History of LGBTQ characters in animation: 2010s

While anime had a plethora of shows, some with positive representation and others with negative representation, Western animation chugged along. In some of their early reports, GLAAD highlighted LGBTQ+ characters in shows[1][2] which began in the 2000s, like American Dad, Archer, The Cleveland Show,[3] and even ones from the 1980s like The Simpsons or the 1990s like South Park.[4] with Allen Gregory as one exception to that. In later years they would follow the same pattern,[5][6] commenting in a 2014 report that "children's programming has been slow to reflect the diversity its audience is experiencing in its daily life."[7] By 2015, GLAAD would commit itself to expanding their analysis to include LGBTQ+ characters on stream services like Amazon and Netflix for the first time.[8] The following year, GLAAD reported that the highest number of LGBTQ characters they had recorded yet appeared in the 2016–2017 television season.[9] The next year, they said the same. In their annual report, GLAAD praised the increase of LGBTQ+ characters on streaming services like Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu,[10] While GLAAD and others were praising the growth in the number of LGBTQ+ characters in broadcast, primetime television,[11][12][13] LGBTQ+ characters in animated television were still somewhat rare.[14][15]

A fan cosplaying as Garnet, the embodiment of a lesbian relationship between two individuals, in Steven Universe, in July 2015
For LGBTQ characters in animated Netflix shows, see Netflix and LGBTQ representation in animation. For LGBTQ characters in animated web series, see LGBTQ representation in animated web series. For LGBTQ characters in Cartoon Network shows, see Cartoon Network and LGBTQ representation.

In 2018, LGBTQ+ characters moved forward as never seen before. In their report from the previous year, covering shows which aired from 2017 to 2018, GLAAD noted that while Netflix was featuring more LGBTQ+ people of color,[16] CW Seed launched two shows with "queer heroes"[17] and how Bojack Horseman expanded the story of Todd, the "only asexual character on streaming originals" as they described it,[18] The following year, the amount of LGBTQ+ characters further increased, whether in primetime scripted broadcast shows, screamed programming on sites like Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix, especially in "daytime kids and family television." GLAAD pointed out in their annual Reports in 2018 and 2019.[19][20] In the first of these reports, for the 2018–2019 season, they highlighted characters in Voltron: Legendary Defender, BoJack Horseman, Steven Universe, Adventure Time,[21] The Loud House and Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors.[22] In their second annual report, on the 2019–2020 season, they again noted BoJack Horseman but also pointed to She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Twelve Forever, The Bravest Knight,[23] Steven Universe, Arthur,[24] My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes and the upcoming Q-Force.[25]

Steven Universe and LGBTQ stories
A fan cosplaying as Steven Universe in July 2015

Everything changed in 2009. That year, Rebecca Sugar, then a relatively unknown comic artist, walked in the doors of the Cartoon Network Studios offices in Burbank, California to pitch a seven-minute short for a show called Steven Universe that would premiere many years later.[26] She would, the following year, begin working on Adventure Time, starting to change CN's then-focus on "boys" programming, even during the 2009 pitch meeting.[27]

Steven Universe began airing on Cartoon Network on November 4, 2013. It came at a time that people were unhappy at the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters on TV and were calling for better representation.[28] The groundwork for the show had been set the previous year,[29] with much of the show, including the final seasons mapped out already.[30] The show focused on a half-alien, half-Gem child named Steven Universe, who is raised by three non-binary space aliens:[31] Pearl, Garnet (a fusion of Ruby and Sapphire), and Amethyst, which are female-presenting, using she/her pronouns, in a non-traditional family,[32] with a Steven's father, Greg, living in a van and running a car wash. During the creation of the show, Sugar was influenced by the game Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the One Piece anime.[26] The show, tailored to appeal to queer youth, focused on themes such as bisexuality, same-sex attraction, trauma, grief, consent, and many other complex subjects in its run of over five seasons and 160 episodes,[33] continuing Sugar's work of moving "LGBT stories from the margins into the mainstream."[34] The show was also Cartoon Network's first show "created solely by a woman"[35][36] and having overly queer themes. Sugar and others who worked on the show were inspired by the finale of the 1990s magical-girl series, Ojamajo Doremi,[29] with the show later becoming the "gold standard" for Cartoon Network itself.[37]

