First cartoon to show gay characters

This event was celebrated for its positive representation and heartfelt storytelling.

5. Amity Blight (The Owl House)

Amity Blight from “The Owl House” is a significant character in terms of LGBTQ+ representation. Their romantic relationship is confirmed in the series finale, “The Last Stand” (Book 4, Episode 13), where they hold hands and walk into the spirit world together.

This moment was groundbreaking, as it was one of the first instances where a same-sex relationship was explicitly depicted in a children’s animated series.

Marceline and Princess Bubblegum (Adventure Time)

Marceline the Vampire Queen and Princess Bubblegum have a complex and deep relationship in “Adventure Time.” Their romantic connection is confirmed in the series finale “Come Along with Me” (Season 10, Episode 13), where they share a kiss.

This moment was a significant milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in animation, as it depicted a same-sex relationship in a beloved children’s series.

His character’s storyline brings visibility to asexual individuals and highlights the importance of self-acceptance and community support.

9. In the episode “Flutterina” (Season 4, Episode 1), Double Trouble’s abilities and pronouns are introduced, and they play a significant role throughout the fourth season.

Their inclusion as a non-binary character brings much-needed representation to LGBTQ+ identities beyond just sexual orientation, showing the importance of gender diversity in media.

8.

Jasper and Lapis’s fusion of Malachite accomplished through force was unstable, dangerous, and broken as Lapis refused to allow her power to be used in such a way. The woke company wanted to accommodate “non-conforming binaries.”

Buzz Light Year gay kiss

In 2022, Disney’s Pixar introduced its first “gay kiss” in the cartoon movie ‘Lightyear.’ However, the film flopped on opening weekend after facing backlash.

His sexuality is casually revealed at the end when he mentions his boyfriend to Norman’s sister, Courtney. According to ScreenRant, Rebecca Sugar depicted characters such as Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, and Steven with “various sexual orientations and gender identities with respect, dignity, and nuance.” This respect for this “found family” proved itself to be “profoundly relatable to most audience members, particularly those within the LGBTQ+ community.”

Steven Universe’s metaphors of self-expression and identity started as strong implications as the Gems were coded as female in the show’s animation based on their appearance and addressed other Gems as “she”, but within the subtext Gems are “genderless sentient aliens”.

Their inclusion in the show has been praised for promoting diversity and acceptance in children’s programming.

7. ScreenRant recounts how writers of adult animated shows like Family Guy or South Park “often used LGBTQ+ characters like Mr. Garrison or Herbert the Pervert to derive humor from harmful gay stereotypes and rarely humanized them to the audience.

Mitch Downe (ParaNorman)

Mitch Downe from the animated film “ParaNorman” is notable for being one of the first openly gay characters in a children’s movie. Despite the initial shaky start of their relationship, Harley Quinn showrunners Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker aren’t bowing to the pressure of breaking up the couple.

Greater visibility led to greater respect for how these characters were represented not just in appearance and personality, but how their creators had the freedom to explore sexuality and identity with humor without making the character the butt of the joke. Who they love is a small aspect of who they are, but how the story is handled makes all the difference.

The Owl House

Though this series was only given three seasons (technically two full seasons and three final episodes about the same length as a film), The Owl House starts as a story with Luz, a thirteen-year-old girl struggling to fit in at school, and for her mom to understand her interests and hobbies.

Episodes like “The Girl with the Dragon Maul” show Patrick embracing different identities and roles, subtly promoting acceptance and fluidity.

10. Other characters in romantic relationships were Pearl’s past relationship with Steven’s mother Rose Quartz and Saphire and Ruby’s relationship. Sugar’s varied depictions of her characters finding and losing love and fighting relatable battles brought a greater sense of realism to what could have been flat fictional characters.

But the first openly gay DC character is Extraño created in 1988. Korra and Asami (The Legend of Korra)

Korra and Asami’s relationship in “The Legend of Korra” is one of the most celebrated examples of LGBTQ+ representation in animation. This was not to be. But the whole Hell universe is kind of like a layered cake where each different layer down is the different sins.

Their deep, loving relationship is central to the show’s narrative. Simmons, the beloved teacher from “Hey Arnold!,” was subtly portrayed as gay throughout the series.