TLC has come under fire for its latest reality project. A couple of weeks ago, the network released the first look at My Husband’s Not Gay, a new documentary special that will follow men in the Mormon church who are attracted to men but who cultivate relationships with women. Now, the show is receiving opposition via a petition and from GLAAD.
Over at Change.org, former Christian Josh Sanders wrote about his experiences as a gay man whose church convinced him to undergo reparative therapy so that he would no longer be gay. His petition calls for TLC to “stop spreading such dangerous misinformation” by canceling My Husband’s Not Gay.
GLAAD also backs up the petition, and the organization’s President and CEO made a statement this morning calling My Husband’s Not Gay “downright irresponsible". Here’s the whole statement.
“This show is downright irresponsible. No one can change who they love, and, more importantly, no one should have to. By investing in this dangerous programming, TLC is putting countless young LGBT people in harm’s way.”
If you haven’t caught the first look at the reality series, the show will focus on three married couples and one unmarried man who is looking for love. The men in each of the relationships have decided they would rather be married than focus on the feelings they have for other men. It’s a personal choice the men have made thanks to the tenets of their religion, but there are troubling moments when each of the guys involved with My Husband’s Not Gay note how religion has enabled them to suppress their feelings for dudes. You can check out the full trailer, below.
Regardless of how you feel about LGBTQ causes, this is a really complicated issue. On the one hand, it's important for gay children to know they have options and should be proud of their feelings, not ashamed. On the other hand, it's hard to advocate censorship on any level. It's important for networks to be able to present difficult and complicated stories, even if many viewers don't agree with the personal choices being made. Society has made a ton of advancements in recent years in celebrating differences and letting gay people share the same rights as everyone else. Whether this show stays on the air or not, there's no reason to think that won't continue.
For now, TLC is staying mum about the issue and the preview is still available to view on the channel's site. The one-hour special is currently expected to still air on the channel this Sunday.
