[Vision2020] Breaking News: Is Sponge Bob Gay?

[Melynda Huskey]

This SpongeBob fan had to know more.  But further investigation makes 
Debbie's breaking news even harder to understand:

According to the We Are Family Foundation website, "Arthur, Barney, Bear, 
Big Bird, Clifford, JoJo and SpongeBob, as well as over 100 other beloved 
children's characters, have united to re-record the smash hit "We Are 
Family" in an unprecedented music video to promote tolerance and diversity 
to America's children. The video, which demonstrates to children the 
importance of togetherness embodied in the word “family”, will be 
distributed to 61,000 public and private elementary schools in the United 
States on March 11, 2005, in celebration of the proposed National We Are 
Family Day."

So what is the objection? Is SpongeBob kissing Patrick on camera?  Is Bob 
the Builder sporting a Rainbow Pride button?  Clifford the Big Gay Dog?  Are 
there even any gay or lesbian families in the video?

Nope.  According to the American Family Association magazine for January, 
the issue is that some of the organizations which support this project have 
also, at other times, in other places, unconnected in any way to this video, 
objected to homophobia.  This connection might lead to what the group calls 
a "secondary discussion about homosexuality," if any child who watched the 
video then went online and managed to get through four or five links to a 
page that referred to tolerance for people of different sexual orientations.

http://www.afajournal.org/2005/january/1.05cover.asp

"Wildmon said it is difficult taking a stand against such projects. "Nobody 
I know has a problem with teaching children to be respectful and tolerant. 
It is wrong, however, to use such concepts to open the door to a secondary 
discussion about a controversial subject like homosexuality," he said.

Right.  Let's use concepts like disrespect and violence to open those 
discussions.

Squidwardly yours,

Melynda Huskey