Spongebob

Conservative Christian organizations have accused a children’s cartoon character, SpongeBob SquarePants, of being part of a secret agenda to promote homosexuality. The character appears in a music video, produced by the non-profit We Are Family Foundation, which was established following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to promote greater cultural understanding. The video, which is being distributed to 61,000 elementary schools, features SpongeBob, Winnie the Pooh, and other popular children’s characters. Although the video does not mention sexuality, the website of the foundation asks people to take a tolerance pledge by respecting those of different abilities, beliefs, culture, sexual identity, and race.


Ed Vitagliano, of the American Family Association, criticized the video by writing that, “A short step beneath the surface reveals that one of the differences being celebrated is homosexuality.” Dr. James Dobson, the founder of the ultra-conservative evangelical group Focus on the Family, spoke to members of Congress last week about SpongeBob, accusing the foundation of using the character to promote a “pro-homosexual video.”

A spokesman for Focus on the Family, Paul Batura, said, “We see the video as an insidious means by which the organization is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids.” Critics have based the accusations on the fact that the cartoon character is effeminate and occasionally holds hands with his starfish sidekick Patrick

Source:http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Jan05/Gerard0124.htm