As a child, and possibly as an adult, you will have seen countless films and TV shows
aimed at kids.
Nickelodeon, CBBC, Disney, Pixar, Cartoon Network, CITV were all part of our lives growing
up.
They gave us unforgettable characters that we now love to see reimagined a college students
or zombies.
But did you ever notice any LGBT people in these shows?
Probably not, or if you did there would almost certainly have been
NO mention of words like “gay”, “lesbian” “transgender”
no kissing or physical affection between same sex couples, even when opposite sex couples
were allowed to hug and kiss on screen
they would not have been main characters
or they would have been queer coded characters, steeped in negative stereotypical portrayals
I saw hundreds of depictions of parents but not one was a same sex couple, I saw hundreds
of stories about crushes and dates and not one was a girl who liked a girl, or a boy
who liked a boy.
And this is something that desperately needs to change.
However, whenever this is bought up, there is a strong opposition, which says things
like “let kids be kids” and stop trying to “force an agenda on them”.
When this subject gets bought up and language like “Propaganda”, “unacceptable”
and “being subjected to” are thrown around, I think that’s very telling.
LGBT people are a fact of life, and yet are still not seen as equal.
We have these ideas about gay, bisexual, trans people that intersect with things like the
hayes Code, the AIDS crisis, section 28, to perpetuate the idea that anything other than
straight is perverse.
it is adult and explicit, and inappropriate and inherently sexual.
A man and a woman kissing is perfectly acceptable in even the lowest age-rated films, but a
man and a man kissing in the exact same way is seen as explicit.
But why is this important?
Sure gay people exist, but do they need to be in kid’s shows?
Well of course this inclusivity would benefit LGBT kids, and those questioning their sexuality
and gender identity.
But it would also be positive for those children who have someone close to them who is LGBT;
a parent, sibling, family friend, aunt or uncle, school friend or otherwise.
Research by William T.L.
Cox.
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows that negative stereotyping and prejudiced
mindsets in media contribute significantly to bullying, harassment, depression, and suicide.
LGBT youth, even from ages as young as 10, are at higher risk of suicide than their straight
and cis peers- being 4 times as likely to attempt to take their own life, and 6 times
more likely to self harm.
But even if we don’t care about the well-being of millions of children across the world,
or the way it would help straight and cis kids who don’t know any LGBT people to be
more open-minded and accepting of those who are different to them.
We should care about the fact that including LGBT people in kids media is just reflecting
reality.
But surely there must have been some instances of representation?
Well, yes, a tiny number of attempts at representation have been made, the earliest I can find being
in 2004, in, of all things, an episode of the cartoon show Braceface entitled “Game,
Set Up and Match”.
This early example was remarkably progressive- it has the show’s protagonist attempt to
set up two of her friends, Dion and Houston, who are both gay men.
The episode, in a thinly veiled way, tackles the idea that just because a guy is gay, doesn’t
mean they are attracted to every guy they see, and that you can’t force people to
like each other.
The show never says the word “gay”, but it’s pretty clear in the text and subtext
that these two men aren’t straight, and it’s treated as completely normal that they
could fancy another man.
They, of course, do not kiss.
Another, more infamous example, is that of Susan and Cheryl in a 2014 episode of Good
Luck Charlie, who were the first same-sex parents ever depicted on American children’s
television.
Their appearance on screen is part of a joke between the main parents in the show, and
although they are just there for a brief scene, this was enough to garner a storm of complaints
from the American public.
Another example of the sexuality of a character being revealed as the punchline to a joke,
is the character is mitch?
in Paranorman, who is revealed to have a boyfriend at the very end of the movie.
This “Twist” ending relies on both the absence of gay characters from kids media,
and the stereotype that gay men are not the athletic jock types, to create an unexpected
payoff.
We never see the boyfriend, and certainly don’t get any acts of affection between
them.
But the reference to a boyfriend is explicit.
However, a troubling trend, which falls inline with the prejudiced idea that gay characters
are inherently sexual and adult, is that of studios, writers or producers treading a fine
conservative line by announcing that their characters are gay off-air.
HTTYD2 is a perfect example of how a film or show can attempt to keep both sides happy.
While ultimately favouring the side of people opposed to having LGBT characters for kids.
They put out before the film’s release, a lot of statements and articles, that one
of the characters was gay, and would come out during the film.
As it turns out, the scene in question was not even barely distinguishable as a coming
out scene in any way.
Other examples include the suggestions that Marceline and Princess Bubblegum from Adventure
Time were or are together.
And that Mr. Simmons, a school teacher in Hey Arnold is gay.
These examples are troubling because they are ultimately not representation at all.
If it is not explicitly stated in the show in a way that the children the show is aimed
at can understand, it is wilfully hiding the representation.
Perhaps the most famous example of this from the last few years is the case of Korra and
Asmai from legend of Korra.
In the final episode of the show, the two women face each other, holding hands as they
essentially walk off into the sunset together.
Anything more explicit than that, according to one show writer, would not have been supported
by the network.
Off screen, he has talked about Korrasami in no uncertain terms saying “Korrasami
is canon.
there is no denying it.
That is the official story.”
Concluding a post of tumblr about the topic with the line “Was it a slam-dunk victory
for queer representation?
I think it falls short of that, but hopefully it is a somewhat significant inching forward.”
That inching forwards can also come with steps back.
Stephen Universe is a clear triumph with same sex romance, love, kissing, and mediations
on gender.
However, only this year the UK aired an episode of the show where same-sex romance had been
censored.
The romantic dance between Pearl and Rose Quartz, instead featured close-ups of completely
different characters.
Many people say it’s actually the overseas markets in Asia and China specifically which
causes shows to downplay LGBT characters, but the fact the UK changed the original US
show for a British audience suggests it’s more complex than that.
In a statement, Cartoon Network UK said: “In the UK we have to ensure everything
on air is suitable for kids of any age at any time.
“We do feel that the slightly edited version is more comfortable for local kids and their
parents.
Research shows that UK kids often watch with younger siblings without parental supervision.
“Be assured that as a channel and network we celebrate diversity – evident across
many of our shows and characters.”
However, this isn’t actually true- the description of the British U rating the lowest age rating,
and the one which cartoon network aims for, says: “Characters may be seen kissing or
cuddling and there may be references to sexual behaviour.”
This cute romantic scene was clearly seen as too sexual.
So is it all doom and gloom?
Well, we have had some good examples of representation.
They are rare, but we have started to make some progress.
In the UK perhaps the best example of this is Doctor Who, which, since its reboot in
2005, has featured both recurring and incidental characters who aren’t straight.
The Doctor actually says the word gay, and the first season later bought us captain Jack
Harkness, an omnisexual character who flirts across gender, and who kisses the Doctor in
the same way he kisses his female companion Rose.
The show does an admirable job of showing both queer background characters as an everyday
part of life, but also highlight specific characters and issues around these identities-
in the episode The unicorn and the wasp, the tragic fate of a same-sex couple is commented
on by Donna, with her protesting about the horrible and unfair situation they were in
as gay men in the early 20th Century.
So where does that leave us?
I would love to say we are making great strides forwards, but with the UK censoring same sex
couples, and almost no transgender characters to speak of either, it isn’t going to be
that easy.
But the more people are aware of the disparity, the more people thinking critically about
their media, the more people demanding representation, the more our voices can be lifted up.
Until then, I’ll be looking forward to the day when Sesame Street can include same-sex
parents, and the lead protagonist on a Disney show can serenade her female crush, and the
world can feel just a little happier and safer for the LGBT kids watching.