Ten years ago, a great injustice was done to children.
In Obergefell vs. Hodges, the Supreme Court equated two things that for children will never be equal: Same-sex and opposite-sex marriages. One pairing unites children with two people to whom they have a natural right. The other separates children from one — or both.
Gay marriage hasn’t led to greater love for LGBTQ adults but rather harm to children.
As many of us predicted, gay marriage eroded children’s right to their mother and father. It turns out, when you make husbands and wives legally optional in marriage, mothers and fathers become legally optional in parenthood.
Since 2015, activists have been arguing state by state that equality requires making parenthood gender-neutral and elevating “social parents” (unrelated adults in the home who have not undergone background checks). Fathers have been legally erased from birth certificates to accommodate “two moms” and vice versa. Activists have insisted on requiring insurance or the government to fund the creation of fatherless and motherless children. Biology and adoption are bypassed in favor of “intent-based” parenthood. Giving same-sex couples equal access to the marital “constellation of benefits” denied children equal access to their own mother and father.
Politicians have followed suit.
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When was the last time you heard a lawmaker say that children need a mom and dad? Odds are, it's been about 10 years. In 2013-14, the phrase “every child deserves a mother and father” appeared in over 30 congressional speeches. By 2023-24, it surfaced fewer than five times.
The message is clear: Redefining marriage redefined the family. Dissent is now discrimination.
But it isn't just law and politics. The Supreme Court's decision had a massive impact on culture, especially on kids.
The education establishment went all in on the Court-appointed family makeover. Before 2015, the National Education Association still referred to “mothers” and “fathers” in lesson plans and holiday activities. But after the ruling, it began purging traditional language.
Its 2020 “Checklist to Support LGBTQ Students” advised teachers to replace “mom and dad” with “family” or “caring adult.” GLSEN’s 2016 re-release of Ready, Set, Respect! toolkit conditioned kindergartners and first- and second-graders to believe that a mom and dad, two moms, two dads, or no mom or dad, all are perfectly normal.
What the Court de-gendered in law, teachers now de-gender in the classroom.
Publishers followed the court’s lead — and the money.
In 2021, Americans bought nearly five million LGBTQ-themed fiction books. By 2023, that figure had topped six million, a 173% increase since 2019. Many aimed to normalize motherless and fatherless families to children such as "Heather Has Two Mommies" and "My Two Dads and Me."
We lied to children, using school curriculum and sweet librarians, about the one thing every child longs for instinctually — to be loved by their mother and father.
The culture shift and the legal restructuring contributed to a booming fertility market. Surrogate pregnancies more than doubled from 2.2% in 2011 to 4.7% in 2020. Fertility clinics often direct gay couples to surrogacy grants in the name of “equitable access to parenthood.”
These children did not lose their mothers to tragedy. They lost their mothers to adult “equality.”
Many good-hearted Americans, even conservatives, supported gay marriage because they felt it was a way to love their LGBTQ neighbors. Some stammered for a response to the question: “How will my gay marriage harm anyone else?!” Others were bullied into silence by accusations that they were “on the wrong side of history.”
After 10 years, we have seen the results. Gay marriage hasn’t led to greater love for LGBTQ adults but rather harm to children.
The truth is, their “marriage” redefined all families, and children across the nation are paying the price. That so-called “right side of history” has turned out to be the side of child victimization.
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About 50 years ago, the Supreme Court made a devastating decision that victimized children. It denied the biological reality that children in the womb are fully human and worthy of life. It took nearly 50 years to overturn the child-victimizing Roe v. Wade.
Ten years ago, the Supreme Court made another devastating decision that victimized children. It denied the biological reality that children come from a man and woman and have a right to that man and woman. It redefined the institution that every society throughout history has employed to unite children to that man and woman.
We can't wait another 50 years to undo this injustice.
A coalition of child defenders is rising — Christians, conservatives, parents, pro-family leaders, ordinary moms and dads, and the children of LGBT parents themselves. We are committed to reclaiming the institution of marriage on behalf of the most vulnerable in the country: children.
Dean Cain’s father gave his son valuable advice at the dawn of his Hollywood career.
“Don’t tell too much about yourself in interviews. Let them watch you on screen,” Cain recalls his father, veteran director Christopher Cain (“Young Guns,” “Pure Country”), sharing with him at the start of his Hollywood career.
