Pizza Hut Faces Backlash for ’Drag’ Book Reportedly Promoted to Children

Pizza Hut’s “BOOK IT!” program sent out an email earlier this week with books it wanted to promote for June, “Pride Month”.

In the email the description for the books they are promoting reads:

“This June we are celebrating Pride Month and the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.
These three books explore the uniqueness of every person, celebrate our individuality and encourage kids to see that what makes us different, makes us special.
With pride,
The BOOK IT! Team”

The three books they have chosen to highlight to children for “Pride Month” are:

Perfectly Pegasus, “follows a story of friendship and individuality”. This book is listed for PreK-3rd Grade.

Big Wig,  “shares the joy of dressing up and being your authentic self”. This book is also listed for PreK-3rd Grade.

Be Amazing: A History of Pride, “walks you through the history of the LGBTQ+ community”. This book is listed for PreK-1st Grade.

“BOOK IT!” is a program that incentivizes children to read to earn a personal pan pizza.

Libs of TikTok shared the email from Pizza Hut, along with the description of Big Wig, captioned with, “@pizzahut sponsors a program which incentivizes kids in PreK-6th grade to read books. This week, one of their suggested books is “Big Wig.” A book about a child who becomes a drag performer.”

.@pizzahut sponsors a program which incentivizes kids in PreK-6th grade to read books. This week, one of their suggested books is “Big Wig.” A book about a child who becomes a drag performer. pic.twitter.com/5FTQC5ubCo

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 3, 2022

In another tweet, Libs of TikTok asks, “What is @pizzahut” going to do about this?”

This is followed by a retweet of The Based Librarian, which shows pictures from inside the book. “Here are some images from the pride books that @bookitprogram sponsored by @pizzahut is recommending.”

Here are some images from the pride books that @bookitprogram sponsored by @pizzahut is recommending. https://t.co/5Ce5ctxUNy

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 3, 2022

The author of the book, Jonathan Hillman, is excited to have his book highlighted, he is also enjoying all the backlash the book is receiving as well.

“Hooray! Thank you @pizzahut for featuring BIG WIG (and for the MANY pizzas over the years). I grew up doing Book It!, so this is really special. And thank you @mychal3ts for sharing! #Pride@LeviHastingsArt@SimonKIDS”

Hooray! Thank you @pizzahut for featuring BIG WIG (and for the MANY pizzas over the years 🍕). I grew up doing Book It!, so this is really special. And thank you @mychal3ts for sharing! 🌈 #Pride @LeviHastingsArt @SimonKIDS https://t.co/BgLBnwdqSQ

— Jonathan Hillman, BIG WIG author ✨ (@jhillmanbooks) June 3, 2022

Hillman mocks those being critical of Pizza Hut’s choice to promote the book. With a screenshot of conservative tweets critical of Pizza Hut Hillman shares, “Wait until they find out I made fake Book It! certificates to get free personal pans when I was seven”.

Wait until they find out I made fake Book It! certificates to get free personal pans when I was seven 🍕 https://t.co/jnYfP0aRr9

— Jonathan Hillman, BIG WIG author ✨ (@jhillmanbooks) June 4, 2022

Todd Starnes shares his thoughts on the matter, “Over the past few years #pizzahut has had to close hundreds of restaurants. Maybe they should spend more time perfecting their pizza instead of grooming preschoolers to be drag queens? @mschlapp @JackPosobiec @kylenabecker”

Over the past few years #pizzahut has had to close hundreds of restaurants. Maybe they should spend more time perfecting their pizza instead of grooming preschoolers to be drag queens? @mschlapp @JackPosobiec @kylenabecker

— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) June 3, 2022

Conservative commentator Mark Dice, asks Pizza Hut on Twitter, “Why is your Book It! program promoting grooming young children into becoming drag queens?”

Why is your Book It! program promoting grooming young children into becoming drag queens? https://t.co/q0hIu0Sbdd

— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) June 3, 2022

On June 1, 2009, former President Barak Obama made a Proclamation that June would now be “Pride Month”. He ends his lengthy proclamation with, “NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA”

Corporate America has taken to make sure they take advantage of this by pushing LGBTQ+ media and talking points as they can into June. Many of them change their profile pictures to Rainbows and Drag.

This year Every Man Jack sent out a rainbow tweet with their slogan for the month, “Groom with Pride”. They quickly deleted the tweet and changed their slogan for the month, hoping they may have not been caught.

This isn’t photoshop – this was a real tweet, it has since been deleted. https://t.co/H2fwJWmUY4

And it wasn’t the only example of “Groom with Pride” – which has also since been deleted and the slogan changed. https://t.co/All6kGsREF https://t.co/ZFqZyTo9p3

— Deleted User (@deleted52248878) June 1, 2022

Last year, San Franciso Gay Choir released a song where they state their purpose, “We’re coming for your children”.

Many parents are sick of what they believe to be blatant propaganda, and they are speaking up and taking action against what they see as mainstream attempts to “groom” children. Some parents are getting more involved to make sure their voice is not muted when it comes to their children, pushing back against an agenda they are not comfortable with.