The Hallmark Channel has removed an advertisement featuring a same-sex marriage following complaints from a conservative advocacy group, CBC News reported.
The group, "One Million Moms", had previously published a petition to boycott the channel after it aired a series of commercials which they said unjustly promote the "gay agenda" to viewers.
In four of them, a lesbian couple stand at an alter and share a kiss after being legally declared wife and wife.
After getting word of the commercials, One Million Moms posted an online petition in which they called for others to sign in order to pressure Hallmark into removing the "offensive" commercials.
"Praise the Lord!" One Million Moms wrote in a statement online. "1MM has personally spoken with Crown Media Family Networks CEO Bill Abbott who confirmed Hallmark Channel has pulled the Zola.com commercial, featuring a same-sex couple, from their network."
It continued, "He reported the advertisement aired in error, but he was informed about it after hearing from concerned 1MM supporters. Way to go!"
"The debate surrounding these commercials on all sides was distracting from the purpose of our network, which is to provide entertainment value," Molly Biwer, senior vice president for public affairs and communications at Hallmark, said in a statement.
In an interview with CBC News she added, "The Hallmark brand is never going to be divisive. We don't want to generate controversy, we've tried very hard to stay out of it ... We just felt it was in the best interest of the brand to pull them and not continue to generate controversy."
The hashtag #BoycottHallmark began trending as such celebs as Ellen DeGeneres and William Shatner condemned the channel's removal of the ads.
"Shame on Hallmark Channel," Shatner tweeted. "Put the commercials back."
He has since responded to over a dozen tweets from supporters of the channel's removal to challenge them and try to make them see why he believes Hallmark made the wrong decision.
"The only difference between the commercials that were flagged and the ones that were approved was that the commercials that did not meet Hallmark’s standards included a lesbian couple kissing,” Chi said in a statement.
He continued, “Hallmark approved a commercial where a heterosexual couple kissed. All kisses, couples and marriages are equal celebrations of love and we will no longer be advertising on Hallmark."
h/t: CBC News
