Rebecca Sugar, a creator devoted to creating LGBT children's media, speaking at New York Comic Con 2014
LGBT representation in children's television is representation of LGBT topics, themes, and people in television programming meant for children. LGBT representation in children's programming was often uncommon to non-existent for much of television's history up to the 2010s, but has significantly increased since then.
When Sailor Moon was released in the United States, elements of the story were removed because Optimum Productions, the Canadian company in charge of the English language product, claimed that some of the content “is not suitable for children.”[1] Early children's programming addressing LGBT-related subject matter in the United States includes two episodes of CBS Schoolbreak Special. "What If I'm Gay?" originally aired on March 31, 1987.[2] In September 2007, Dottie's Magic Pockets became the first available show for children in gay and lesbian families.[3]
Other networks have followed suit. The series finale of Nickelodeon's The Legend of Korra, in December 2014, showed Korra and Asami holding hands,[8] showing they are in a relationship.[9] As such, the show became one of the first western children's animation series to not only feature major LGBT characters, but also a lead LGBT character.[10][11] In July 2019, Michael Dante DiMartino, one of the series creators, in an interview with EW, noted that while the show's crew had always believed Kyoshi was bisexual, her feelings toward women and men were actually only explored in the young adult novel and in the comics branching off of the series.[12] Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold! was confirmed to have two gay characters, in July 2016 by show creator Craig Bartlett: Eugene Horowitz and Mr. Robert Simmons. Neither identity was explicitly stated in the series.[13] In 2019, Nickelodeon released Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, a television film and sequel to their 1993 series Rocko's Modern Life through Netflix. The producers worked with GLAAD to ensure that the transgender character, in the form of cartoonist frog Rachel Bighead (known as Ralph Bighead in the original series) as well as a plotline involving her coming out to her parents, Ed and Bev Bighead, was respectful to the LGBTQ+ community and fit within the show itself.[14] In May 2021, Nickelodeon released a Blue's Clues & You! sing-along video on its YouTube channel that features drag queen Nina West hosting a pride parade. The animated short shows a variety of diverse animal families, including those with same-sex parents and non-binary characters.[15][16]
Disney series have often featured LGBTQ characters in its programming, since the founding of the Disney Channel, although these depictions have often been limited or characters have been secondary, rather than primary, characters, like Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland in Gravity Falls,[17] and a lesbian (and interracial) married couple in Doc McStuffins.[18][19][20] The reboot The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder features an interracial gay couple and a character who is confirmed to be gender non-conforming and gay.[21]The Owl House, during its series run, dropped subtext and hints that several characters, like Luz Noceda and Amity Blight, within the show are LGBTQ+, which has often either been confirmed in the show itself or on Dana Terrace's Twitter account.[22][23] In 2017, Disney Channel in the United Kingdom aired a coming out scene on The Lodge, where Josh (Joshua Sinclair-Evans) explains to another character that girls are "not his type". The scene was the first coming out scene to be aired on a Disney Channel series.[24][25] Also in 2017, Disney, the creators of Andi Mack, had the character Cyrus Goodman played by Joshua Rush come out as gay.[26]
Hulu and Discovery Family also had a range of representation. The Bravest Knight centers on Sir Cedric, his husband Prince Andrew (voiced by gay actors TR Knight and Wilson Cruz), and their daughter Nia.[27]My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic featured Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty are aunts to the young pegasus Scootaloo and are her guardians while Scootaloo's parents are away.[28] The pair were identified as a lesbian couple by one of the show runners, Michael Vogel. According to Vogel, he and writers Nicole Dubac and Josh Haber agreed to establish the two in their first appearance in the book as a lesbian couple, though without explicitly stating as such, so that they could establish this within the show itself.[29] Also, in 2021, Kevin Sullivan, a story editor for The Loud House told Insider that no one stopped him from using the word "lesbian" as part of a storyline involving Luna and Sam, her crush, and that he was proud of the whole episode. Sullivan added that the fact Luna wasn't more directly identified as a lesbian was not due to pressure from Nickelodeon.[30]
