This is a list of animated series with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, genderqueer, and pansexual characters, along with other (LGBTQ) characters. This list includes fictional characters in animated cartoons, adult animation, and anime. This page includes some of those on the list of crossdressing characters in animated series.
These lists only include recurring characters, otherwise known as supporting characters, which appear frequently from time to time during the series' run, often playing major roles in more than one episode, and those in the main cast are listed below. LGBTQ characters which are guest stars or one-off characters are listed on the pages focusing exclusively on gay (in animation and anime), lesbian (in animation and anime), bisexual (in animation and anime), trans, pansexual, asexual, non-binary, and intersex characters.
The entries on this page are organized alphanumerically by duration dates and then alphabetically by the first letter of a specific series.
| Duration | Show title | Character debut date | Characters | Identity | Notes | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–1980 | The Rose of Versailles | October 10, 1979 | Queen Marie Antoinette | Bisexual | Marie enters a political marriage with King Louis XVI of France but falls in love with Count von Fersen. She is considered a love interest of Oscar, [1] though their relationship never quite goes beyond master and servant. [2] [3] | Japan |
| Rosalie Lamorlière | She is the adopted daughter of Nicole Lamorlière, [4] attempting prostitution at one point to get money. She tries to kill Oscar's mother but Oscar stops her and soon takes her as an apprentice, earning Rosalie's admiration and love, as she opens his eyes. [4] [5] She later ends up marrying Oscar's friend, Bernard Chatelet in the episode "A Funeral Bell Tolls in the Twilight". | |||||
| Oscar François de Jarjayes | Queer | A young queer woman raised as a soldier, dressing and behaving as a man, Oscar is open about being female. [6] [7] [8] Oscar's love interest is one of the series protagonists, Marie Antoinette. [1] [8] She also has a relationship with Andre, [2] a childhood friend, but is only able to share one passionate night with Oscar. | ||||
| 1981–1986 | Urusei Yatsura | March 16, 1983 | Ryuunosuke Fujinami | Lesbian or bisexual | Ryūnosuke is a tomboyish girl and a protagonist of the anime. [9] In one episode, "Ran-chan's Great Date Plan!", she goes out on a date with an alien girl Ran, who thinks that Ryūnosuke is a lesbian after she says she has no interest in boys, and in another, "The Muco Flower's Name is Ryunosuke", the series villains try to turn her into a boy. In other episodes, like "Shine! The Blessed Bra!!", she is blackmailed into going on a date with Shinobu, and becomes good friends with Benten, who acknowledges her femininity without making a joke in episodes such as "Benten & Ryunosuke - Run Toward Tomorrow!" and "Ryunosuke VS Benten! Great Fruitless Amorousness Duel". In the OVA, titled "Nagisa's Fiance", Nagisa Shiowatari becomes her fiancé, a guy who was raised as a girl, meaning he behaves and crossdresses as a girl, implying that she may be bisexual. Her character was later used as a prototype for Ukyo Kuonji in Ranma ½ . [10] | Japan |
| 1982–1983 | Patalliro! | April 8, 1982 | Jack Barbarosa Bancoran | Gay | He enjoys flirting with and seducing young boys, having the name of "Young Boy Killer". [11] Women have shown interest in him and he shows no interest, though he did show mild interest in Pataliro's mother Etrange. | Japan |
| 1983–1984 | Stop!! Hibari-kun! | May 20, 1983 | Hibari Ōzora | Trans woman | Assigned male at birth, Hibari looks and behaves as a girl, expresses interest in having breasts, and has become more feminine after Kōsaku starts living at her household. [12] [13] [lower-alpha 1] She has demonstrated romantic interest in Kōsaku and is implied to have zero interest in women. | Japan |
