStuffins episode titled 'Emergency Plan.'"
Somehow, though, Cole seemingly forgot that such families exist in the real world, where they are visible and, more likely than not, present in schools, churches, and communities at large. Yet, it's the television in the average American living room that Cole pegged as the window into the world that shows such families exist – a window she suggested be slammed shut.
"Conservative families will continue to have no choice but to stop watching the Disney Channel network or Disney+ in their homes so they can avoid previews, commercials, and reruns," Cole's email declared. "Families will be unable to allow Disney in their homes since the network continually veers away from family-friendly content."
Except, of course, if you count depictions of two committed moms providing a loving family to their daughter as "friendly."
Series creator Craig Gerber tweeted about the show, saying he was "Thrilled to be making an inclusive show that reflects the diverse world we live in w/ folks who care as much as I do."
Disney evidently shares in his enthusiasm: The show has been greenlit for a second season.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.