12 Hallmark Stars Who Are LGBTQ+ Allies
The Hallmark Channel is the ultimate hub for romantic comedies. However, love comes in all shapes and sizes, so shouldn't rom-coms do the same? This was the question on many fans' minds years ago, and it sparked a debate about the inclusivity and diversity on the network. Since then, Hallmark began a serious push to become more inclusive with its storylines, and in 2022, "The Christmas House" premiered, giving the network its first-ever movie with a gay couple front-and-center. The movie was a success, but it also sparked a new competitor network led by the former CEO of Hallmark, Bill Abbott, called Great American Family. When beloved Hallmark star, Candace Cameron Bure left to head to the new network, she told the Wall Street Journal, "I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core."
As many actors followed Cameron Bure, leaving the Hallmark Channel for the competitor, others have embraced the more inclusive changes at Hallmark. Hallmark has now incorporated LGBTQ+ characters and actors into their programming, and many of the network's stars are proud of the changes. The Hallmark Channel has openly gay fan-favorite stars like Jonathan Bennett and Luke MacFarlane, but it also has stars who have been great allies to the LGBTQ+ community through the years. Some of these stars, in particular, have been very open about their support for the community and have spoken out about their love for the more inclusive changes the network has made.
Hilarie Burton speaks out about what's right and blocks bigots
Of all the people who spoke out against Candace Cameron Bure's statement about the values at Great American Family, Hilarie Burton — "One Tree Hill Alum" and star of Hallmark movies like "Surprised by Love" and "Summer Villa" — was one of the most outspoken. In November 2022, she took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to address the comments. She wrote, "Now they're just openly admitting their bigotry... Being LGBTQ+ isn't a 'trend.'" She went on to call Bill Abbott, Cameron Bure, and the Great American Family network "disgusting," adding that "There is nothing untraditional about same-sex couples."
In June 2023, Burton opened up on Instagram about taking her and her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan's son and daughter to what she called her "town's FIRST #pride celebration." She went on to write, "It's not enough just to celebrate love this year. We are fighting for the civil rights of our friends and neighbors and cherished loved ones." She ended her long caption with a warning: "PS: I block bigots. No questions asked. No trash allowed on my page."
Lacey Chabert was happy for more diverse stories at Hallmark
Before heading to Great American Family, Candace Cameron Bure was the reigning queen of the Hallmark Channel. These days, though, the number one Hallmark leading lady has to be Lacey Chabert, who has starred in more than 30 of the network's films and undergone a stunning transformation over the years. Hallmark loves Chabert, the feeling is mutual, and she's not going anywhere. In her 2022 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cameron Bure shared that she was leaving Hallmark, in part, because it was "a completely different network than when I started."
Chabert responded in an interview with Vulture, and while she was careful to avoid drama, she made her stance known. "Any shift I've felt has been embracing our creative ideas. And it's my responsibility to the audience who continue to tune into my movies that I give the best I have to offer," Chabert explained. She added, "That's always my mission. I'll never abandon what Hallmark means for me, which is that everything is centered around the heart. I don't think there are any plans for that to change anytime soon." While her values seem to align with Hallmark's new direction, Chabert remained diplomatic toward the stars who left for Great American Family. "You know what, I wish everybody the best. I really can't comment on it further other than I care about everybody involved," she said. "I'm with Hallmark, and I work for them. I'm so sorry, but I'll just have to leave it at that."
Ryan Paevey expressed excitement for Hallmark's increasing inclusivity
Like Lacey Chabert, Ryan Paevey is another Hallmark Channel fan favorite actor who has expressed his support for the network's push for more inclusive content. When many of the network's stars were moving over to Great American Family, Paevey expressed that he wasn't going anywhere. In a 2022 interview with TV Insider, the "General Hospital" alum explained that he wasn't simply not jumping ship from Hallmark because of the network's changes; he was looking forward to them. "It's rare you can find a place like Hallmark that will consistently serve feel-good stuff," he noted. He explained that "The fundamental storylines and equations are starting to change. Becoming more inclusive, embracing a broader range of content and subject matter to be more reflective of real life. The core of it is still the same. The stuff we have you should be able to smile a little wider after watching."
