Duggar Family Supporters Commence Petition to Keep '19 Kids and Counting' on Air

Rebecca Bellecci Friday, November 21, 2014

A petition calling for the TLC network to cancel "19 Kids and Counting" has reportedly received 100,000 signatures since it was started at the beginning of this week. In response, supporters of the show's Duggar family have started their own petition, encouraging the network to keep airing the show.

Jill Duggar poses with newlywed husband Derrick Dillard. The couple recently announced that they are expecting their first child two months after their marriage. | (Photo: Instagram/Jill Duggar)

100,000 people have reportedly signed a petition to have the television network cancel the reality show, arguing that the Duggar's evangelical beliefs allegedly account for "fear-mongering" against the country's gay community. The petition points to a robocall conducted by Michelle Duggar back in August, encouraging residents to vote down an ordinance that would allow transgender people to use the restroom of the gender they identify with, rather than the gender they were born with.

The petition also argues that the Duggar family recently deleted a photo of a same-sex couple kissing from their official Facebook page.

Although some people are calling for TLC to cancel the reality show, a group of pro-Duggar supporters have started their own petition, calling on the television network to keep the show.

"Everyone should be entitled to free speech and their own beliefs. The show should stay on air because the Duggars have many supporters. Many that may or may not agree with their personal beliefs, but this does not mean that they shouldn't be allowed their reality show or that they should be attacked for their personal beliefs," the pro-Duggar petition on Change.org reads.

While the anti-Duggar petition has received 100,00 signatures, the pro-Duggar petition has received 4,000.

Neither the Duggars nor TLC have responded to the petition calling for the cancellation of their show. A similar incident took place last year when viewers called for the resignation of Phil Robertson from "Duck Dynasty" after he said he felt homosexuality was a sin equal to other sins. Robertson was suspended from the show for eight days before being reinstated due to national backlash.