Censorship
There has been long-standing censorship of LGBTQ content including in children's television. When Sailor Moon was released in the United States, elements of the story were removed because Optimum Productions, the Canadian company in charge of the English language product, claimed that some of the content “is not suitable for children.”[1] In November 1994, Byker Grove featured the first gay kiss on UK children's television.[31] This scene caused outrage in the British tabloids and calls for producer Matthew Robinson to be sacked,[31] but the BBC strongly backed the storyline, which received countrywide support from gay teenagers, many teachers, and parents.[32]
When Nelvana licensed Cardcaptor Sakura in North America, dubbed the series into English with Ocean Studios featuring Carly McKillip as Sakura, and released it under the name Cardcaptors,[33][34] the initial version of the dub covered all 70 episodes, although character names were changed, some Japanese text was changed to English, and subjects considered controversial at the time, such as same-sex relationships, were edited out. One of the censored themes was that of homosexual characters, including Tomoyo, who was changed from having a crush to being just a friend, and the gay relationship between Toya and Yukito, which was also portrayed as just friends.[35]
In 2005, PBS planned to release an episode of the children's series Postcards from Buster, titled "Sugartime", in which the animated bunny, Buster Baxter, visits the children of two lesbian mothers. When education secretary Margaret Spellings stated disapproval of the planned episode, PBS withdrew plans for airing.[20] Spellings believed the episode to be inappropriate for children as well as a misuse of governmental funding that the show had received.[36] Apart from Reilly's statement, then-PBS chief operating officer Wayne Godwin said the episode brought up an issue that was "best left for parents and children to address together at a time and manner of their own choosing", while spokesperson Lea Sloan said it was "sensitive in today’s political climate."[37] Years later, Rebecca Sugar described Spellings' idea as "absurd," saying she recognized the challenges of creating LGBTQ+-friendly animation when she tried to enter the animation field.[38] At the time, the episode was one of the earliest confirmed representations of LGBTQ people "in US animated children's TV."[39]
In July 2016, The Loud House episode which introduced the interracial gay couple Howard and Harold McBride, was censored by a South African broadcaster, DStv[40][41] despite the fact that it was met with "overwhelmingly positive reaction."[42] In addition, the creator of Steven Universe, Rebecca Sugar was told point-blank by executives that queer romance could have ended her show, Steven Universe.[43] In 2020, Cartoon Network aired the final episodes of the Steven Universe epilogue miniseries Steven Universe Future.[5] One year before, some Alabama broadcasters had banned the Arthur episode titled "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone", the Season 22 premiere, which featured Mr. Ratburn and Patrick marrying each other.[44][45]
In October 2017, it was reported that a kiss between two female characters, Zarya Moonwolf and Kitty Boon, on the Nickelodeon show, Mysticons, was in danger of being cut.[46] Despite this, the show showed the "development of a female-female romance," between Zarya, a main character, and her childhood friend, Kitty, known as "MoonBoon," culminating in romantic moments.[47] Jara added that while he was nervous and aware of possible roadblocks, Matt Ferguson, the show's director, supported it, as did his writing team, with Ferguson adding that pushback came from not from people who were "evil" but rather from those who were "trying to do the best job at their particular job."[48] Abbey White of Insider reported that when the show's studio changed the series to center on four teenage girls, Jara brought in more women and queer writers to the show's writing team, who were "responsible for building out an arc between lesbian characters Zarya Moonwolf and Kitty Boon." Jara recalled that he sent in the script for a kiss of the two characters to the show's studios, and Nickelodeon, and fellow producers working on the show, but the moment never aired, despite support from Nickelodeon, because a partner was concerned that the storyline was not "age-appropriate" for young viewers.[30]