'My closest friends are teammates from Princeton,' he says. 'I know what they’re made of. ... You learn so much about people by being teammates with them.'
Dean Cain heeded Dad’s wisdom … to a point.
Cain learned firsthand the inequities of the nation’s divorce laws while fighting for joint custody of his then-young son. Later, he traveled the globe and gained perspective on his home country’s woes.
It’s why he started speaking up on important issues and sharing his right-leaning views. It also explains his pivot to independent film projects over the past decade.
“I’m sure it affected my career,” Cain tells Align of his political views. It’s a risk he was willing to take. “Not speaking up is crazy to me. … If you have something to say, speak the truth and hopefully make the world a better place.”
Cain continues to work steadily on film and TV projects, from faith-kissed stories (“God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust”) to his latest feature, an underdog sports story he wrote and directed.
“Little Angels" opened nationwide earlier this month and continues to expand to new theaters — thanks to a feature on its website allowing users to request a screening in their area.
The movie finds Cain playing a disgraced football coach forced to oversee a girls' soccer team. It’s the ultimate indignity for his character until he sets his mind to turning this ragtag bunch of athletes into winners.
Cain’s fans may find his foray into screenwriting surprising, but he’s been telling stories ever since he was a boy. The “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” alum recalls his father nudging him to tap his creative side.
“My dad started me as a writer,” Cain recalls, and he warmed to the task. “We’d go on vacation at our ranch house, and when it was raining, instead of watching TV I’d make up stories about our family.”
He later wrote episodes of “Lois & Clark,” but his bustling acting career took precedence. “The demands on my time were intense,” he recalls.
“Little Angels” allowed him to tap into that skill set, and along the way he leaned on the classic writing maxim.
Write what you know.
Cain was a first-team All-American and two-time first-team All-Ivy for Princeton in the late 1980s and had a brief NFL career with the Buffalo Bills before a knee injury ended his gridiron dreams. He also ran track at Princeton and was its volleyball captain.
He assembled his youthful cast amid pandemic restrictions, forcing him to skip chemistry reads and trust his instincts. The young girls bonded on the set, becoming faux teammates and real friends along the way.
Cain knows the feeling.
“My closest friends are teammates from Princeton,” he says. “I know what they’re made of, what they’re like in stressful situations. I know what their characters are like. You learn so much about people by being teammates with them.”
“It’s akin to what happens in the movie. They learn to stick up for each other,” he adds.
Cain’s “Superman” days remain an indelible part of his legacy, and he remains invested in the character. He’s hoping James Gunn’s “Superman,” opening July 11, captures the Man of Steel he modeled his own performance on — the "aw, shucks" Christopher Reeve version seen in four films.
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“He’s my Superman,” he says of the late actor, who captured the essence of the DC Comics superhero, a fictional character who means plenty to Cain. “He is truth and justice and the American way. That is really important. Hard work. Dedication. Being honorable. … I know it’s cynical now, but it still plays and resonates with many.”
“Little Angels” marks Cain’s feature-length directorial debut, but he’s been soaking up information from film sets for decades.
“I watched [my dad] go through his process as a director. He’d have to make his movies on a shoestring budget,” he says, adding that family members helped flesh out scenes along the way. He recalls his uncle holding a boom mic to make some scenes possible.
“I’ve always been around it,” he says of the filmmaking craft. Now, he can’t wait to do it again.
“I’m hooked. I want to keep doing it,” he says. “I like the process. It didn’t feel much like work.”
This July, Earth's greatest heroes meet their most formidable foe yet ... an indifferent audience.
At least, that's the worry as DC and Marvel go head-to-head for summer blockbuster season's main event: Disney's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" vs. Warner Bros.' "Superman."
To be fair, Garner's character is canonical — she plays Shalla-Bal, the female successor to OG Silver Surfer Norrin Rad. It still feels like Marvel is up to its old tricks.
Does the fate of the world hang in the balance? No, but the fate of Hollywood might.
After years of alienating moviegoers by prioritizing leftist virtue-signaling over entertainment, the industry hopes to put people back in the seats next month with some good, old-fashioned tentpole crowd-pleasers. And what better to lure them in than two big-budget exemplars of the genre that has dominated the multiplex for the better part of two decades?
Except that audiences have been showing signs of superhero fatigue in the last few years, raising worries that this much-ballyhooed showdown may turn out to be box office Kryptonite.