| 1983–1986 | SuperTed | October 4, 1983 | Skeleton | Gay | Skeleton is one of Texas Pete's two henchmen. He is a living skeleton who is cowardly and behaves in a campy and effeminate manner. Skeleton has the ability to put himself back together after falling apart. He was confirmed to be gay in a 2014 interview with series creator Mike Young. [14] [ better source needed ] [15] [ better source needed ] He also appears in The Further Adventures of SuperTed. | Wales |
| 1984–2021 | Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends | November 7, 1994 | Rusty | Non-binary/Gender-Neutral | Rusty is an anthropomorphic narrow gauge diesel engine who works on the Skarloey Railway. Show developer Britt Allcroft had the intention of making Rusty a "gender neutral" character, being neither male or female. [16] Initially, beginning with character's debut in series 4, dialogue and narration would avoid referring to Rusty with any gender specific pronouns. However, starting with the series 9 episode "Tuneful Toots", Rusty would instead be referred to with masculine pronouns. [17] [ better source needed ] | United Kingdom |
| 1985–1987 | Fight! Iczer One | October 19, 1985 | Cobalt | Lesbian | A combat officer who is in love with Sepia, a non-commissioned officer. [18] Cobalt is in a romantic relationship with Sepia, occasionally kissing her in this "classic of early anime." [19] [20] | Japan |
| Sepia | Combat officer and ruthless warrior, who is in love with Cobalt, later becoming distraught after her demise. [21] She is in an intimate relationship with Cobalt. [19] [20] | |||||
| Iczer-1 | Iczer-1 is Nagisa's partner, choosing her so she can awaken her power as a warrior. [22] She has a romantic and intimate relationship with Nagisa throughout the series. [23] [20] | |||||
| Nagisa Kanou | Initially, she disliked Iczer-1, but eventually decides to fight with her, and protect her. [24] She is in a romantic relationship with Nagisa. [23] [20] | |||||
| 1986-1989 | Dragon Ball | January 14, 1987 | General Blue | Gay | A canon gay character and Nazi, [25] who is series antagonist, [26] having an entire saga focused on him. He also makes an appearance in Dragon Ball GT. He is attracted to Trunks/Future Trunks. [27] | Japan |
| 1989 | Ranma ½ | April 15, 1989 | Ranma Saotome | Ambiguous | Ranma, the male protagonist, is a "guy who transforms into a girl...from a woman into a man," and is attracted to Akane Tendo. [28] [29] However, it is unclear whether this is confirmation she is a trans man, [30] trans woman [31] or something else because Rumiko Takahashi said in November 1992 that she decided on "the character being half man and half woman." [32] [lower-alpha 2] | Japan |
| Akane Tendo | Possibly bisexual | Despite a rocky start to their relationship, [28] Akane is attracted to the anime's protagonist, Ranma, [33] seemingly in both his male and female forms, though her only other romantic interests are male. [34] Also, she is attracted to Ranma in the manga the series was based on. [29] | ||||
| 1989–1990 | Alfred J. Kwak | December 24, 1989 | Ollie de Ooievaar | Trans man | Ollie is one of the protagonist's close friends. At the start of the series he is referred to with female pronouns, but after a timeskip he starts using male pronouns. This is never directly addressed during the series. In 2013, the series creator, Herman van Veen, confirmed Ollie as a trans man, saying "I thought it was a nice idea...He now flies through life as a man, but maybe one day he will become a woman again." [35] | The Netherlands |
| 1989–present | The Simpsons | December 17, 1989 | Patty Bouvier | Lesbian | Patty officially came out in a 2005 episode, "There's Something About Marrying", which was one of the episodes that carried the occasional warning of content that might be unsuitable for children. [36] She is identical to her sister, Selma, but is a lesbian, and is a recurring character. [37] Like Dewey and Smithers, she is a recurring gay character. In "Livin La Pura Vida", Patty had a new girlfriend named Evelyn, voiced by lesbian actress Fortune Feimster. [38] Series creator Matt Groening said that the staff wanted to out Patty as gay because portraying her as a "love-starved spinster [...] seemed old" on the show. [39] | United States |
