Adventure Time and LGBT+ Representation in Cartoons
I think that it is worth noting the advances in LGBT representation that we have seen in children’s cartoons in the last few years.
In my mind, it all started with The Legend of Korra which built a relationship between two female characters through the last season in a more romantic way. In the finale they finally got together, however, all they did was hold hands on a show which had been relegated to the web only. The creators confirmed on Twitter that it was in fact romantic.
Then, of course, there is Steven Universe, which had already started to push boundaries in terms of relationships and gene identity. However, I think a truly standout moment was in 2015 near the end of the first season, when the character Ruby and Sapphire were introduced and shown to be in a relationship. Earlier this year these two characters were married in a special episode.
Two years later Nickelodeon introduced another gay relationship, this time on a more mainstream show and in a more explicate manner than Korra. On their popular show, The Loud House, the parents of supporting character Clyde, Wayne and Michael, were revealed to be two gay men in an interracial relationship.
In June 2017 the show progressed even more when one of the main characters, Luna, confessed her crush to a girl showing her to be bisexual. Their relationship is to be explored more in a future episode to air in season four.
A much smaller note but also important is that a few months before this the Disney channel aired their first gay kiss between two men in the background of Star Vs The Forces of Evil.
Finally, we come to the present where Marceline and Princess Bubblegum kissed in Adventure Time’s series finally after their relationship being hinted at and explored for years. Their romance has grown, and it is so great to see it blossom in such an emotion and well-done finale.
I hope that we will see this trend continue and more shows begin to explore characters with diverse sexualities. Until then if you ever need an gay-toon fix, you know where to find me!
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