When Warner Bros. hired James Gunn as co-head of DC Studios, the announcement was met with mixed feelings.
While many were excited for the "Guardians of the Galaxy" director to dip his toes in the world of DC after the successes of "The Suicide Squad" and "Peacemaker," some feared his signature humor and style would be a turnoff to mainstream audiences. Emotions on both sides intensified when Gunn announced he would be writing and directing the first movie of the post-Zack Snyder DCEU, "Superman."
Newcomer David Corenswet takes the reins from Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, a leading member of the Green Lantern Corps.
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Multiple trailers have led to plenty of speculation — and with it, sparring. Detractors cite poorly received test screenings, as well as unconfirmed rumors that the plot revolves around Lex Luthor using social media to garner hate for Superman with the hashtag “#Supers**t."
One thing seems certain: Whatever some fans find to criticize about the new "Superman," it won't be political pandering. Having himself felt the wrath of cancel culture, Gunn seems dead set on appealing to as wide an audience as possible.
Commenting on the film's first teaser trailer, which features shots of a bruised and battle-weary hero, Gunn said,
We do have a battered Superman in the beginning. That is our country. ... I believe in the goodness of human beings, and I believe that most people in this country, despite their ideological beliefs, their politics, are doing their best to get by and be good people — despite what it may seem like to the other side, no matter what that other side might be.
This movie is about that. It’s about the basic kindness of human beings and that it can be seen as uncool and under siege [by] some of the darker voices [and] some of the louder voices.”
Considering how vocal Gunn has been about his disdain for Donald Trump in the past, it’s refreshing to see the director offer signs that his movie will let viewers leave their differences at the door.
Fans of this new take have praised the performances, bright color palette, and a tone that feels more in line with the iconic 1978 Christopher Reeve-led "Superman." Will "Superman" save the industry? Strong pre-ticket sales suggest it has enough wind under its cape to soar well above Hollywood’s expectations.
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" looks to continue the goodwill earned by this spring's "Thunderbolts*," which opened to high praise from audiences and critics alike despite disappointing box office.
After underwhelming iterations of Marvel's first family in 2005 and 2015 (the less said about the unreleased 1994 version, the better), the studio is hoping the third time's the charm.
Starring Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Invisible Woman/Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Human Torch/Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing/Ben Grimm, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" features the team going up against one of Marvel’s most feared villains: Galactus, the devourer of worlds.
If that will appease traditionalists, the gender-swapping of beloved Marvel mainstay the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) is bound to raise eyebrows — and attract more sniping at the "M-SHE-U."
To be fair, Garner's character is canonical — she plays Shalla-Bal, the female successor to OG Silver Surfer Norrin Rad. Point taken, but it still feels like Marvel is up to its old tricks.
Comments by producer Grant Curtis earlier this month certainly don't help matters.
“If you do go back through the comics," said Curtis, "you realize that Sue Storm is arguably the leader of the Fantastic Four, because without Sue Storm, everything falls apart.”
Many fans will be quick to point out the obvious: Mr. Fantastic has always been portrayed as the leader, with Invisible Woman taking on a more motherly role. For his part, however, Pedro Pascal doesn’t seem to mind being sidelined. In fact, he seems to welcome it.
I love being led in a way. What you may identify as generosity for me, it just isn't. I'm only inspired by … I guess just powerful women have been the thing that has gotten me through being alive. So to have the opportunity to stand by one, to learn from one — just a partner, it's partnership; it’s male and female, but it's also just a kind of transcendent sort of partnership in the work and in the characters. And so I don't really know what the f**k I'm gonna do without you [Vanessa] honestly,".
In addition to flaunting his "male feminist" bona fides (and giving fans the "ick" with his awkward shows of affection toward Kirby), Pascal has also drawn negative attention with his outspokenness on immigration policy. None of this has won over those for whom Pascal is simply and profoundly miscast as Reed Richards.
Worse, rumors that stars including Adam Driver, Jake Gyllenhaal, Christopher Abbott, and Jamie Dornan passed on the role before it went to Pascal suggest that it's the script's revisionist portrayal of Mr. Fantastic that is the problem — despite director Matt Shakman's insistence that he has looked to the original comics for inspiration.