In May 2021, in response to a fan, Shadi Petosky described to Insider the challenges in producing her Danger & Eggs which follows a "young masc lesbian," D.D. Danger, said that she felt emboldened when Amazon picked up the show, but noted that the inclusion of overt "queer themes and elements of LGBTQ culture," driven by a queer crew and cast, was a hard-fought battle with "little arguments, and battles, and suspensions" as the show was in production. For instance, she was told to use the term "Rainbow Parade" rather than use the word "Pride."[49] Previously, in February 2018 said that the show was in limbo, with the loss of the crew, without "much concern or enthusiasm" about the show, saying it "just slipped through the cracks." She lamented that the show's fate is up the new executive team on the show and predicted the show would probably be cancelled as a result.[50]
The Traditional Values Coalition criticized a Nickelodeon program in June 2002 entitled Nick News Special Edition: My Family Is Different which featured children of gay and lesbian parents talking with children from households that oppose equal rights for gay and lesbian families, claiming it pushed a "pro-homosexual agenda" and was not suitable for children.[54][55] The Parents Television Council also claimed they had no problem with same-sex parents but did not think it was appropriate for Nickelodeon's young target audience.[56]
Children's television series are television programs designed specifically for children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are normally broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake, immediately before and after school schedules generally start in the country where they air. Educational themes are also prevalent, as well as the transmission of cautionary tales and narratives that teach problem-solving methods in some fashion or another, such as social disputes.
Historically, the portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in media has been largely negative if not altogether absent, reflecting a general cultural intolerance of LGBTQ individuals; however, from the 1990s to present day, there has been an increase in the positive depictions of LGBTQ people, issues, and concerns within mainstream media in North America. The LGBTQ communities have taken an increasingly proactive stand in defining their own culture, with a primary goal of achieving an affirmative visibility in mainstream media. The positive portrayal or increased presence of the LGBTQ communities in media has served to increase acceptance and support for LGBT communities, establish LGBTQ communities as a norm, and provide information on the topic.
The Loud House is an American animated sitcom created by Chris Savino that premiered on Nickelodeon on May 2, 2016. The series revolves around the chaotic everyday life of a boy named Lincoln Loud, who is the middle child and only son in a large family of 11 children. It is set in a fictional town in southeastern Michigan called Royal Woods, based on Savino's hometown of Royal Oak. The series was pitched to the network in 2013 as a two-minute short film entered in the annual Animated Shorts Program. It entered production the following year. The series is based on Savino's own childhood growing up in a large family, and its animation is largely influenced by newspaper comic strips.
The portrayals of bisexuality in the media reflect societal attitudes towards bisexuality in the existing media portrayals. Throughout history, numerous bisexual characters have appeared in television series, including cartoons, anime, video games and web series, along with literature, comics, radio, and other mediums.
Danger & Eggs is an American animated series created by Mike Owens and Shadi Petosky that premiered on Amazon Video on June 30, 2017. The show focuses on the adventures of a cyan-haired teenaged girl and her giant anthropomorphic egg friend.
Howard and Harold McBride are a pair of fictional supporting characters in the American animated television series The Loud House and its resulting multimedia franchise on Nickelodeon. Howard is voiced by Michael McDonald and Harold was voiced by Wayne Brady until 2022 when he was replaced by Khary Payton. Their first appearance was in "Overnight Success", following an episode in which they were only mentioned. The McBrides are significant as the first married gay couple to be featured in a Nickelodeon animated series. The McBrides are notably also an interracial couple. Their introduction into the series was described as remarkable and caused a boost in ratings for the show.
Craig of the Creek is an American animated television series created by Matt Burnett and Ben Levin for Cartoon Network. The show's pilot episode debuted directly on the TV on December 1, 2017. The series premiered online on February 19, 2018, with a double-premiere event airing on March 30, 2018.
The GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming is an annual award that honors children's and family programming for excellence in the treatment of LGBT characters and themes. It is one of several categories of the annual GLAAD Media Awards, which are presented by GLAAD—an American non-governmental media monitoring organization—at ceremonies held primarily in New York City and Los Angeles between March and May.
