Van Lathan accidentally makes the case for ‘Black Wives Matter’

Van Lathan is a popular social and political commentator who recently came out in favor of what he called the “gay agenda.” His reasoning was straightforward: Gay people exist and have relationships, so media companies should intentionally promote same-sex storylines to young viewers.

He is right that media is a powerful tool for shaping norms and values. But like many people who comment on modern family dynamics, Lathan focused on adults’ desires rather than children’s needs. Applied consistently, however, his case for using media to shape culture points toward promoting the relationships that bring more children into the world and bind mothers and fathers to them.

These efforts would help restore a culture of strong families in neighborhoods where some black boys grow up believing that ‘marriage