That inspiration is certainly evident in the film's setting, a futuristic 1960s alternate reality that nicely pays homage to the original vision of "Fantastic Four" creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Pascal aside, the casting of "Fantastic Four" promises a satisfying adaptation, as does the comic-book-accurate appearance of Galactus (Ralph Ineson) — a far cry from the cloud-like space cluster depicted in 2007 sequel "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer."
While "First Steps’" pre-sales trail behind those of "Superman," they're impressive enough for Marvel to be optimistic.
Of course, no amount of hype, armchair producing, or post-credits "Avengers: Doomsday" teases can turn either of these movies into a hit. That power remains squarely with us: the audience.
In that spirit, which of these two movies are you looking forward to seeing? Or will you be forgoing superheroics altogether in favor of the seventh "Jurassic Park" movie? Let us know in the comments below.
“The View” co-hosts Sara Haines and Alyssa Farah Griffin now know how the rest of us feel.
Audiences have endured an endless string of fake news stories, crazed conspiracies, and more from the toxic ABC News product.
The scariest part for tomorrow’s filmmakers? 'A Better Tomorrow' required just 30 people to complete.
We roll our eyes, laugh, and stare agape, wondering why the top brass isn’t ashamed to put the network’s name on the product.
Haines and Griffin must be numb to it all, enduring it five days a week while the paychecks keep clearing. Last week, however, Whoopi Goldberg’s commentary proved too much for even them.
The trouble began with the panel debating the latest Israeli attacks on Iran and the prospect of the U.S. entering the fray. That led to this bewildering exchange between Goldberg and Griffin.
Griffin began by explaining how the human rights abuses in Iran are far worse than what citizens face in the U.S. It’s a “the sky is blue” comment, except uber-patriot Goldberg disagreed.
GOLDBERG: We've been known in this country to tie gay folks to the car!
FARAH GRIFFIN: I’m sorry, but where the Iranian regime is today is nothing compared to the United States!
GOLDBERG: Listen, I'm sorry! They used to just keep hanging black people!
FARAH GRIFFIN: It’s not even the same! I couldn’t step foot wearing this outfit in Iran right now ... I think it's very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is in Iran.
GOLDBERG: Not if you're black!
HOSTIN: Not for everybody!
GOLDBERG: Not if you're black!
Haines jumped in, trying to bring sanity to the discussion, but Goldberg wouldn’t budge.
This really happened on a major television network, not a YouTube channel with 25 indifferent subscribers ...
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U.S.-based film studios are treading carefully vis-à-vis AI. Very carefully.
They don’t want to be seen as pushing digital creativity over human inspiration, and the recent industry strikes offered limited protections for cast and crew against the AI revolution.
China has no such compunctions.
In fact, the China Film Foundation recently announced two new AI-driven projects: the restoration of 100 martial arts films and the first completely AI-produced animated film: “A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Border.”
The scariest part for tomorrow’s filmmakers? “A Better Tomorrow” required just 30 people to complete. Now, recall watching any MCU film and seeing the waves of names floating by during the end credits.
It’s no wonder Hollywood is very, very nervous ...
Find a spouse who will love you as much as Francis Ford Coppola loves “Megalopolis.” The auteur’s 2024 film earned rough reviews and an even worse commercial drubbing. It’s still Coppola’s baby, despite it costing him tens of millions.
Literally.
With a box office tally of only $14 million, the Mega-flop didn't come close to making back its estimated $120 million budget — most of which came from the “Apocalypse Now” director's own pockets. That’s commitment, and his relationship with the film is far from over.
Coppola has yanked “Megalopolis” from its brief VOD platform run and refuses to let the movie be shown on streaming platforms or Blu-ray. Instead, he’s about to start a limited U.S. tour where he’ll screen the film and provide post-movie commentary.
We’ll know it’s true love if he announces a sequel during the tour ...
Thoughts and prayers go out to Nathan Lane. He just caught a severe case of Trump derangement syndrome.
The TV/film/Broadway actor is currently appearing in “Mid-Century Modern,” Hulu’s new gay sitcom. Lane is proud of the show but fears it could come to a crashing halt at any point. Is he worried about low ratings or disinterested Hulu executives? Perhaps the show’s budget is too expensive for the streamer?
No. He thinks Orange Man Bad might make it disappear.