In September 2019, Ian Jones-Quartey, who left the show in 2015 to develop his own show (OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes), noted how the focus of Steven Universe on identity struck a chord with audiences,[27] while Noelle Stevenson, then a web comic cartoonist, described the show's effect on LGBTQ+ representation in Western animation:

Steven Universe changed the landscape of animated shows when it first hit the air...There's been an idea of 'cartoons are for kids,' and they're either aimed at kids in this very optimistic but simplistic way or they're more aimed at adults who then bring in more of that fanboy-fangirl crowd. Those are the cartoons that get to be a little bit more hard-hitting by being more 'serious.' What I loved about Steven Universe was that it was solidly both things: it delved into complicated themes while never losing the optimism...Every show that is pursuing representation and pushing the limits of what we can do in animation, that's the biggest kind of benefit to others who are making stories in the same industry. We can point and be like, 'Look! They did this.' So often you just don't have anything to point at.

Later, episodes like "Reunited," were the reason that the creator of Gravity Falls, Alex Hirsch, believed that Sugar was moving everyone in kid's programming forward in terms of LGBTQ+ representation.[38][39] Even so, Sugar criticized the casual absence of LGBTQ+ representation, but praised the effort by various shows to increase "LGBTQIA content...in G-rated entertainment."[38][40] Noelle Stevenson, who would be the series creator of a show that would premiere later that year, praised the episode as "bold and courageous," serving as a moment which "knocked down so many walls" for other storytellers.[27] Despite this, the show was still pulled from broadcasting in South Africa.[38] In 2020, a writer for Paper Magazine, Matt Moen, stated that conversations that year about LGBTQ representation would not have happened without the show, noting that the show had a unique ability to "tackle complex and nuanced topics like mental health, family and relationships made it beloved among both younger and older audiences," building a huge following at "the peak of the Tumblr fandom era."[41] Moen also stated that Sugar set a precedent with the show that queer characters and queer stories were "valid but viable and even desirable by viewers." Sugar added to this, expressing she was glad what she was able to do with Garnet, Ruby, and Sapphire, noted how they used the idea of fusion to explore relationships, including those which were queer, with the studio telling them they couldn't have the characters in a romantic relationship, and that she was told that she couldn't discuss it publicly, which made her extremely stressed.[41]

She-Ra and its influence on LGBTQ representation
Person carries sign at 2013 pride parade saying they love their lesbian cousin

On May 15, 2020, what people have said about She-Ra and the Princesses of Power came to pass when the final season of Stevenson's show premiered on Netflix. The stakes were higher than ever before, with more danger than the previous season, according to Stevenson, as the season has "a core of optimism to it" with the characters discovering who "they are and following the path that each of them has."[42] Before the show premiered, Mey Rude, who has reviewed the show, said that it is "changing animation, television, and lives for the better"[43] and stated that She-Ra has and "will continue to be the catalyst for self discovery for countless queer people."[44] In an interview with Nerdist, Stevenson said that she wanted to represent points of view not usually seen in media, trying to explore them while being as "honest and as real as possible," adding that while crafting queer representation is different from "studio to studio, show to show," recommending that people who want such representation have to approach it "without any fear," saying that sometimes people hold back because they are scared, and called for increased LGBTQ+ representation.[45] She hoped that the show would inspire people to create "more queer relationships and characters who are textually queer," and that it inspires people in their lives as a whole. She echoed this in a later tweet, remarking that she hoped that in the future people stop thinking of LGBTQ+ representation "as a race or a contest and more as a community effort to uplift voices that have not yet had their stories told," adding that every piece of media is a broadening of horizons, not an endpoint.[46] In another interview, she made the argument that having characters who are incidental to the story, and have a "central and somewhat ambiguous, slow unfolding of a relationship," with the latter much tougher, arguing that it not time at the present for queer characters to die because that has been the norm for a while.[47] In terms of the show itself, the final season confirmed Rogelio and Kyle, who were childhood friends, with Noelle Stevenson confirming their relationship, adding that Lonnie is also part of it, implying a possible polyamorous relationship.[48] There were also scenes of a married lesbian couple (Netossa and Spinnerella), the two dads (George and Lance)[lower-alpha 1] of series protagonist, Bow, and an episode with a major focus on Double Trouble,[lower-alpha 2] a non-binary character. Most prominently, however, the slow-burn romance[lower-alpha 3] of Catra and Adora came to a pinnacle, with both confessing their love toward each other and kissing one another in the series finale, with their love saving the universe.[49][47] Stevenson stated that while this romance was something she had planned from the show's conception, she wasn't sure how overt she could be, playing it sensitively at the beginning,[50] waiting for the right moment, laying the groundwork for the final season, with the slow-burn romance ultimately approved, and was glad she could finally talk about it, having it be central to the final season in "a very, very textually romantic way."[45][47] She implied influence of Steven Universe on the show,[lower-alpha 4] while confirming the Bow/Glimmer, Scorpia/Perfuma, and Entrapta/Hordak relationships, while noting she fought hard for the Catra/Adora pairing during the show's development.[51][52] At the same time, in one interview she noted that while the show focuses on humanizing villains like Hordak, that Horde Prime represents someone who cannot be redeemed, with redemption as a choice, and open-ended nature of the final episode.[50] She further stated that she based Horde Prime on suicidal cult leaders and Christian fundamentalists as many of his phrases feel "like they're lifted straight out of religious sermons and songs," with megachurches used as a model for "designing Horde Prime's spaceship."[53] In an interview with GLAAD's Raina Deerwater she talked about queer representation in animation, situating her show with others like Legend of Korra and Steven Universe, noting that young fandom is expecting "nothing less than a variety of solid queer representation and central queer characters," calling it inspiring, and noting challenges that lay ahead.[54] When talking with Entertainment Weekly she told Christian Holub that she hoped that She-Ra would continue to pave the way, saying she hopes it will be easier to have "romances and relationships that are constant throughout the show" without it taking suspense out of the show itself.[55]

