Religious Right Continues Tirade Against Dan Savage Sitcom

The controversy surrounding "The Real O'Neals," the sitcom inspired by gay activist Dan Savage that was recently picked up as part of ABC's fall 2016 primetime line up, continues with anti-gay Christian activists calling on ABC's parent company Disney to dump the show.

A Change.org petition launched by Media Research Center (MRC) was launched last week, and as of this writing has over 18,000 signers.

"Dan Savage is a hateful anti-Christian bigot," the petition says.

According to press notes, "The Real O'Neals" is "a contemporary take on a seemingly perfect Catholic family, whose lives take an unexpected turn when surprising truths are revealed. Instead of ruining their family, the honesty triggers a new, messier chapter where everyone stops pretending to be perfect and actually starts being real."

Previously, MRC, along with other anti-gay groups including One Million Moms and Family Research Council, unsuccessfully lobbied ABC to dump the show, calling on their members to sign petitions, make 4,000 phone calls and send 21,000 postcards protesting the development of the sitcom.

Upon release of the trailer for "The Real O'Neal's" last week, MRC's online news outlet Newsbusters called the show "pretty standard religious-people-are-hypocrites lefty stuff" and "a cultural thumb in the eye."

Writing for Patheos, Marge Fenelon claimed Savage was trying to "destroy the Catholic Church."

"Divorce, homosexuality, and embezzlement do happen in Catholic families, but it is not the norm, and it's certainly not the model," she wrote. "There are priests who live in excess, but not all priests do. 'The Real O'Neals' does not depict the 'typical Irish Catholic family.'"

She is calling on Catholics to "pray the rosary" to fight the show, saying "the show hasn't aired yet. We still have time - but not much!"

Right Wing Watch reported Monday Dan Gainor of MRC made homophobic jokes on a Houston radio broadcast when discussing the show.

"When will this gay show kick off, is it coming around the corner?" Malone asked.

Gainor replied: "I don't think it's coming around the corner, I think it might catch us from behind."

The International Business Times notes Disney is not likely to yield to pressure to yank the series. The company is noted for its gay-friendly policies and was named by the Human Rights Campaign as one of the best places to work for LGBT equality.

Watch the trailer that the religious right doesn't want you to see.