Uncovering the 'homosexual propaganda' hiding in your favourite entertainment
- Text by Alex King
Television is conspiring to turn you gay. Allegedly…
Pastor Daniel Erickson-Hull became the latest religious figure to speak out against ‘gay propaganda’ masquerading as kid’s TV, when he unmasked cult ’70s and ‘80s series Rainbow in an online video.
The religious right in the US and elsewhere have long condemned the rise of openly gay characters on screen. They see it not as reflecting modern society or redressing the balance after centuries of exclusion and anti-gay discrimination, but an agenda to ‘homosexualise the world’.
But what is more sinister is the “diabolical subterfuge to shove gay propaganda down the throats of our children,” according to Bible-based homeschooling website Heart of Wisdom. In other words, seemingly innocent programming where uncovering gay propaganda requires a bit of imagination – like Rainbow.
If you feel media has the power to change your sexuality, stop reading now. This article features subversive children’s entertainment such as Sesame Street, Teletubbies and Harry Potter that have been labelled homosexual propaganda.
Sinister agendas, it seems, are in the eye of the beholder. Here are five bizarre allegations of gay propaganda in pop culture. Reader beware: Huck cannot be held accountable for their effects on viewers.
Rainbow
Erickson-Hull, who preaches online at End Times News Ministry and a London evangelical church, revealed that Rainbow is more than just a British rip-off of popular American series Sesame Street, but something altogether more chilling.
The pastor was particularly worried about the lyrics in the theme tune: “Everyone can see it smiling over the sky. Paint the whole world with a rainbow!”
Going with a basic ‘my-first-video-editor’ style (firmly established by YouTube rants and conspiracy theorists – yes, there’s swirling type), he posed the question: “Is this supposed to be the rainbow infiltrating the bible? Perhaps there is nothing in this, a coincidence? But it seemed worth raising as a possibility.”
Mr Erickson-Hull has previously claimed that same-sex marriage is “an abomination” and that homosexuality is “hideous”, as Pink News reported. But his theory was backed up by one YouTube commentator: “The music sounded very gay to me. And the guy with the puppets? He may very well be married to a male puppet. Any guy with a bunch of puppets you have to wonder about.”
U2
U2’s Songs of Innocence album sleeve
Russia’s controversial “LGBT propaganda law” has been been attracting mounting international attention, since its passage in 2013. The legislation prohibits “propaganda” in support of “non-traditional” sexual orientation and threaten heavy fines for anyone “promoting” homosexuality to under-18s.
Irish rockers U2 and their partners Apple, who gifted their latest album to all iTunes customers, could be the latest victims of the new law. Russian politician Alexander Starovoitov, says U2’s Songs of Innocence album promotes sex between men.
Shot by photographer Glen Luchford, the cover features a shirtless image of the band’s drummer, Larry Mullen Jr, embracing his 18-year-old son, Elvis, which was intended to represent “how holding on to your own innocence is a lot harder than holding on to someone else’s”.
But Mr Starovoitov’s lawyer, Evgeny Tonky, is quoted in Pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia claiming he is going to sue Apple for compensation on the grounds of moral damage to his own son.
Harry Potter
Libraries across America banned the Harry Potter series due to its depictions of witchcraft, but extreme right-wing pastor Kevin Swanson has another interpretation. Swanson claimed it’s better to drown children than let them read “homosexual” Harry Potter. He believes America should repent that Dumbledore “emerged as a homosexual mentor to Harry Potter.”
Speaking at the National Religious Liberties Conference, he singled out the Harry Potter series alongside Disney hit Frozen in a heated rant an against homosexuality. “You wonder sometimes if maybe there’s something very evil happening here,” he said. “I wonder if people are thinking: ‘You know I think this cute little movie is going to indoctrinate my 5-year-old to be a lesbian or treat homosexuality or bestiality in a light sort of way’.”
X-Men
Heart of Wisdom caution on their website: “The gay movement intends to capture the next generation. We need to take action to protect our children!”
The popular superhero franchise X-Men seems to be up there with the greatest threats. According to HoW, X-Men directors and writers see the term “X-Men” as a code word for “gay” and have used the series to indoctrinate young boys into a gay life style.
Tinky Winky from The Teletubbies
In 1999, the late fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell took aim at Tinky Winky. He argued the purple character who carries a purse-like tote bag was a gay role model. “He is purple — the gay-pride color; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle — the gay-pride symbol.”
After his article was picked up my major news outlets and comedians, a spokesperson for the show’s producers told The New York Times the purse was simply a “magic bag.” Spoil-sports.
Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street
Like Morecambe and Wise, the idea of Bert and Ernie sharing a bed in a wholly platonic relationship went unchallenged for decades – except in a few Family Guy skits. But as the momentum towards gay marriage grew in the US, pro-LGBT rights campaigners argued it was a shame to act as if the two men weren’t in love.
After much online hype, the show’s producers were forced to make an online statement: “Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most Sesame Street Muppets do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.”
Despite the denial of Bert and Ernie’s romantic love, the pair have become unofficial gay icons. They appeared on The New Yorker’s cover announcing the historic supreme court decision to allow same-sex marriage in 2013.
Artist Jack Hunter, who originally submitted his image, unsolicited, to a Tumblr, said, “This is great for our kids, a moment we can all celebrate.” A “moment of joy”, perhaps, but maybe not for all the radical preachers out there…
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
On the set of ‘La Bamba’, lost Latino legend Ritchie Valens’s biopic
The overnight rockstar — The Chicano rock & roll star exploded overnight in the late ’50s, but just as quickly he was gone, killed in a plane crash along with Buddy Holly. An ’80s biopic saw him immortalised on the big screen, which photographer Merrick Morton captured behind the scenes.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Louis Theroux’s ‘Manosphere’ shows men aren’t the problem, platforms are
No Ws for Good Men — The journalist’s new documentary sees him dive headfirst into the toxicities and machinations of the male influencer economy. But when young creators are monetarily incentivised to make more and more outrageous content, who really is to blame?
Written by: Emma Garland
In the 1960s, African photographers recaptured their own image
Ideas of Africa — An exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art explores the 20th century’s most important lensers, including Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé and Kwame Brathwaite, and their impact on challenging dominant European narratives.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Reynaldo Rivera’s intimate portrait of queer Latino love
Propiedad Privada — Growing up during the AIDS pandemic, the photographer entered a world where his love was not only taboo, but dangerous. His new monograph presents inward-looking shots made over four decades, which reclaim the power of desire.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In photos: The newsagents keeping print alive
Save the stands — With Huck 83 hitting shelves around the world, we met a few people who continue to stock print magazines, defying an enduringly tough climate for physical media and the high street.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Inside Bombay Beach, California’s ‘Rotting Riviera’
Man-made decay — The Salton Sea was created by accident after a failed attempt to divert the Colorado River in the early 20th century. Jack Burke reports from its post-apocalyptic shores, where DIY art and ecological collapse meet.
Written by: Jack Burke