One commentary, by Raina Deerwater of GLAAD in The Advocate, stated that the center of the show is a "relationship between two women" (Adora and Catra), with the dynamic between then driving the entire series, comparing the show to Killing Eve while noting shows like The Legend of Korra, Adventure Time, and Steven Universe also having central queer romances, and citing GLAAD's Where We Are on TV reports to talk about LGBTQ+ representation in popular media.[56] Deerwater also describes Adora and Catra as "undisputedly gay," with their kiss in the final episode making it clear that the show was a love story, with the title characters of both She-Ra and Killing Eve likely getting "to live their full queerness" following the series finales of both shows, while remaining optimistic about more representation going forward. Additionally, a review on The Mary Sue stated that the show's final season hammers home the message of love, compassion, and strength, even with an emphasis on forgiveness and allowing those who wish to be redeemed the space to change, like Steven Universe, although none of the pain caused is erased, and noted the lesbian marriage (between Netossa and Spinnerella), the two "queer leads" (Adora and Catra), non-binary characters, and many other forms of representation.[57] The same review made the argument that in the last ten years, LGBTQ+ television for children has changed to the extend that going backward isn't an option, with shows like She-Ra leading the way. Another reviewer stated that Stevenson was carrying the torch from Steven Universe, highlighting various LGBTQ+ characters in the show, and noting that the show tackles various topics like identity, responsibility, "importance of chosen family," and being queer itself.[41] Stevenson also noted the importance of featuring LGBTQ+ representation in kids animation, saying shows before made She-Ra's "range of queer representation" possible,[58] with some arguing she had roots in "queer fandom"[59] and called the show one of the "most LGBTQ-inclusive and diverse shows on television."[60] Stevenson and the crew of the show were strongly influenced by anime (especially those with magical girls),[61] fantasy roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons,[62] sci-fi in the 1970s and 1980s, paying homage to the original She-Ra: Princess of Power show.[63]

See also

Notes
  1. They make a brief appearance in episode "Return to the Fright Zone" in the show's final season.
  2. In the episode "Perils of Peekablue," Double Trouble reappears, posing as "Peekablue," a male prince
  3. Bustle defines a slow burn as a "romance novel that focuses on a character-driven love story where that relationship takes some time to develop," with the same applying to animation.
  4. In the A.V. Club interview she said they wanted to create a pink lion of Catra named Claudine but didn't because its design was "pretty much identical to the pink lion from Steven Universe" so they chose Melog (from the original She-Ra series) as a "therapy animal" for Catra.

