Anti-LGBTQ author fails in attempt to smear 'In a Heartbeat'

This wonderful animated video 'In a Heartbeat,' which shows a middle-school boy literally led by his heart to the boy of his dreams, is extremely popular with over 21 millions views on youtube and countless articles written about the honest way it depicts queer youth and love.

Even my cold heart melted a little over it.

However, and we know what's coming next, whenever there is any movement to honestly depict LGBTQ relationships between youth, the homophobic wolves with the crosses burned in their fur come in packs barking and howling about "gay recruitment," "the corrupting of children by the homosexual agenda," and whatever creative description they can use to describe their silly fears. God forbid that they have contemplate the fact that LGBTQ youth exist, that they have crushes, and can date without all of the dirty and vulgar subtext added to scare parents.

In this case, it is the religious right publication, Lifesite News, at bat to invoke fears of "the homosexual agenda." Lifesite News, which barred me from commenting years ago (thank you very much for your applause) even takes the time to rationalize 'In a Heartbeat,' by claiming that the two boys depicted in it are not gay.

According to the article's author, Doug Mainwaring:

The red-haired boy who is pictured is not a "closeted boy." The animators may think they are portraying such a boy, but they are actually telling a completely different story. They show us a boy who demonstrates an extremely high level of social anxiety. When we first see him, he appears scared to death. He’s nervous. He’s panting. He experiences heart palpitations. He jumps behind a tree to hide from the second, dark-haired boy, and by so doing demonstrates his debilitating discomfort and inability to relate to his male classmate.  

 And who is the kid he’s running from, but clearly attracted to? He’s a boy who displays any easy self-confidence — the type that all socially awkward boys envy and would like to be like. He appears unflappable, problem free, in complete control. He’s so cool he can even spin an apple on one finger while walking and reading on the way to school. The fact that the red-haired boy hides behind a tree to avoid him reveals just how unnerving his feeling of not being accepted by his male peers troubles him. Let’s be clear: Shy boys at that age aren’t searching for romance with their same-sex peers. They want just one thing and they want it desperately: acceptance.  

At that age, acceptance is more valuable than gold. The red-haired boy is not romantically attracted to the second boy, although that’s what the movie’s creators want you to think. He’s attracted to a boy who is his opposite, self-confident and trouble-free. The movie’s creators misinterpret their own character: He’s not ‘closeted’ and he’s not "outed" by his own heart.’ He simply experiences a very high degree of social anxiety.

Uh no. Sorry Mr. Mainwaring, but you aren't going to win this one. Hell, you've already lost,

 'In a Heartbeat' resonates with a lot of people because it depicts the simple pangs of a crush; a feeling which many have felt no matter what sexual orientation they are. And specifically it shows that there is nothing wrong or dirty about having same-sex crushes or relationships.

So just deal with it. Move out of the way. Or continue to allow your homophobia to make a fool of you.