As this #GiveSoAndSoAGirlfriend/Boyfriend craze has developed, I have seen various types of reactions to it from those who do not support it. I have seen some threaten to boycott Disney if Disney decides to give the #GiveElsaAGirlfriend people what they want. I have seen others post rants in comment sections (which I will admit I was tempted to do when I saw the post that told me about #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend). I have seen people share articles about these movements with a caption along these lines: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" And thanks to Facebook's new "Angry" reaction button, I have seen people simply click "Angry" instead of "Like" on posts about either of these hashtags. But which of these are the right response?
To quote Vision from Avengers: Age of Ultron, "I don't think it's that simple." Social media has given us a means through which we can let our feelings about things loose without any consequences in the real world. And I hate to break it to you, but your little outburst of righteous indignation on Facebook or Twitter isn't going to change anybody's mind. Those who are pushing these hashtags will just dismiss you as a homophobic bigot, and let's be honest, Hollywood doesn't care about that "Angry" button you just clicked. But not only will these reactions cause little or no change, but they are also not godly. Maybe that anger you feel is righteous, but chances are it's not. Just because you're right while you're being angry doesn't mean your anger is righteous. It is human instinct to have a strong emotional response when we see a viewpoint we disagree with for a topic that we care strongly about. This is what happened with me when I saw #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend. But the whole world does not need to know that you are angry about this. It won't change anyone's mind, and it won't show forth the love of God.
So what is the appropriate reaction? Well, we know it's not as simple as simply reacting on social media. These hashtags represent a movement. If we are going to do something to stop this movement, social media isn't the means through which to do it. What these movements demonstrate is the total depravity of the unregenerate heart, and the only way to stop the movement is to go for the heart of the problem. We must address these movements by reaching out to its supporters with the Gospel. Social media comments won't change their minds, but the Holy Spirit can. But since faith comes from the preaching of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit won't change these people if we don't reach out with the Gospel.
As for the hashtags themselves, I think we need to remember that they are just symptoms of a larger problem. However, these symptoms do need to be addressed, and if you want to tell Hollywood on social media that you don't approve of the #GiveSoAndSoAGirlfriend/Boyfriend movement, I would recommend a politely worded post. Here's an example: "Dear Disney, Please #DoNotGiveElsaAGirlfriend." Basically, start a new hashtag that opposes the one that is currently trending and see if it'll start trending too. However, the most effective solution would be to just not see a film featuring an LGBT character. Box Office tickets are the equivalent to voting for a movie. If you buy a ticket for a movie, you are voting for that movie. If the movie is successful, Hollywood thinks there is demand for the type of content and will make more like it. So if Box Office sales for Frozen 2 aren't as good as the sales for the first one because it's been confirmed that Elsa will have a girlfriend in it (it hasn't actually; this is a hypothetical scenario), then Disney might reconsider before doing the same thing again. But remember, these problems are only symptoms of a larger problem, and if we don't offer the actual cure to people, we are only treating the symptoms.
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