Ellen DeGeneres has taken aim at the Hallmark Channel after it pulled a series of ads from the wedding planning website Zola that showed same-sex couples kissing.
The US TV channel bowed to pressure from an online conservative group called One Million Moms, which petitioned to have the "unsafe" advertisements pulled.
"Isn't it almost 2020?" DeGeneres asked of Hallmark on Twitter.
"What are you thinking? Please explain. We're all ears."
In a statement given to the New York Times, a spokesperson for Hallmark claimed that "over public displays of affection" in advertisements were not in line with their current policy. But the spokesperson would not comment on why an advertisement that showed a heterosexual couple kissing remained on air.
Meanwhile, Hallmark's parent company Crown Media Family Networks said the decision to pull the same-sex-themed ads had been made due to the "distracting" nature of the conversation about them.
"The debate surrounding these commercials on all sides was distracting from the purpose of our network, which is to provide entertainment value," a statement said.
The removal of the ads has prompted outrage online and throughout the LGBTQI+ community.
The company behind the ads, Zola, has since boycotted Hallmark, saying it will no longer be advertising on the channel.
