Can't We Just Be Thankful Without Hate?

Macy’s Parade Shuns Boycott Demands From Anti-L.G.B.T.Q. Group

A right-wing group that has been designated a hate group is planning to protest the Thanksgiving parade because of the inclusion of two nonbinary performers.

By Stefanos Chen

An anti-L.G.B.T.Q. group is organizing a boycott of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade over performances by nonbinary Broadway actors, in the latest attempt to force companies to reverse course on social issues that some far-right groups consider too liberal.

The parade’s response: march on.

Similar campaigns have led brands including Budweiser and Target to cave to activists’ demands. But the parade has long had close ties to Broadway, one of the most L.G.B.T.Q. friendly industries in the city.

Transgender musician Kim Petras
performed at the parade in 2021

The group, which is called *One Million Moms, says it has drawn about 33,000 signatures in support of its boycott. But it appears to have overplayed its hand, said Scott Galloway, a professor of marketing at New York University Stern School of Business.

“I think this is the easiest ‘no’ in the history of Macy’s,” Mr. Galloway said. The protesters “have vastly overestimated their leverage here.”

One Million Moms is protesting the participation of two nonbinary actors: Alex Newell, the Tony Award-winning performer who stars as Lulu in “Shucked,” and Justin David Sullivan, who plays May in the musical “& Juliet.” Both are likely to take part in musical acts during the event, along with hundreds of other performers from Broadway and elsewhere.

Macy’s declined to comment on the petition, but reaffirmed its plans to proceed as normal.

“We look forward to celebrating this iconic Thanksgiving tradition again next week,” a spokeswoman said in a statement.

 

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*One Million Moms [a designated hate group] has continuously campaigned against any form of LGBTQ+ representation in entertainment or the media, previously condemning companies - from confectionary like Skittles for their packaging to the Barbie movie for including a transgender actor.

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