@Vannessa's Dolls True, they don't have to buy the books for their kids, but the books come with the doll, so I think most people are upset that they can't escape that.
Not to contradict anyone else's point but kids are going to find out that LGBT people exist regardless of whether parents tell them or not. Kids meet other people, watch shows and movies, use the internet, and read stories like Kira's. It is more important that they are taught to accept those people or story characters as they are.
You're right, they will show up in media, but I'm just upset that AG didn't give a warning to parents, because there are some parents who don't allow that at all. I don't believe that it's that they don't accept them, I think that it's more that they want a warning, because parents have differing opinions on when they want to talk to their kids about certain things. I remember when I was little, my parents made me cover up my eyes even when a straight couple kissed on TV. I have no problems whatsoever with putting LGBT representation in the media, my issue lies with it being crammed down my throat, as it is with anything.
@BeForeverAG I might be misinterpreting your comment but how are LGBT people being crammed down your, or anybody's throat? There is not that much LGBT representation in the mainstream media as fair as I have seen, and whenever there is any, especially in kid's media there is always backlash. If parents want to ignore that non-straight people exist that is up to them but it doesn't erase the fact that people like Kira's aunts exist in the real world and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with people like them (the aunts not the parents).
@Vanessa's Dolls Again, I completely agree that kids will find out that those types of people exist. I'm saying that different families have different opinions about when to introduce their children to certain things. An example is that if an LGBT couple adopted a child, they may want to wait to introduce their child to straight people. I don't believe that there is anything wrong with straight or LGBT parents waiting to introduce their child to something like that. I think most, if not all, people acknowledge that there are LGBT people in this world and no one is actually scared of them or anything. I'm saying that if they just had an LGBT couple in a book or television show, that would work to simply normalize it, but if the author/producer made a huge deal out of it, that could be interpreted as cramming the LGBT people down one's throat.
@BeForeverAG Just wanted to add that parents don't have to buy the books for their kids if they don't want to. They can choose what books their children read, unless they read them in school or something.
@Vanessa's Dolls I completely agree that the parents don't have to buy the books for their kids. The problem was that AG didn't give a warning and most parents never would have expected that in an Ag book. Unfortunately, American girl has lost a lot of trust from parents.
@moorlandflower Okay, Iโm not a parent so maybe I just donโt get it but why do kids need a warning if there are lgbt characters in a book, it is not inappropriate content, at least in my view. It is the 21st century, so as time goes on and the world progresses more characters like Kiraโs aunts will inevitably show up in books and other media, like it or not. If American Girl only catered to what some parents wanted theyโd lose even more business. See my comment below on how kids will find out about LGBT people other ways even if parents ban their kids from reading books like Kiraโs.
@Appleโs AG Yes, I understand that, but if you can't accept what people have to say, you shouldn't have reviews. And yea, that would upset a lot of people.
@Vannessa's Dolls True, they don't have to buy the books for their kids, but the books come with the doll, so I think most people are upset that they can't escape that.
Not to contradict anyone else's point but kids are going to find out that LGBT people exist regardless of whether parents tell them or not. Kids meet other people, watch shows and movies, use the internet, and read stories like Kira's. It is more important that they are taught to accept those people or story characters as they are.
What do you mean by "homophobic?"
They can't really just remove them though.