Executives at Hallmark Channel and Lifetime have expressed that they would like to “expand diversity” by making more LGBTQ-focused Christmas movies. The executives have reportedly noted that simply having LGBTQ characters in their movies is not enough when it comes to remedying alleged diversity issues, and that Christmas movies should feature leading LGBTQ characters in the future.
“So much for making the yuletide gay,” reports The Wrap in reaction to Hallmark and Lifetime allegedly having no “LGBTQ main character” in any of their 70 new Holiday movies.
According to the entertainment news outlet, it’s not enough for gay characters to simply be present in films, they should also be the main characters, taking center stage.
The report added that executives at Hallmark parent company Crown Media and Lifetime have expressed that in the future, they hope to “remedy” what they see as an issue of their movies not having enough LGBTQ representation.
“We are continuing to expand our diversity,” said Crown Media Family Networks executive vice president of programming Michelle Vicary to The Wrap. “We are looking at pitches for LGBTQ movies — and we are looking to expand and represent the United States as a whole.”
“I think that we are making great strides,” he added. “And we are, [but] like the industry, there is a lot of work to be done to catch up in that area.”
According to The Wrap, out of Hallmark’s 40 new holiday-themed movies — as well as Lifetime’s 30 new Christmas films — none of them feature “primary storylines” about LGBTQ couples.
“This year, Lifetime has four movies which feature queer relationships in supporting positions,” reports The Wrap, “but none have carried a holiday movie of their own as the co-owners of a candy cane company or lovers in Dollywood or whatever the premise may be.”
The report also noted that only one of Netflix’s six new holiday movies feature an LGBTQ storyline.
“As Lifetime has a diverse group of people working behind the scenes, we’re always looking at the environments we create with our holiday movies to ensure they are reflective of the world we live in,” said Meghan Hooper White, the senior vice president of original co-productions and acquisitions for Lifetime and sister network LMN to TheWrap.
“We want to see ourselves,” she added. “While we are proud of the great strides we have made in having many inclusive and diverse storylines — we can always continue to expand.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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