One Million Moms, the project of the anti-LGBTQ American Family Association known for railing against depictions of queer people, has a new target: NASCAR.
The group has launched a petition urging the racing organization to cancel an upcoming advertising campaign for the 2026 season, expected to air in February around the time of the Daytona 500, over its use of the slogan “Hell Yeah!”
Created by the Los Angeles agency 72andSunny, the ad aims to reintroduce fans to NASCAR’s brand and appeal to blue-collar audiences by emphasizing its “rebellious, Americana roots” while “satisfying its core fan base and reaching new audiences,” according to Adweek.
But One Million Moms isn’t impressed, arguing that the phrase “Hell Yeah” trivializes the seriousness of Hell as a ‘place of torment and anguish’ for Christians.
The group also objects to what it calls “foul language” in a commercial likely to be seen or overheard by children, accusing NASCAR of choosing controversy over family-friendly messaging.
“Shame on NASCAR executives who air races during prime time when most families are watching,” the group wrote on its website. “How damaging and destructive to children! Everyone knows kids repeat what they hear, so NASCAR should be much more responsible in its marketing decisions.”
The right-wing organization urges parents to voice their discontent with the campaign in hopes of pressuring NASCAR to pull the ad.
“I am highly offended by NASCAR’s weak marketing campaign,” the petition states. “It is irresponsible to use profanity such as ‘Hell Yeah’ in advertisements. Everyone knows children repeat what they hear, so I urge NASCAR to cancel this new branding immediately…. If you diminish how awful Hell is and include this phrase in your ads, then my family will not be watching your racing series.”
As of Monday, only 8,600 people had signed the petition.
While this ad contains no LGBTQ content, One Million Moms has a long history of opposing commercials and campaigns that promote any form of LGBTQ visibility. The group claims that anything depicting or supporting same-sex relationships or LGBTQ-headed families isn’t “family-friendly.”
Earlier this year, the group called for a boycott of grocery giant Kroger over its LGBTQ-inclusive workplace policies and Pride Month displays in some stores. Other One Million Moms campaigns have targeted companies like eHarmony and TurboTax for ads featuring same-sex couples, Oreo for selling rainbow cookies during Pride, Whole Foods for sponsoring a Drag Queen Story Hour, and the Hallmark Channel for airing a Zola commercial depicting a lesbian wedding.
Right-wing influencers are throwing tantrums after the National Football League announced that Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and LGBTQ ally Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show on February 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The Sept. 28 announcement, made jointly by the NFL, Apple Music, and Jay-Z's Roc Nation, noted that the show will be co-produced by Emmy-winning Jesse Collins and directed by Hamish Hamilton.
Bad Bunny has won three Grammys and 12 Latin Grammys, and leads this year's Latin Grammy nominations with 12 heading into the Nov. 13 ceremony at the MGM Grand in Nevada. The 31-year-old recently wrapped a record-setting Puerto Rico residency at San Juan's El Choli, drawing more than half a million fans, with the final show breaking livestream viewership records on Prime Video and Twitch, according to CBS News.
Russell Tovey, clad in a jet-black sweater, his hair buzzed short, levels his piercing gaze at me. Somehow, even through the Zoom connection, he seems to make eye contact as he clarifies his approach as an out gay actor to taking on queer roles.
"Well, I don't actively seek out a character whose sexuality defines them," Tovey says. "I guess these things come my way, or I have connections with people and we discuss ideas, and it's about storytelling and moving the dial forward with something, or exploring something in myself, which I really want to tap into to play a character."
In the actor's wide-ranging career so far, he's tapped into playing everything from an angsty aughts werewolf on British series Being Human, to his acclaimed turn as a freedom crusader on Russell T Davies' near-future dystopian drama Years and Years.
A politician from Poland’s far-right Konfederacja (Confederation) party has quit after revealing his relationship with model Michalina Manios, an intersex woman.
In a joint interview with the newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, Dawid Szóstak and Manios confirmed they were dating and said they want to "focus on what's important," according to Euronews.
The couple stressed their shared values, noting that both are Catholic and deeply respectful of tradition.
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