He echoed this sentiment in a 2022 interview on "Hearts of Stars with Jen Silliman," saying, "I like the new direction, and I think it will make our programming more dynamic and more relatable and more entertaining." He also summed the new, more diverse characters and subject matter as "a pleasant expansion of frontiers," proving that when it comes to adding more diversity to his work, Paevey is a fan.
Erin Krakow shared a special symbol of love
In 2021, "When Calls the Heart" star Erin Krakow spotted a symbol during Pride month that was oh-so-fitting. Krakow is active on social media and often shares photos and posts involving hearts. Since fans of her hit Hallmark Channel show call themselves "hearties," this special symbol is one that is surely close to her — dare we say — heart. On June 16, 2021, though, a heart she noticed on the sidewalk had an extra special meaning.
The star shared a photo on Facebook of a rainbow heart sticker by her feet on the sidewalk. She included the caption, "I saw this sweet little [rainbow emoji] heart while I was out and about today. Love is love." She added the hashtag, #pride to honor the special month. Like many of her fellow stars on the network, her simple post received quite a few comments from fans disagreeing with her words. However, Krakow stuck to her guns and didn't engage with the haters or remove her post.
Jodi Sweetin is committed to using her platform for good
Most of us first met Jodie Sweetin when she starred as Stephanie Tanner alongside Candace Cameron Bure in "Full House," starting when she was just five years old. She first joined her former on-screen sister at the Hallmark Channel in 2017 when she played the leading lady in "Finding Santa." Yet, when Bure headed to Great American Family and praised their dedication to "traditional marriage," Sweetin didn't follow in her "Full House" big sis' footsteps.
In a 2022 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sweetin didn't mince words about where she stands. "I have always been an outspoken ally for LGBTQ+ communities, for Black Lives Matter," she said. "I've always tried to fight for equality and love for everyone. ... I feel like if you have a voice and you have a platform, it is incumbent on you to be loud and use it. Whether people like it all the time or not." Sweetin continued, "I love my LGBTQ siblings. They are amazing people. They are a wonderful family. I love and support them so much."
Meghan Markle uplifted LGBTQ+ voices on Instagram
Okay, okay — perhaps Meghan Markle isn't best known for her Hallmark movies, but she does have two of them on her resume. The Duchess of Sussex starred in "When Sparks Fly" in 2014 and "Dater's Handbook" in 2016. Alongside her husband, who happens to be Prince Harry, Meghan has been very open about her support of the LGBTQ+ community.
In honor of Pride Month 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's joint Instagram account shared a collage of photos with a caption, explaining that they were "Continuing with our tradition to rotate the accounts we follow based on causes and social issues that matter to us ... This month we pay tribute to the accounts supporting the LGBTQ+ community — those young and old, their families and friends, accounts that reflect on the past and are hopeful for a deservedly more inclusive future." They included a message of solidarity as well, writing: "We stand with you and support you. Because it's very simple: love is love." *
Alicia Witt has been outspoken about her LGBTQ+ support for years
Alicia Witt appeared in her first movie on the Hallmark Channel in 2010, and her most recent was "Christmas Tree Lane" in 2020. Yet, this isn't because she's one of the former Hallmark stars who has jumped ship to head to the competitor network. In 2022, Witt shared on X that there's no bad blood between her and Hallmark. "I've always loved making them," she said, adding that she hopes to again in the future.
It's no surprise that Witt isn't opposed to Hallmark's new, more inclusive direction, as she's been an advocate of the LGBTQ+ community time and time again over the years. In 2020, she performed in the Concert for Love and Acceptance in support of LGBTQ+ youth. In 2018, the star quoted a snippet from James Ivory's Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar acceptance speech for "Call Me By Your Name" on X. She wrote, "Whether you're straight or gay or somewhere in between, we've all gone thru first love — I hope — and come out mostly intact."
Holly Robinson Peete is a proud mom to her gay daughter
Holly Robinson Peete is another beloved Hallmark leading lady who won't be leaving for Great American Family any time soon. In 2022, when Candace Cameron Bure made her comments about "traditional marriage" being key at Great American Family, Robinson Peete seemed to subtly address this on her Instagram story. She asked why people are "so pressed [and] stressed about who other people love," adding, "I can't stand a bigoted, judgmental, holier-than-thou person! Mind ya business," per Cinemablend. She ended with the hashtag, #loveislove.
