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'Veggie Tales' Creator Says Christian Media Will Soon Need to Cover LGBT for Kids

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'Veggie Tales' co-creator Phil Vischer says it's inevitable that Christian filmmakers will need to address LGBT topics soon on their shows.

"Parents are definitely going to have to deal with a growing LGBT presence in children's media," Vischer told The Christian Post.

"It's going to show up more and more as the world has decided that LGBT issues are in the same categories as race and civil rights issues. So to say you shouldn't have a same-sex couple on 'Sesame Street' is the equivalent of saying you shouldn't have a black couple on 'Sesame Street.'"

Vischer said gay characters being portrayed on children's programming has become customary.

In recent years, the children’s show Doc McStuffins included a lesbian theme. And this year an episode of the PBS cartoon Arthur included a group of characters attending their teacher’s gay wedding.

While Arthur and his pals briefly discussed the wedding, another character told the group, "'Yep, it's a brand new world.'

"The most striking thing about that episode of Arthur wasn't that they thought it was time to introduce kids to gay marriage; it was the reaction of all the kids on the show," he said. "None of them asked questions about why two men were getting married. Their reaction was, 'Oh, OK! Great!'"

The Cartoon Network, which is very popular with children, encouraged viewers to celebrate Pride month in honor of LGBTQ+ fans during the month of June.

Vischer is a veteran in the world of children's entertainment, but knows it's only a matter of time before Christian filmmakers and producers will have to discuss these issues from a biblical perspective.

"I think it will have to be addressed at some point; I do think it's a matter of time," he told the Post. "It's tricky because it's so divisive.”

"I think it would be difficult for a couple of reasons. First: the nuance of how to treat LGBT issues isn't agreed upon within the Church; and secondly, some parents may want to have that talk with their kids," Vischer added.

The faith-based animated series, 'Veggie Tales' has educated and entertained kids on Christian values since the mid-1990s.

The best-selling children's animated cartoon features talking vegetables that share Bible-based stories and lessons in a way kids can easily understand.

"The thing that concerns me about the volume of kids programs out there is that it's mostly secular, and in all those thousands of hours of TV that our kids are consuming, they'll never see someone step foot in a church or bow their head in prayer," Vischer said.

"The goal with these shows is to take kids deeper into the Bible and also be a resource for parents," he added.

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About The Author

Andrea Morris
Andrea
Morris

Andrea Morris is a Features Producer for The 700 Club. She came to CBN in 2019 where she worked as a web producer in the news department for three years. Her passion was always to tell human interest stories that would touch the hearts of readers while connecting them with God. She transitioned into her new role with The 700 Club in August 2022.