One Million Moms Goes Berserk Over Gay Men’s Wearhouse Ad
The conservative organization is venting its outrage at Men's Wearhouse for a wedding ad featuring -- gasp! -- a gay couple.
A right-wing organization that persistently complains about positive media depictions of LGBTQ people has a new bogeyman: Men’s Wearhouse.
One Million Moms, a project of the American Family Association that has become famous for calling for boycotts of companies that celebrate and respect LGBTQ visibility, is circulating a petition demanding the company pull an ad from the airwaves and “remain neutral in the culture war.”
In the ad, the men’s clothing retailer touts its wide variety of suits. This particular commercial focuses on wedding attire and depicts a variety of couples, most of whom are heterosexual, preparing for their weddings — posing for pictures, greeting guests, holding hands, kissing.
One of the couples is a same-sex couple.
“Men’s Wearhouse should be ashamed of attempting to normalize sin by featuring two gay men getting married in their 2023 ‘Love the way you look on your big day’ commercial!” shrieks the petition. “It includes two men dressed in wedding attire, hand in hand after their ceremony, and emphasizes during the ad, ‘And we mean everybody.’
“Obviously, this ‘Love the way you look’ ad (with hashtag #LTWYL) promotes same-sex marriage to please a small percentage of customers while pushing away conservative customers. Not to mention, there is also a female dressed in a groomsman’s suit during this commercial.”
The conservative group’s objection is largely centered around embracing Biblical teachings around morality, including opposition to homosexuality and same-sex marriage. They are particularly concerned children might see the commercial.Β
“Even though homosexuality is unnatural, this advertisement is pushing the LGBTQ agenda. Men’s Wearhouse is using public airwaves to subject families to decadent morals and values while belittling the sanctity of marriage,” One Million Moms decries.
“As an even greater concern, the controversial commercial is airing as early as 6 p.m., when children are likely watching television. It is not a retailer’s job to introduce so-called ‘social issues’ like this to our children in a commercial. Men’s Wearhouse is glorifying sin, and no sin should be honored.”
Urging its followers to sign their petition demanding that the ad be pulled, One Million Moms asserts that millions of Americans adhere to the belief that marriage should be restricted to heterosexual couples.
They ignore the fact that the company may be seeking to market itself to a new group of customers who previously might not have had cause to purchase wedding-related attire.
“Men’sΒ Wearhouse will hear from the Left, so they need to hear from us as well,” the petition states. “One day, we will answer for our actions or lack of them. So, we must remain diligent and stand up for Biblical values and truth. Repeatedly, Scripture says that homosexuality is wrong, and God will not tolerate this sinful nature (Romans 1:26-27).”
This is not the first time the group has objected to LGBTQ depictions on screen. At the start of the year, it called for a boycott of TurboTax after the tax professionals included a fleeting glimpse of two men marrying in an ad.
Similarly, the group objected to a 2016 ad from jewelry company Zales, which featured a lesbian couple marrying.
The group has alsoΒ criticized eHarmony for a commercialΒ depicting a gay couple eating toast, called for aΒ boycott of OreoΒ for selling rainbow-colored cookies during Pride season, balked atΒ a Disney cartoonΒ featuring two gay dads, condemnedΒ Whole FoodsΒ for sponsoring a Drag Queen Story Hour event, and demanded that theΒ Hallmark Channel yank an adΒ (one of several versions, including some featuring opposite-sex couples) depicting a lesbian wedding.Β
Watch the full Men’s Wearhouse ad below:
Support Metro Weeklyβs Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet itβs crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So wonβt you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each weekβs magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.