GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis rejected conservative anti-trans comments Monday night on CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, as Republican guests on the panel argued that LGBTQ+ visibility — especially in classrooms — should be left solely to parents, not schools or society.
The conversation grew increasingly heated as former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and CNN political commentator Shermichael Singleton framed LGBTQ+ inclusion as a source of political division, invoking children as the reason for their discomfort.
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Sununu dismissed LGBTQ+ representation in education outright. “That’s between me and my kids. Not the schools. Not the teachers and my kids. Not you and my kids. The parents and the kids. Period. End of story,” he said.
Singleton added that many conservatives see visibility around LGBTQ+ people — especially transgender youth — as “a bridge too far,” tying it to the erosion of Republican support for marriage equality.
Ellis, the only LGBTQ+ voice on the panel, interjected.
“If reading books about LGBTQ families in school makes you gay, then I should have been straight because I read books about straight couples my entire life.”
She criticized the idea that awareness equates to influence and warned against scapegoating trans youth.
“These kids are just trying to exist, and they want to participate. It’s not competitive.”
Related: CNN takes 'giant leap forward' by featuring transgender contributors on popular news shows, GLAAD says
The discussion repeatedly conflated support for marriage equality with broader right-wing grievances about transgender youth, school books, and sports participation. Ellis and fellow panelist Maria Cardona called out the misdirection.
“When you have a child who has two mothers or two fathers, they’re going to bring it up perhaps in their kindergarten class,” Cardona pointed out.
“They’re using people and kids as a scapegoat,” Ellis said, later emphasizing that children themselves often initiate discussions about families with same-sex parents.
“Leave it to the families,” she said. “Why is government getting involved?”
On Tuesday, Ellis followed up with a statement to The Advocate, criticizing the words of Sununu and Singleton.
“The conservative voices on last night’s panel were one step away from falsely claiming that books with LGBTQ families would cause children to become LGBTQ or harm a child’s mental health,” she said. “It is so important that LGBTQ voices are represented in mainstream media to debunk these gross fear tactics.”
“LGBTQ voices on panels like this can amplify basic points of our shared humanity and remind viewers that all American families, including LGBTQ ones, deserve the freedom to be seen and respected,” she continued, adding, “CNN’s NewsNight with Abby Philip has a strong track record of including our community in its discussions and other news programs should take note.”
Ellis’s appearance comes amid renewed scrutiny over LGBTQ+ visibility, just as Pride Month begins and the country approaches the 10th anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court decision that guaranteed marriage equality nationwide.
Despite that landmark ruling, recent polling shows the issue remains politically charged.
Related: New poll finds record-low support of marriage equality from Republicans since Obergefell v. Hodges
While 63 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage overall, Gallup recently reported a steep drop in Republican support, from 55 percent in 2022 to 41 percent in 2025. In contrast, Democratic support rose slightly, from 87 to 88 percent.
Those shifts are mirrored in new research released May 29 by the Pew Research Center. In a survey of nearly 4,000 LGBTQ adults, Pew found that while 61 percent believe there is a fair amount of social acceptance for gay and lesbian people, only 13 percent say the same for transgender people. Seventy percent of transgender respondents reported fearing for their safety, and many recounted experiences of being treated poorly by doctors, employers, and service providers.
The survey also found that most LGBTQ+ adults become aware of their identity before age 14, directly contradicting conservative claims that LGBTQ+ identities are a product of indoctrination.
"I think most Republicans... don’t generally care about what grown adults do. It’s just their business," Singleton said. "I think the issue for many conservatives pertains to children, whether it’s trans or individuals with kids playing different sports, that many conservatives will say this is inappropriate."
Philip asked, “What’s wrong with children being aware that gay people exist, that gay families exist? That’s the question that is being asked when you say, Oh, we have to protect the children. Are -- are you protecting the children from their neighbors who might have same sex parents?"
Related: LGBTQ+ adults agree — Americans don't accept transgender people
The CNN exchange also comes amid growing scrutiny of corporate retreat from LGBTQ+ support. While brands like Target and Bud Light have scaled back their Pride efforts amid organized right-wing pressure, GLAAD and Ipsos have released recent survey data showing that the public overwhelmingly backs inclusion. Seventy-one percent of Americans believe companies should be free to support Pride Month if they choose to do so. And 70 percent say that knowing a company supports LGBTQ+ communities either positively affects or doesn’t impact their purchasing decisions.