For Robinson Peete, the issue of LGBTQ+ representation is one that hits particularly close to home. In 2020, Robinson Peete's then-22-year-old daughter Ryan came out as gay. Robinson Peete opened up about this in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. "It's important that we celebrate our kids and love who they love and support what they support," she said. "I was just proud of her. She did it in her own time, in her own way ... She's a spectacular young lady. She felt like she needed to speak her truth, and I'm just there for her 100% and her dad [is] as well."
Johannah Newmarch has stood up for LGBTQ+ rights in honor of Pride month
"When Calls The Heart" fans aka "Hearties" know Johannah Newmarch as Molly Sullivan on The Hallmark Channel's long-running series. When she's not helping to bring the world of Hope Valley to life, Newmarch often stands up for causes that matter to her on social media. On July 1, 2022, Newmarch took to Instagram to share an important message as Pride Month came to a close.
The star shared a piece of art showing a hand gripping onto a rainbow with the words, "You are loved. Embrace who you are." While the message was loud and clear, she also included her own words in the caption, writing, "A final thought for pride month ... LGBTQ rights are human rights. Period." This simple sentiment came exactly a year after she shared an equally powerful ode to Pride Month on her Instagram, saying, "Pride month might have ended but the passionate advocacy for people's freedom to be their authentic selves and live their authentic lives with dignity, equality, and respect, carries on and on. I will never stop fighting for the basic human right to be who you are, and love who you love."
Daniel Lissing celebrated marriage equality
Just like his "When Calls The Heart" costar Johannah Newmarch, Daniel Lissing has also spoken out on social media about his support for the LGBTQ+ community. In particular, he was excited when marriage equality became a reality, and he wanted to make sure that he used his platform to let everyone know. Lissing is from Australia, and in 2017, the right to get married in Australia was no longer tied to gender.
It's clear that Lissing was happy about this historic moment for his country. He took to Facebook to share his joy. He posted an image of a rainbow heart and hands in a heart shape. Under the image were the words, "love is love." Lissing chimed in on the issue in the caption, saying, "Congratulations to my mates! And congratulations Australia ... about time" He included a thumbs-up emoji as well as the Australian flag.
Paul Campbell jumped at the chance to make Hallmark history for the LGBTQ+ community
In 2020, Hallmark leading man Paul Campbell starred in "Wedding Every Weekend" alongside his frequent collaborator, Kimberly Sustad. The film was Hallmark's first to feature two women getting married. In an interview with MediaVillage, Campbell recalled "I read the script and said, 'Oh, here we go.'" He knew that this movie would be a monumental step for the network and was happy to contribute. According to him, when Hallmark was getting flak for their lack of diversity, they vowed to change. He explained, "A lot of people said put your money where your mouth is, so reading the script I was like, 'Here we go! There's the mouth, there's the money'."
Like many of Hallmark's fans, Campbell thought this change was overdue. "I have so many friends in LGBTQ+ communities, I feel had been under-represented. So to be able to finally celebrate them with the work I do is extraordinary," he said. As far as Campbell is concerned, he has "no time for intolerance or prejudice — no time! And I have no problem standing up and being vocal about it. Discrimination has no place in the world that we've created, so if Hallmark was looking for a wallflower, or somebody just going to stand by and let this out — I'm not the guy. I'm out there throwing punches, I'm fighting and I'm celebrating this new direction."
Julie Gonzalo stands up for the trans community
Julie Gonzalo has starred in Hallmark movies like "Flip that Romance" and "Jingle Bell Bride." In fact, she even met her longtime partner Chris McNally thanks to the network. The pair starred together in the 2018 film "The Sweetest Heart." In 2020, there were quite a few major issues that had folks standing up for their beliefs all over social media. Gonzalo used her platform to speak out about multiple different issues, and she made her feelings on LGBTQ+ rights known.
During Pride Month in 2020, Gonzalo shared a screenshot of a headline on Instagram that read, "Supreme Court rules existing civil rights law protects gay and lesbian workers." She added her own caption, saying that "LGBTQ rights are human rights." She also included the hasthags #pride, #blm, and #blacktranslivesmatter. This wasn't her first time standing up for the LGBTQ+ community on Instagram. In 2017, she posted an image of the transgender pride flag with the words "trans rights are human rights," and included the caption, "YOU ARE LOVED."