References

Citations
  1. GLAAD 2010, p. 7-11.
  2. GLAAD 2011, p. 7-11.
  3. GLAAD 2012, p. 8.
  4. GLAAD 2013, p. 8, 10.
  5. GLAAD 2012, p. 9.
  6. GLAAD 2014, p. 9, 11.
  7. GLAAD 2014, p. 23.
  8. GLAAD 2015, p. 3.
  9. Glass, Joe (November 3, 2016). "LGBT characters on TV will make up larger percentage than ever, study finds". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  10. GLAAD 2016, p. 5, 10.
  11. Mak, Philip (June 21, 2017). "In a Heartbeat: Why we need more LGBTQ animation". Toon Boom. Archived from the original on April 5, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  12. Jusino, Teresa (June 2, 2017). "Why I'll Be Holding onto These Five Nuanced and Inspiring Bisexual Characters for Dear Life This Pride". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  13. Cook 2018, p. 7.
  14. Segal, Cynthia (June 30, 2017). "7 American Kids' Cartoons That Treat Their LGBTQ Characters With Respect". The Dot and Line. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  15. Sizer, Artistaeus (June 30, 2017). "We Need To Talk About LGBT Representation, Apparently". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  16. GLAAD 2017, p. 10.
  17. GLAAD 2017, p. 7.
  18. Liao, Shannon (October 26, 2018). "2018 saw record growth in LGBTQ roles on television". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020.
  19. GLAAD 2018, p. 5.
  20. GLAAD 2019, p. 5, 6, 12.
  21. Fleener, S.E. (June 17, 2019). "The Awesome and Unexpected Queering of Adventure Time". Syfy. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  22. GLAAD 2018, p. 12, 31.
  23. Perkins, Dennis (November 2019). "The Bravest Knight: Daniel Errico's quest for LGBTQ children's media". Animation from Every Angle. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  24. Fetters, Ashley; Escobar, Natalie (May 14, 2019). "How a Gay Character on Arthur Reflects Changing Norms in the U.S." The Atlantic. Archived from the original on March 8, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  25. GLAAD 2019, p. 12-13, 33.
  26. Holloway, Daniel (March 18, 2020). "'Steven Universe' Creator Looks Back on Her Groundbreaking Series as It Comes to a Close". Variety. Archived from the original on April 5, 2020. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  27. Romano, Nick (September 6, 2019). "How The Bravest Knight is turning the tide for LGBTQ kids programming". EW. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  28. "Portrayal of LGBT in the Media". Civic Issues. Penn State University. February 1, 2013. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  29. Robinson, Tasha (March 27, 2020). "The reason Rebecca Sugar made Steven Universe Future, and why it's the actual end". Polygon. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  30. Romano, Nick (March 27, 2020). "The legacy of Steven Universe: How a hidden gem changed animation forever". EW. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  31. Ewart, Asia (July 10, 2015). "Four cartoons that are leading the way in LGBT visibility". Metro. Archived from the original on July 4, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  32. Kirichanskaya, Michele (February 7, 2020). "Steven Universe, She-Ra, & Voltron: LGBTQIA+ Successes, Failures, and Hopes for the Future in Children's Animation". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  33. Mention, Bry'onna (Winter 2020). "Rebecca Sugar Talks "Steven Universe" Success, Queer Visibility In Children's Cartoons, and Own Non-Binary Identity". Bust. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  34. Adegoke, Yomi (October 1, 2019). "Move over, Disney! Meet the woman leading the LGBT cartoon revolution". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  35. Mak, Philip (March 26, 2018). "Five family-friendly LGBTQ animated series for Pride Month". Toon Boom. Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  36. Segal, Corinne (September 4, 2016). "Rebecca Sugar, Cartoon Network's first female creator, on writing LGBTQ stories for kids". PBS. Archived from the original on April 3, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  37. Brown, Tracy (March 25, 2020). "'Steven Universe' changed TV forever. For its creator, its queer themes were personal". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  38. Romano, Nick (August 22, 2018). "From Steven Universe to Voltron: The fight to bring LGBTQ characters to kids' shows". EW. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  39. Romano, Nick (August 13, 2018). "Steven Universe creator has done more for LGBTQ visibility than you might know". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  40. Cavna, Michael (September 18, 2018). "'Steven Universe' creator illuminates the power of personal work — including LGBTQ representation". Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  41. Moen, Matt (August 5, 2020). "In Conversation: Rebecca Sugar and Noelle Stevenson". Paper Magazine. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  42. Bishop, Rollin (May 13, 2020). "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Noelle Stevenson on the Upcoming Season, Favorite Scenes, and Ending the Show". comicbook.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  43. Rude, Mey [@meyrude] (May 14, 2020). "the final season of @DreamWorksSheRa premieres on netflix tonight and i am exploding with pride and joy and awe and love for noelle!!! this show is simply incredible and is changing animation, television, and lives for the better. thank you noelle and everyone who worked on it" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020 – via Twitter.
