The current state of contemporary cartoons fills me with so much joy and euphoria. We get to see so many things that teenage/child me wouldve desperately needed to see represented in the media I consumed. She-Ra and the Pricesses of Powers Adora wouldve helped me realize that I actually do set unrealistic expectations for myself and that its completely okay to just want to be loved and adored for who I am and not what I can be. Amity Blight and Luz Noceda from The Owl House would've helped me figure things out about myself that in real life took me until my early 20s to actually realize. I am not straight and that has actually always been there. It took me until seeing Amity gay panic over Luz to actually understand that 13 year old me had a severe crush on a boy and not just some admiration thing going on. 16 year old me kissed another boy and I thought "yeah but you're still straight lmao". Its fucking pathetic to see how much I was conditioned by the rather conservative small german city environment I grew up in. I understand things now. Im a queer relationship with a wonderful nonbinary person whom I love and cherish alot. I ask myself more and more if Im cis myself and the current state of things is: I dont know, I dont think I am. And that feels right and good to finally say out loud and talk about it with my partner alot. To actually experience something like gendereuphoria by watching characters like Adora or Amity Blight explore their looks and ways to be perceived hit me like a fucking truck. And I am filled to the brim with happiness and excitement for the teens and kids who can see these things be represented in their animated tv programs. That they may get the chance to find themselves earlier than I managed to do. To give em a chance at closure. The current surge in queer representation in cartoons is a gift and I thank these creators and their work for pushing the boundaries every day. Thank you Legend of Korra, thank you Steven Universe, thank you She-Ra, thank you Owl House, thank you Infinity Train, thank you Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, thank you every other cartoon that I may or may not have watched that is out there fighting the good fight.
