Jodie Sweetin will forever be known for her career role as Stephanie Tanner of Full House and Fuller House fame, but she’s got another role that she’s equally as passionate about. The actress has also been an activist for women’s rights, marriage equality and Black Lives Matter, so it’s really no surprise that in the aftermath of Candace Cameron Bure making comments about “traditional marriage,” Sweetin showed her support for the LGBTQ+ community — rather than defend her TV sister — and she recently talked about her role as an ally.
At The Wrap’s Power Women Summit this month, the Hollywood vet talked about what it meant to her to show public support for marginalized groups, telling ET:
I have always been an outspoken ally for LGBTQ communities, for Black Lives Matter. I've always tried to fight for equality and love for everyone.
The actress seemingly proved this to be true, after she showed support for JoJo Siwa and Holly Robinson Peete, who spoke out against Jodie Sweetin’s former co-star, Candace Cameron Bure. The chief creative officer for GAF told the Wall Street Journal that she thought Great American Family movies would keep “traditional marriage at the core,” as Hallmark premiered its first Christmas movie that featured gay leads.
Jodie Sweetin said at the summit that she was "so honored and lucky that I get to be at the forefront, and to have these discussions," saying that using her platform to fight for equality is not just a privilege, but a responsibility. She continued:
I feel like if you have a voice and you have a platform, it is incumbent on you to be loud and use it. Whether people like it all the time or not, sometimes. I love what I do because I know that not everyone has the time [or] is willing to be able to get up and do this. So I take it as a huge responsibility.
Amid Candace Cameron Bure’s brouhaha, Jodie Sweetin showed support for JoJo Siwa by commenting, “You know I love you,” after the So You Think You Can Dance judge called Bure “rude and hurtful” for what Siwa said was intentional exclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. Sweetin also reposted a message from Hallmark actress Holly Robinson Peete — who was one actress who stayed after many, like Bure, left Hallmark to join GAF — about the dangers of using tradition to justify discriminatory practices.
Even though Jodie Sweetin did not mention Candace Cameron Bure by name in her responses, her choice to speak publicly, rather than handle their difference of opinion one-on-one, may have caused some friction, as it appeared the older Tanner sister unfollowed Sweetin on social media.
The Stephanie Tanner actor's activism made headlines this summer, after the Full House alum was thrown to the ground by a member of the LAPD during an abortion rights rally. The actress did not address the incident with law enforcement afterward, instead expressing pride for those who protested alongside her and promising to continue to fight for justice.
Jodie Sweetin and Candace Cameron Bure can each be seen in respective holiday movies this year as part of the 2022 Christmas movie schedule. You can also catch them on old episodes of Full House, which can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription, or on Fuller House, available with a Netflix subscription.