| Dewey Largo | Gay | Mr. Largo is the school's music teacher, whose last name is also an Italian word for a slow, broad, musical tempo. [40] A recurring gag in episodes such as "See Homer Run", are allusions that Largo is gay. A later episode, "Flaming Moe", confirmed that Largo is gay and was in a relationship with an older man, also named Dewey. [41] [42] Mr. Largo broke up with Dewey in the season 30 episode "Werking Mom". As of season 33, he is dating another man named Geoffrey. | ||||
| January 21, 1990 | Waylon Smithers | Smithers is a semi-closeted gay man. [43] [44] Waylon Smithers and Patty Bouvier ride a float called "Stayin' in the Closet!" during Springfield's annual gay pride parade in a 2002 episode, "Jaws Wired Shut". In a 2016 episode, "The Burns Cage", Smithers officially comes out as gay. [45] Mr. Smithers' relationship with Mr. Burns has long been a running gag on The Simpsons, and during the Bill Oakley/Josh Weinstein era, Al Jean and David Silverman called Smithers "Burns-sexual", [46] [47] but later the writers started to enjoy writing about Smithers and Burns' relationship in Season 2, [48] and in September 2015, it was confirmed by Jean that Smithers would come out to Mr. Burns in "The Burns Cage". [49] In "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire", Smithers had a new boyfriend named Michael de Graaf, voiced by Victor Garber, a gay actor. [50] | ||||
| November 21, 2001 | Brunella Pommelhorst | Transgender | Mrs. Pommelhorst is the gym teacher who announced his intention to take time off and return as "Mr. Pommelhorst, the shop teacher" in the episode "My Fair Laddy", although she later returned as the same. [42] [44] | |||
| April 13, 2003 | Grady | Gay | They are a stereotypical gay couple [42] [44] who later break up, with Julio later married to Thad, shown in episodes such as "Three Gays of the Condo". Julio is known in later seasons for being Marge's recurring hairdresser. Grady is voiced by gay comedian Scott Thompson while Julio has been voiced by gay actor Tony Rodriguez since 2021. [51] | |||
| Julio Franco |
The depiction of LGBTQ characters in animated series in the 1990s changed significantly from those in previous decades. Some of the most prominent series during this decade which featured LGBTQ characters were Sailor Moon , South Park , King of the Hill , Cardcaptor Sakura and Futurama . However, Revolutionary Girl Utena stood apart, with prominent LGBTQ characters, which some called one of the most important anime of the 1990s. [52] It heavily influenced the creator of Steven Universe , Rebecca Sugar, calling a series which "plays with the semiotics of gender" which really stuck with her. [53] Additionally, during this decade, Family Guy and SpongeBob SquarePants premiered, with LGBTQ protagonists in both shows, although it was only implied in the latter show. Benjamin Gluck’s short film, Man’s Best Friend, also featured an openly LGBTQ pink dog.
For a further understanding of how these LGBTQ characters fit into the overall history of animation, please read the History of LGBT characters in animated series: 1990s page.
The depiction of LGBTQ characters in animated series in the 2000s changed significantly from the previous decade. In 1999, Simpsons and The Critic producer Mike Reiss who hoped to do something "good for the gay audience" produced Queer Duck , the first animated TV series with homosexuality as a predominant theme. [54] [55] The show became relatively influential after premiering online on Icebox.com, then later shown on Showtime starting in 2000, and was received well by some in the LGBTQ community. While LGBTQ characters appeared in shows such as The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy , Red vs. Blue , and The Boondocks , the ongoing show, American Dad , which premiered in 2005, had an LGBTQ character as a protagonist, Roger. While the gay news anchors Greg Corbin and Terry Bates were recurring characters in the show, Roger, a space alien who lives with the Smith family, has an ambiguous sexuality. [56] [57] [58]
For a further understanding of how these LGBTQ characters fit into the overall history of animation, please read the History of LGBTQ characters in animated series: 2000s page.
