National puppetry group faces backlash for platforming anti-LGBTQ Christian puppetry group

Puppeteers of America admits it failed to vet a group whose policies clash with its values

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There is religious drama in the world of professional puppetry.

Puppeteers (screenshot via Puppeteers of America)

The Puppeteers of America is a national non-profit group that celebrates the art form, and a couple of weeks ago, they organized 2026 World Puppetry Day. It was a virtual event that included some brief talks and awards—nothing even mildly offensive or controversial. It was one of those events that people in the subculture would appreciate while people outside of it wouldn’t notice.

But when the event was announced, it created a small stir because one of the presentations would be made by the “Fellowship of Christian Puppeteers.”

I watched the FCP’s presentation and, like all the other ones, it was… perfectly fine. The representative mostly talked about how the group used their platform to get kids in church settings excited about puppetry. Nothing unusual for this kind of event!

So why the controversy? Much like the better-known Fellowship of Christian Athletes, this Christian group makes clear their membership is open to pretty much anyone who professes to be a Christian while its leaders are expected to abide by conservative Christian rules.

Among them? A requirement of “sexual purity” that forbids same-sex marriages and denies the existence of transgender people. In fact, the rules ban officers from partaking in any kind of sex that’s not in the context of a straight marriage, including same-sex relationships and “all forms of perversion.”

In the world of puppetry, just as with theater, there are plenty of LGBTQ people and allies. Many see the art form as a way to inhabit a different character and escape the harassment and abuse they often deal with in real life.

So why, they wanted to know, was this bigoted organization platformed during the PofA’s big event?

Let me reiterate: If you watched the Christian group’s presentation, you wouldn’t have heard any promotion of their religious beliefs, much less bigotry, at all. But the issue was their invitation to participate in the first place. Why would the national puppetry organization shine a spotlight on an explicitly anti-LGBTQ group?

There must have been enough internal pushback that the group finally issued a public statement about it on Tuesday, saying they didn’t properly vet the group and plan to take steps in the future to fix that, “particularly when it involves organizations whose missions do not align with PofA.”

Dear Members,

The Board is writing in response to concerns raised following the inclusion of the Fellowship of Christian Puppeteers (FCP) in the recent World Puppetry Day event.

First and foremost, we want to state clearly:

Your concerns are valid, they are heard, and we take them very seriously.

Puppeteers of America does not endorse exclusionary practices or discrimination of any kind.

Our goal remains to support a puppetry community where all people feel safe, respected, and valued. We understand that trust is built not only through intention, but through action. We are committed to doing this work thoughtfully and in partnership with our members.

Your response has created engagement and open discourse within our board to truly look at our organization’s stated values, and a genuine investment in ensuring that Puppeteers of America remains an inclusive, welcoming, and affirming space for all.

The Executive Committee’s decision and intention on World Puppetry Day was to highlight a range of puppetry organizations. In retrospect, intent was not what mattered. To be clear: The decision to include FCP was not made by all members of the Puppeteers of America board and in no way, shape, or form does it reflect PofA’s mission, full membership, or goals. There was a lack of process including a failure to fully review the FCP constitution and ensure alignment; and, a failure to bring this decision forward for a full Board review and vote. For this we are truly sorry and are committed to strengthening PofA processes to ensure greater transparency, collaboration, and alignment moving forward.

As an organization, we strive to welcome individuals of all backgrounds. The organizations we choose to platform—particularly in official programming—communicate something about who we are and what we stand for, and therefore, acknowledge that the inclusion of an affiliated organization—especially one whose policies does not align with the values of inclusivity that PofA, and many of our members hold—carries real impact. The Executive Committee recognizes that this impact exists regardless of the original intent behind the invitation, and takes full ownership of this gross oversight.

We also recognize issues regarding the decision-making process. Decisions should be approached with transparency, shared awareness, and broader discussion among the Executive Committee and the Board. We are currently reviewing how this decision was made and where our internal processes can be strengthened to ensure better communication, greater alignment and clarity moving forward, not only with the Board but also our members.

This moment is an important opportunity for reflection and growth. In response, we are committed to:

- Reaffirming our commitment to fostering a genuinely inclusive and affirming community

- Establishing clearer guidelines and internal processes for vetting and approving programming, particularly when it involves organizations whose missions do not align with PofA.

We invite all of our members to join us in making sure every voice is heard through continued communication. Please express thoughts and concerns via: operations@puppeteers.org

Thank you for your honesty, your care, and your continued commitment to this organization’s goal of promoting puppetry worldwide.

Sincerely,

Board of Directors

Puppeteers of America

It seems like the group’s Board was simply unaware that a Christian group in their subculture might be problematic... even though you would think the name itself would raise red flags everywhere. I suppose puppetry (in general) doesn’t seem like it’d be caught up in the middle of the culture wars, but art always reflects and shapes culture, so it’s shocking to me at least that no one considered that possibility in advance.

Some of the commenters appreciated the change, saying “It is more tolerant to exclude bigots than include them, and thereby create a space that is hostile and dangerous.” Others didn’t understand what the problem was, wrongly assuming people were mad because a religious group was invited to participate in the event at all. That wasn’t the case.

Neither the Puppeteers of America nor the Fellowship of Christian Puppeteers responded to my requests for comment about this situation.

But this isn’t complicated. Any group that openly despises LGBTQ people—and their relationships and their identities—as this one does, shouldn’t be platformed by any organization that claims to be inclusive and welcoming to all. The fact that they have a common appreciation for the art form doesn’t mean you have to open the door for them and give them access to your community. Shut them out. Speak out against bigotry, faith-based or otherwise. Call them out on their beliefs. And remember that, if the Christian group had the ability, they would gladly make life worse for gay and lesbian couples, their families, and trans people everywhere because they see them as targets that need to be fixed, not humans who deserve to be respected.

The harm caused by the Christian group here isn’t confined to what they say on “stage” during a five-minute presentation. It’s embedded in who they are, who they exclude, and what they are training their members to believe about entire groups of people. The absence of overt bigotry in a single short presentation doesn’t negate their institutional commitment to it.

That’s why the Puppeteers of America’s mistake matters. They legitimized a group that doesn’t want to legitimize many of the people in their broader community. They can’t claim to foster an inclusive, affirming space while simultaneously elevating a group whose leadership rules would disqualify many of their own members from existing authentically within it.

It’s unfortunate that the PofA’s statement didn’t include any specifics about who made the decision, much less any actual acknowledgment of why their decision was a problem. They owe it to their members to be blunt about why this particular Christian group will not be platformed by them in the future.

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