Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, sounded off on the FCC’s recently launched review of the TV Parental Guidelines, slamming it as an attempt to “manipulate the media, erode freedom of speech and harm LGBTQ Americans.”
“Parents should absolutely have a say in what their kids watch, and parents already know that seeing an LGBTQ person on screen or in real life does no harm,” Ellis said in a statement Wednesday evening. “What does cause harm is government overreach. Under Brendan Carr, the Federal Communications Commission is once again attempting to dictate what can be seen on television.”
She continued: “The reality is that 23% of Americans under 30 are LGBTQ, and more than 5 million children have LGBTQ parents. Media companies must be allowed to create and broadcast stories that reflect one-quarter of their audience without interference from a government agency with its own anti-transgender political agenda.”
As Ellis went on, she noted this update was “about more than television,” adding, “It’s about whether a government agency gets to reshape culture, limit storytelling and undermine free expression. Americans should make their voices heard by submitting a comment that rejects this latest attempt by Brendan Carr’s FCC to manipulate the media, erode freedom of speech, and harm LGBTQ Americans.”
Ellis’ statement came hours after Carr’s FCC launched a review of TV parental guidelines and cited concerns about whether the system adequately addressed content related to gender identity issues.
“Recently, parents have raised concerns that controversial gender identity issues are being included or promoted in children’s programs without providing any disclosure or transparency to parents,” the FCC’s Wednesday notice stated. “Specifically, the industry guidelines that parents rely on are rating shows with transgender and gender non-binary programming as appropriate for children and young children, and doing so without providing this information to parents, thereby undermining the ability of parents to make informed choices for their families.”
The FCC’s update added: “Consistent with Congress’s vision for the ratings system, we seek comment on whether the industry’s approach is continuing to provide the information that is relevant to parents today.”
The voluntary ratings system was established after Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and included a provision requiring labels for programs’ suitability for children. It also required TV manufacturers to develop technology allowing parents to block material rated as violent, sexual or otherwise flagged by the system.
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