Cartoon characters that fall under the LGBTQ umbrella have been present for a number of years now, but with the passing of gay marriage laws and the overall acceptance of sexuality across the country, characters of today can be much more open about these issues.
In the series "The Legend of Korra", The Avatar Korra is confirmed to be in a relationship with Asami. This confirmed the speculation of Korra being bisexual. On the Cartoon Network show "Adventure Time", main character Princess Bubblegum and Marceline The Vampire were once in a romantic relationship. In addition, the sidekick on the Warner Bros. Television Network show "Static Shock", show that was popular in the early 2000s, was said to be gay. Richard or “Richie” was made fun of at one point in the comics and even attends a gay rights convention with friends.
"Steven Universe" is another popular tv show, but it can be a little more complicated. Most of the main characters are gems and according to the show’s creator, Rebecca Sugar, don’t have a gender. Therefore, when they are in relationships with one another it’s not necessarily a homosexual in nature. However, all of the gems use “she” and “her” as pronouns. A prime example of this is the main character, Garnet. She’s a fusion that chooses to stay fused because the gems she’s composed of, Ruby and Sapphire are in a romantic relationship.
However, representation isn’t limited to recently made cartoons. "Courage the Cowardly Dog" originally aired on Cartoon Network from 1999-2002 and one of its last episodes featured a domestic violence relationship between a bunny and a dog. The dog, a male, was physically abusing the bunny, a female and she runs away to be with her lover who is a female cat. After this episode aired it was rumored that parents complained so much to the network the show was canceled.
Cartoons are much more liberal and this just allows for more openness. For example, there’s a line in "The Legend of Korra" where The Avatar jokes that she’s “buy-curious” while shopping. But this is much more prevalent in cartoons aimed at an older audience. "American Dad", "Family Guy" and Archer all have characters that are openly gay. This includes Herbert, who’s not only gay but a pedophile on "Family Guy", married television news anchors Greg Corbin and Terry Bates on "American Dad", and Ray on "Archer". Unfortunately however, most of these characters exhibit stereotypical actions and behaviors that can be considered harmful to the community.
There is even some representation for gender. In the recent cartoon by The Hub, a channel owned by The Discovery Network, a young boy turns into a girl when he transforms into a superhero. On the show "SheZow" a 12-year-old kid named Guy is forced into saving the world when he steals his relative's ring. When transforming into the legendary superhero "SheZow, he not only gains super strength, speed and a sonic scream, but a purple skirt, pink highlights and heeled boots as well.
This doesn’t mean that representation of the gay community is universally accepted, though. Recently, a school book fair in Monroe, Michigan banned a Captain Underpants comic book from being sold because one of the main characters is gay according to LGTBQ Nation. At the end of Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot, Harold is revealed to grow up to be with a male partner.
While there is still some growth to do before LGBTQ rights are more universally accepted, representation in popular media gives people a voice to express themselves and discuss issues they may not have been able to before. This shows that, if anything, a person being who they are is becoming more acceptable every day.