The depiction of LGBTQ characters in animated series in the 2010s changed significantly from the previous decade; especially in Western animation. [59] One of the shows cited as being the most influential for this change in representation is Steven Universe , created by Rebecca Sugar and aired on Cartoon Network. [60] As GLAAD put it in their 2019-2020 report, the show continues to "go above and beyond when it comes to inclusive storytelling." [61] The series, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power , developed by ND Stevenson, included LGBTQ characters, [62] [63] premiered in November 2018. Voltron: Legendary Defender , which aired from 2016 to 2018, attracted controversy for its depiction of LGBTQ characters, [64] especially killing off a gay character, [65] [66] with some saying the show was following a stereotype known as "burying your gays" [67] [68] The 2010s also included LGBTQ characters in animated series, such as Marceline the Vampire Queen and Princess Bubblegum in Adventure Time , [69] Korra and Asami in The Legend of Korra , [70] and Mr. Ratburn and his husband from Arthur. [71] Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy appeared in the first season of Harley Quinn from 2019 to 2020, but their romance was not expanded until seasons 2 and 3 in 2020 and 2022. [72]
For a further understanding of how these LGBTQ characters fit into the overall history of animation, please read the History of LGBTQ characters in animated series: 2010s page.
The depiction of LGBT characters in animated series in the 2020s changed from the 2010s, accelerating like never seen before, especially when it came to Western animation. The Owl House featured some of the first LGBTQ protagonists in a Disney show, [73] while Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts had a prominent gay relationship not previously seen in animation. [74] In adult animation, Magical Girl Friendship Squad and Helluva Boss broke ground, the former with a lesbian protagonist [75] and the latter with one bisexual character and one pansexual character. However, in 2020, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Steven Universe Future , both of which had various LGBTQ characters, ended. [76] [77] In anime, LGBTQ characters appeared in various productions, such as Adachi and Shimamura , [78] Assault Lily Bouquet , [79] and My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! . [78]
For a further understanding of how these LGBTQ characters fit into the overall history of animation, please read the History of LGBT characters in animation: 2020s page.
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.
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.
In anime and manga, the term "LGBTQ themes" includes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender material. Outside Japan, anime generally refers to a specific Japanese-style of animation, but the word anime is used by the Japanese themselves to broadly describe all forms of animated media there. According to Harry Benshoff and Sean Griffin, the fluid state of animation allows flexibility of animated characters to perform multiple roles at once. Manga genres that focus on same-sex intimacy and relationships resulted from fan work that depicted relationships between two same-sex characters. This includes characters who express their gender and sexuality outside of hetero-normative boundaries. There are also multiple sub genres that target specific consumers and themes: yaoi, yuri, shoujo-ai, shonen-ai, bara, etc. LGBT-related manga found its origins from fans who created an "alternative universe" in which they paired their favorite characters together. Many of the earliest works that contained LGBT themes were found in works by dōjinshi who has specifically written content outside the regular industry. The rise of yaoi and yuri was also slowed due to censorship laws in Japan that make it extremely hard for Japanese manga artists ("mangakas") and others to create work that is LGBT themed. Anime that contained LGBTQ content was changed to meet international standards. However, publishing companies continued to expand their repertoire to include yuri and yaoi, and conventions were created to form a community and culture for fans of this work.
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 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.
Major Bancoran of the British Intelligence Department, also known as "Bishonen Killer," is his bodyguard. Hidden in a beautiful appearance, he saves Patalliro...Patalliro, who is flirting, flirting, moss, moss, and full of vitality, runs through somewhere in the world today.
There is only one male character on broadcast television counted as bisexual: Roger the Alien on Fox's animated series American Dad!..Another animated Fox program, American Dad!, features a bisexual alien named Roger as a series regular, and gay couple Terry and Greg as recurring characters.
The only LGBT characters on the Fox network are found on their animated comedies, where several gay recurring characters make occasional and usually brief appearances, including Waylon Smithers and Patti Bouvier on The Simpsons, and news anchor couple Greg and Terry on American Dad!
Cartoon Network's Steven Universe continues to go above and beyond when it comes to inclusive storytelling, so much so that it earned the GLAAD Media Award in Outstanding Kids and Family Programming at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Have you ever seen an American, animated series, aimed at all audiences -- featuring a superhero-type character, no less -- who's openly portrayed as LGBT? Well, now you can name one. And that's a start.
Luz and Amity began as rivals, but The Owl House has slowly built up a friendship between the two girls. Once Luz learned that they share many of the same interests, she has tried to befriend Amity. Since then, their relationship has continued to grow, with more clues being dropped that feelings could be brewing. While fans are aware of Amity's feelings for Luz, they will have to wait and see if and when Luz makes her feelings known as well.
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