“Steven Universe” has been pretty gay since its debut back in 2013: we’ve had Garnet’s reveal as the literal manifestation of love between two female aliens, Pearl’s attraction to Steven’s mother, Rose Quartz, and the whole concept of fusion -- in which two members of an exclusively female race dance together (or in the very least, show some physical form of affection) to become a single being. However, it was a recent episode, “Last One Out of Beach City,” that really brought homosexuality out of the alien fantasy world of the Gems and into our world.
A brief preface, for anyone who hasn’t seen the show: the titular Steven is a cute, roly-poly kid who inherited magical powers from his mother, concentrated in a gemstone on his belly button. He’s looked after by three of his mother’s compatriots, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, aliens from a race of sentient female rocks who team up to fight evil and break your heart.
Yes, this is a real thing. I swear.
The episode begins with Pearl actively looking to move on. She’s been caught in Rose’s loss for years, now, and is finally starting to liberate herself from the tragedy. To symbolize her dawning freedom, she tries on a new identity, offering to accompany Steven and Amethyst to a rock show and, for the first time, donning human apparel.
While stocking up on food for the show, they run into an unusual sight for a cartoon: an openly, unabashedly, definitively gay/lesbian woman. There’s no “actually just a sexless space rock” excuse for any uncomfortable fan or network executive to turn to. It’s never outright mentioned or discussed, but it doesn’t need to be -- it comes off clearly. She’s simply not straight; there’s no two ways about it. Pearl is instantly attracted to her; a big moment for her, given she had never even considered anyone outside of Rose.
They encounter one another again on the road, Pearl successfully throwing her a suggestive glance before getting stuck at a red light, the mystery woman speeding on. Pearl -- ordinarily calm, forethinking, and rule-conscientious -- looks up at the red light, pauses a moment, and runs it. Within moments, the police are after them, but even then Pearl doesn’t stop. It’s an exhilarating moment as she races away from the law, blowing by her mysterious affection.
There’s something very relatable in the intense liberation of Pearl’s flight from the police. Being openly gay might not actually get you in trouble with the law (depending on what country you live in), but coming out -- even to yourself -- involves throwing off a slew of expectations, even in the most accepting environments breaking a set of tacit rules. There’s a similar feeling there, the sense of breaking with an old self -- if only for a moment -- screwing everything, and chasing a dream to the ends of the Earth.
The episode ends on a hopeful note: with a stroke of luck, Pearl properly meets the girl, and gets her number. It’s a milestone for Pearl -- a willingness to start anew with both herself and the world that simultaneously gave her everything and stripped it all away. It’s a clever intersection of Pearl’s character and the broader liberation of sexual identity, forming a great dynamic that figuratively captures both the tension and freedom of exploring sexuality and brazenly pursuing it to its end.
