August 5, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – TV personality Mario Lopez wasted no time in disavowing a mild critique of gender ideology that got him in hot water with pro-LGBT activists, but it may not be enough to save his latest hosting job.
In June, the former Saved by the Bell star and upcoming Access Hollywood co-host discussed the subject of Hollywood parents such as Charlize Theron raising little boys as little girls (and vice versa) in an interview with conservative personality Candace Owens.
“I’m never one to tell anyone how to parent their kids, obviously, and I think if you come from a place of love, you really can’t go wrong,” he said. “But at the same time, my God, if you're three years old and you’re saying you’re feeling a certain way or you think you’re a boy or a girl or whatever the case may be, I just think it's dangerous as a parent to make this determination then, well, okay, then you’re going to a boy or a girl, whatever the case may be.”
“It’s sort of alarming, and my gosh, I just think about the repercussions later on,” Lopez continued. “When you’re a kid … you don’t know anything about sexuality yet. You’re just a kid” and the parent has to “be the adult in the situation.”
Numerous pro-LGBT voices accused Lopez of saying parents shouldn’t “support” gender-confused kids, “speak[ing] against a vulnerable group of children,” lacking “education,” and being “cruel.” He subsequently announced that his comments “were ignorant and insensitive, and I now have a deeper understanding of how hurtful they were. I have been and always will be an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ community, and I am going to use this opportunity to better educate myself.”
Despite the walkback, sources have reportedly told Radar Online that NBC may boot Lopez from hosting Access Hollywood anyway.
“The execs at NBC held an emergency meeting yesterday to discuss Mario’s future with the show because they do not see how they can just let this fly,” the source said. “Mario’s comments are not an accurate representation of what the network stands for at all. The network prides itself on equality and do not accept anti LGBTQ hate speech at all.”
According to the source, Lopez’s apology did nothing to improve his chances, but merely confirmed “that he was aware that his comments were transphobic and hurtful” in the executives’ minds. Radar Online added that sources claim Lopez’s own public relations people expect NBC to “make an example out of him.”
Another source told Yahoo Entertainment the opposite, that Lopez’s gig is secure and he is “set to begin production” for a September 9 debut.
Whatever Lopez’s television fate may be, many took the immediate backlash and following retraction as a troubling example of enforced groupthink in Hollywood.
A few Hollywood dissenters did defend his original comments:
I’m w/ @MarioLopezExtra if you’re 3-yrs-old your ass ain’t making the rules in my house. Until your ass is responsible 4 yourself, paying bills, you can’t even sign a permission slip for a field trip, then my rules. U don’t get to choose UR gender at 3. ����♂️ #TeamDl #DLHughleyShow
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) August 2, 2019
I have to say to @MarioLopezExtra I am sad to hear you apologized for doing nothing wrong. Like a good smart pal of mine says…”Never bend a knee to the rage mob. Ever.” Xoxo We are here for you ����
— Kristy Swanson (@KristySwansonXO) August 1, 2019
Biological sex is rooted in an individual’s chromosomes and reflected by hundreds of genetic characteristics. Studies indicate that more than 80 percent of children experiencing gender dysphoria outgrow it on their own by late adolescence, unless their confusion is reinforced by adults. Even full sex “reassignment” surgery often fails to resolve gender-confused individuals’ heightened tendency to engage in self-harm.