“Is it going to change any minds? I don’t know about that. Trump, if he knew we were on the air, would probably try to shut it down, come after Hulu. But I think it’s a great thing to have right now, in the midst of books being banned and, ‘Don’t say this and don’t say gay and don’t do that.’ I think it’s a perfect time for a show like this.”
Maybe Lane should press Scott Bessent about his fears. Bessent is Trump’s treasury secretary, an openly gay man. He seems quite happy to be where is he today. Can Lane say the same?
The season of family road trips is upon us, and the open highway stretches ahead. You’ve packed the snacks, filled the tank, and are bracing yourselves for the first backseat skirmish over disputed elbow territory.
You consider keeping the peace via the usual distribution of digital Xanax — a screen and headphones for each underage passenger. But then a crazy idea hits you: Couldn’t we spend this time together? You know, making memories and such?
From cave rescues in Thailand to high-seas hostage escapes, 'Against the Odds' is the kind of storytelling that gets everyone quiet in the car (a rare feat).
“When do we get there?” The plaintive query, no doubt the first of a series, breaks your train of thought. Twenty-two minutes in — a new record. Then, the kicking starts.
Little thumps on the back of your seat, soft enough for plausible deniability and maddeningly off-rhythm, the kind of thing that could break a man once that white-line fever sets in ...
May we suggest putting on a podcast? Nothing like good, old-fashioned, audio-only entertainment to make the miles fly by. Here are five family-friendly favorites to get you started.
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Hosted by bestselling fantasy author Brandon Sanderson and sci-fi/horror writer Dan Wells, “Intentionally Blank” is like hanging out with your two funniest friends and listening to them shoot the breeze about everything from what makes a good villain to a running tally of notable food heists.
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You've heard of Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster — but what about the Mongolian Death Worm?
Serena vs. Venus, Kobe vs. Shaq, Hulk Hogan vs. the world. Each season of “Sports Wars” takes you on a journey through some of the most intense rivalries across every sport, from basketball and tennis to football and wrestling. By turns hilarious and tragic, these stories of big personalities and high stakes will keep the attention of fans and non-fans alike.
Episode: Brady vs. Manning: Family First
Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning are two of the most dominant players in the history of the NFL. Pit them against each other, and you’re looking at the most epic rivalry since the Pirate’s Booty ran out six exits ago.
Never give up! That’s the core message at the heart of “Against the Odds” and it’s thrilling real-life accounts of survival. From cave rescues in Thailand to high-seas hostage escapes, it’s the kind of storytelling that gets everyone quiet in the car (a rare feat). Be prepared for a few intense moments but nothing that crosses into R-rated territory.
Try this episode: Thai Cave Rescue: Lost
Seven summers ago, the world held its breath as courageous rescuers worked against the clock to save a boys soccer team trapped in a treacherous Thai cave. This six-episode season's compellingly vivid account is gripping but not graphic — ideal for older kids who like suspense.
Every product you use has a story, whether it’s the socks (Bombas) your son just threw at his sister or the chicken fingers (Raising Cane’s) that she spilled all over her car seat. “How I Built This” host Guy Raz gets some of today’s most successful entrepreneurs to spills the beans on the ups and downs of launching a brand. If you want to know how to succeed and be inspired by people who’ve battled back and made their mark on the world, this is the podcast for you.
Try this episode:Spikeball: Chris Ruder
Ever dream of kicking off the latest sports craze? That's what Chris Ruder did when he revived a favorite game from childhood and turned it into Spikeball — and he tells the whole story here. Bonus points for inspiring kids to think beyond apps and startups.
When the headlights start coming on and the sugar crash hits, there’s nothing like a ghost story to keep the blood pumping. The unique thing about “Spooked” is that its stories are true — and told by the people who experienced them. With a runtime of around 27 minutes per episode, the stories are long enough to suck you in but not so long that they drag on. Yes, some hauntings can get a bit intense (more than one takes place during the Vietnam War), but generally the vibe is eerie without tipping over into nightmare fuel.
Try this episode: Borderlands
A U.S. Border Patrol agent encounters something strange while on night patrol in the Arizona desert; and a Sri Lankan woman's mysterious illness requires a supernatural cure. Suspenseful and atmospheric while leaving plenty to the imagination.
While librarians and their supporters consistently decry critiques of their LGBT advocacy as censorship, less attention has been paid to the actual content of the books the librarians promote.
thefederalist.com