  44. Rude, Mey [@meyrude] (May 14, 2020). "it's not an exaggeration to say that #shera has and will continue to be the catalyst for self discovery for countless queer people. it's amazing the good work this show is doing and ALL the people who made it are doing. @Kate_Farina @RianSygh god you too i'm so proud of you!!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020 – via Twitter.
  45. Knight, Rosie (May 15, 2020). "Noelle Stevenson on the Legacy of SHE-RA". Nerdist News. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  46. Stevenson, Noelle [@Gingerhazing] (May 18, 2020). "My hope for the future of LGBT representation is that we stop thinking of it as a race or a contest and more as a community effort to uplift voices that have not yet had their stories told. Each individual piece of media is not an endpoint, it's a broadening of horizons" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020 – via Twitter. She followed this up by saying "keep talking, keep listening. I'm listening. It makes a difference."
  47. Brown, Tracy (May 15, 2020). "Once 'so secret,' a queer Netflix series finally puts all its cards on the table". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  48. Stevenson, Noelle [@Gingerhazing] (May 20, 2020). "Yeah, they're a thing. In my head Lonnie's a part of it tho!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020 – via Twitter. She was responding to the question by a fan: "I'm not too bothered if you dont see this but are Kyle and Rogelio a thing? Or something as people are talking about it and saying it was hinted at but idk if its confirmed or not or atleast hinted at. If you see this can you clarify? Dont have to just wondering."
  49. Opie, David (May 15, 2020). "She-Ra's season 5 finale just changed TV forever with a groundbreaking moment". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  50. Zachary, Brandon (May 17, 2020). "We Must Be Brave: Noelle Stevenson On She-Ra's Finale, Hordak And THAT Kiss". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  51. Gomez, Patrick (May 16, 2020). ""Do I read this as platonic or romantic?": Behind the scenes of the epic She-Ra finale". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  52. Trumbore, Dave (May 16, 2020). "'She-Ra' Season 5 Spoilers Explained by Showrunner Noelle Stevenson". Collider. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  53. Radulovic, Petrana (May 20, 2020). "She-Ra's final villain was modeled after real cult leaders". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  54. Deerwater, Raina (May 18, 2020). "EXCLUSIVE: 'She-Ra' creator Noelle Stevenson talks to GLAAD about the final season, queer representation in animation, and watching 'Killing Eve'". GLAAD. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  55. Holub, Christian (May 20, 2020). "She-Ra showrunner answers all our burning questions about the final season". EW. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  56. Deerwater, Raina (May 21, 2020). "On She-Ra and Killing Eve, Lesbian Subtext Drops the Sub". The Advocate. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  57. Weekes, Princess (May 13, 2020). "She-Ra's Final Season Delivers an Ending Filled With Love, Compassion, and Strength". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  58. Kelley, Shamus (November 9, 2018). "She-Ra: The Next Step in Queer Representation". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  59. Hogan, Heather (November 14, 2018). "Netflix's "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power" Is the Gay Agenda". Autostraddle. Archived from the original on November 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  60. Haasch, Palmer (August 16, 2018). "Netflix's She-Ra is a terrific reboot — and a huge step for LGBTQ representation on TV". Vox. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  61. Stalberg, Allison (October 17, 2019). "10 American Cartoons That Were Influenced By Anime". CBR. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  62. Marrongelli, Rocco (November 9, 2018). "'She-Ra and the Princesses of Power' Producer Says It's Basically a D&D; Campaign". Newsweek. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  63. Burszan, David (November 3, 2018). "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: What to Expect from the New Netflix Series". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.

Sources
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.