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‘A Betrayal’: Mom Lambastes American Girl After Viral Controversy Over Gender Issues in New Book

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By Billy Hallowell
Editor

December 12, 2022

A mother and media personality is speaking out about the controversy over a new book by American Girl promoting gender transitions for children.

Jill Simonian, director of outreach for PragerU Kids, blasted the iconic company during an interview with CBN’s Faithwire and proclaimed she no longer has trust for the brand.

Listen to the latest episode of CBN’s Quick Start podcast 👇

Simonian also discussed her recently penned column for Fox News, in which she opposed “A Smart Girl’s Guide: Body Image Book,” a 96-page book that “normalizes being transgender, promotes the use of puberty blockers, and encourages free gender expression.”

“I’m a mom of two daughters, and I have spent many, many, many countless hours inside the American Girl Store with my own American girl daughters,” Simonian told Faithwire. “I’ve spent a lot of time … enjoying their brand, enjoying the family-friendly themes and messaging.”

With that in mind, Simonian said the release of this book — and the company’s subsequent defense — “feel like a betrayal.”

“To me, as a mother, when I open a book about body image positivity and I want to enjoy it with my kids, and I see verbiage in there saying, ‘If you’re uncomfortable with your body, well that’s OK. You don’t have to be a girl’ … that’s a betrayal,” she said.

When Simonian asked about the many brands jumping on board with gender ideology, particularly for children, she said it’s “very pervasive.”

Despite appreciating diversity and believing everyone should be treated by “the golden rule,” she decried the “woke messaging” permeating many brands.

“We are fighting very, very hard at PragerU Kids to counter all of the woke messaging that is forced on our children,” Simonian said. “But what is thrust on our children is this very complex, radicalized worldview about topics that are frankly beyond their level of understanding.”

As for why she decided to speak out in a strongly worded article, Simonian was candid, noting fear has too often dissuaded parents from speaking out.

“I did react to this right away, because it deserves an immediate reaction from parents like us who are concerned about protecting our children,” she said. “We have let so much of our educational and entertainment resources just have freewheeling control.”

Simonian continued, “I’m really tired of all of us being scared to speak up and say what is right and what is wrong.”

She’s hoping to inspire other parents to speak out and defend their children. Watch what Simonian had to say here.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

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