Will & Grace Showrunner Donates a Copy of Marlon Bundo to Every Grammar School in Indiana

Max Mutchnick , the showrunner for Will & Grace, has donated a copy of John Oliver’s A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo to every one of Indiana’s 1,121 public grammar schools. Writing on Instagram that he was “blown away” by the book, he decided to “celebrate the Gayest Bunny of Them All: The Easter Bunny” with this donation.

Written by Jill Twiss and illustrated by EG Keller, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo stars Vice President Mike Pence’s pet rabbit, Marlon Bundo. However, in a direct rebuttal to Pence’s anti-LGBTQ politics, Marlon falls in love with another boy rabbit. Oliver emphasized that it is “a real children’s book. This isn’t some adult book telling Mike Pence to go fuck himself—although, in buying it, that’s exactly what you would be doing. This is a sweet story about Marlon Bundo falling in love.”

Mutchnick apparently agreed.

I was blown away by the new John Oliver children’s book, “A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo.” With Easter upon us, I wanted to not only support the brilliance of John Oliver, but also celebrate the Gayest Bunny of Them All: The Easter Bunny. So I decided to buy a copy of Oliver’s “Bundo” (written by Jill Twiss) for every public grammar school in Indiana. All 1,121 of them. Here’s why: Mike Pence has had an enormous platform in Indiana, and as it relates to gay people, he’s used it to spread a message of intolerance. By donating these books, I hope to counter those efforts and provide positive role models and a story of inclusion for children in Pence’s home state. If this book can help one boy or girl in Indiana love and accept who they are, I know both Marlon Bundos would be proud—even though one of them is on the downlow.

A post shared by Max Mutchnick (@maxmutchnick) on Mar 30, 2018 at 2:12pm PDT

Indiana is the state where Pence first rose to prominence as governor. “Mike Pence has had an enormous platform in Indiana,” Mutchnick wrote on Instagram, “and as it relates to gay people, he’s used it to spread a message of intolerance. By donating these books, I hope to counter those efforts and provide positive role models and a story of inclusion for children in Pence’s home state. If this book can help one boy or girl in Indiana love and accept who they are, I know both Marlon Bundos would be proud—even though one of them is on the downlow.”

In his letter to the school librarians, Mutchnick wrote, “It’s a poignant story about how love and community can rise above intolerance. My grammar school library was something I always remembered as a safe haven. Books allow children to dream and hope, but you know that already. Thanks to libraries and librarians like you, storytelling not only became my passion — it also became my profession. I hope your students enjoy this book as much as my family and I did.”

(via Deadline; image: Chronicle Books, LLC)

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