Twelve Forever is an American animated television series created by Julia Vickerman for Netflix. Vickerman had previously worked on Clarence and The Powerpuff Girls. Twelve Forever premiered in the United States on July 29, 2019.
"Enchanting Grom Fright" is the sixteenth episode of the first season of the American animated television series The Owl House, and the 16th episode overall. The episode first aired on Disney Channel in the United States on August 8, 2020. It was directed by Stu Livingston, and the teleplay was written by Molly Ostertag, from a story by Ostertag, Rachel Vine and series creator Dana Terrace.
Gay is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term's use as a reference to male homosexuality may date as early as the late 19th century, but its use gradually increased in the mid-20th century. In modern English, gay has come to be used as an adjective, and as a noun, referring to the community, practices and cultures associated with homosexuality. In the 1960s, gay became the word favored by homosexual men to describe their sexual orientation. By the end of the 20th century, the word gay was recommended by major LGBT groups and style guides to describe people attracted to members of the same sex, although it is more commonly used to refer specifically to men. At about the same time, a new, pejorative use became prevalent in some parts of the world. Among younger speakers, the word has a meaning ranging from derision to a light-hearted mockery or ridicule. The extent to which these usages still retain connotations of homosexuality has been debated and harshly criticized. This page examines gay characters in fictional works as a whole, focusing on characters and tropes in cinema and fantasy.
Netflix has contributed substantially to LGBTQ representation in animation. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual and transgender characters have appeared in various animated series, and some animated films, on the streaming platform. GLAAD described Netflix as a company taking "impressive strides in viewership and impact," when it came to LGBTQ representation. Scholars have stated that LGBTQ characters on streaming services, such as Netflix, "made more displays of affection" than on broadcast networks.
Cartoon Network, an American TV channel which launched in 1992, and Adult Swim, its adult-oriented nighttime programming block which launched in 2001, has regularly featured lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) characters in its programming.
This article features the history of the representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) characters in animated productions under The Walt Disney Company, including films from the studios Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar, and programming from the Disney Branded Television channels as well as the streaming service Disney+. From 1983 onward, Disney struggled with LGBTQ representation in their animated series, and their content often included LGBTQ stereotypes or the content was censored in series which aired on Toon Disney such as Blazing Dragons. Some creators have also criticized Disney studio executives of cutting LGBTQ scenes from their shows in the past, or criticized that their shows were not seen as part of the "Disney brand", like The Owl House.
In Western animation, LGBTQ themes means plotlines and characters which are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or otherwise queer in series produced in Western countries, and not in Japan, which can also have similar themes. Early examples included Bugs Bunny in drag, wearing a wig and a dress, as a form of comedy, or episodes of Tom & Jerry, under restrictive moral guidelines like the Hays Code with some arguing that animation has "always had a history of queerness." This later evolved into gay-coded characters in Disney films like Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, and in animated series such as The Simpsons and South Park. In later years, other series would more prominently depict same-sex characters and relationships. This would include Adventure Time, Steven Universe, The Legend of Korra, Gravity Falls, Clarence, The Loud House, and Arthur. Such series, and others, have encountered roadblocks, with series creators attempting to make their programs "more welcoming of different characters," and ensure all-ages animation is no longer "bereft of queer characters." Previously, an online database, by Insider, documented over 250 LGBTQ characters in children's animation dating back to 1983, but the "representation of overtly queer characters" skyrocketed from 2010 to 2020, with promotion of these series by some streaming platforms, while other companies were not supportive of overt representation, for one reason or another.
Nickelodeon, an American TV channel which launched in 1979, has featured lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) characters in its programming.
↑ Konietzko, Bryan (December 22, 2014). "Korrasami is canon". Tumblr. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 2020-02-08. Retrieved 2020-04-11. Our intention with the last scene was to make it as clear as possible that yes, Korra and Asami have romantic feelings for each other
1 2 "Foundational Values". Focus on the Family. Archived from the original on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2020-10-19. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe.
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