The Wiggles’ New Diverse Cast Has Upset Lyle Shelton & Matt Canavan

The Wiggles’ New Diverse Cast Has Upset Lyle Shelton & Matt Canavan

News of The Wiggles announcing a new “more inclusive” line up has been welcomed by many people across Australia. But, not Lyle Shelton, who has accused the popular children’s entertainers of “indoctrinating children into LGBTQIA+ gender fluid ideology”.

The Wiggles had announced that it would expand its current line up to eight members as part of its YouTube series Fruit Salad.

Shaping The Wiggles For The Future

The diverse cast was the idea of founding Blue Wiggle, Anthony Field, who wanted to create a show which was more relevant for children who come from culturally diverse families.

The newest members include John Pearce who found fame with pop group Justice Crew, who has Filipino heritage and is the only new male cast member. The new cast includes Indigenous Australian Evie Ferris, Chinese-Australian Kelly Hamilton and Ethiopian-born Tsehay Hawkinsand.

“As society has evolved, we have embraced the need for diversity and inclusiveness and want children all over the world to see themselves reflected on the screen. It’s so important that The Wiggles continue to evolve along with our society.”

“This is the first step towards shaping The Wiggles for the next 30 years, taking us in a direction that truly represents and serves our community more inclusively,”  Field said in a statement

Rainbow Continues To Rile Lyle Shelton

But it wasn’t so much as this more inclusive line up of new performers that had Shelton feeling a little hot under the collar, shortly after the announcement.

The former leader of the “No” campaign in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey posted on his website and social media that he believes, “The Wiggles, once a safe haven for children, is now indoctrinating them into harmful LGBTIQA+ ideology, confusing them about whether they are boys or girls.”

Shelton targeted what he called the introduction of “a ‘non-binary’ unicorn, Shirley Shawn”.

According to Shelton, the Shawn character had previously featured in a video released last year “holding an umbrella in the colours of the rainbow political movement”.

https://twitter.com/joshgnosis/status/1429674286986395649

Alongside Shirley Shawn, two other non-binary characters are set to join The Wiggles, Police Officer Beaples who is largely non-verbal, and  Bok an emotional, shy hand puppet.

Sadly, Shelton has taken his outrage one step further, also launching a petition which asks its signatories that now that The Wiggles “are pushing LGBTIQA+ gender fluid ideology, would you let your kids watch the woke Wiggles?”  The petition has so far gathered around 2000 signatures.

…. And, Matt Canavan

The new line-up also caught the ire of Coalition Senator Matt Canavan- who has previously called for gay and lesbian Australians to “grow a spine” in the face of homophobia. Canavan told The Australian. “The Wiggles are free to do what they like. It was nice while it lasted. But you go woke, you go broke,” going on to predict the new line up would be the beginning of the end for The Wiggles.

While haters will keep on hating, Fruit Salad TV is set to debut on September 4 on YouTube and will be available worldwide.

For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14

For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

 

 

 

 

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One response to “The Wiggles’ New Diverse Cast Has Upset Lyle Shelton & Matt Canavan”

  1. Does anyone really care what former ACL chief, Shelton has to say about anything?
    As for Matt Canavan he is just another politicians who thinks he knows what is best for everyone. He has contributed nothing which has improved anything for anyone during the time he has been warming a seat in the Senate other than being a nodding head for Scott Morrison, possibly the most xenophobic, racist PM this country had ever been cursed with. Note how the Brits, US can manage to get tens of thousands of Afghans who worked for them and who are now under threat of being murdered by the Taliban, out of Afghanistan yet Morrison can only get less than 2000. Of course they are “Not-Quite-White” and none of them are Christians so Morrison, who knows nothing about what it is to be a true Christian, simply does not want any of them here.
    We can take care of him the next time he is up for election.