Jonathan Bennett Leads Hallmark's LGBTQ+ Inclusive Era

Actor Jonathan Bennett, known for his role in Mean Girls, has become a prominent figure in Hallmark Channel’s move toward LGBTQ+ inclusion. He starred in the network’s first gay‑led Christmas rom‑com, The Holiday Sitter (2022), and later headlined The Groomsmen: Second Chances, the first Hallmark film centered on a same‑sex wedding.

Hallmark introduced these milestones after criticism over pulling a lesbian‑wedding ad, pledging to feature more diverse romances. Bennett says his visibility “shows that you can have straight men be leading men and you can have gay men be leading men,” highlighting the channel’s broader effort to break heteronormative stereotypes and broaden representation for LGBTQ+ viewers.