1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Could a kid's show with LGBT characters survive the backlash

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Driftr, Jun 5, 2016.

  1. Driftr

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2013
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    0
    Gender:
    Male
    Do you think that in this day and age, conservative parents would stir enough uproar to have a show like that taken off the air?

    I honestly feel like a show like that is long overdue. There's nothing confusing about showing kids that a boy can love another boy or a girl can love another girl or both. How the hell is that rocket science lol?

    And I honestly wouldn't even mind if LGBT characters in cartoon shows started off with small roles. I feel like exposing kids to this would decrease the amount of bullying that LGBT kids face.

    What do you think?
     
    #1 Driftr, Jun 5, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2016
  2. YuriBunny

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2014
    Messages:
    44
    Likes Received:
    7
    Location:
    I'm an introvert; I live in my head.
    Gender:
    Female
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    I think people would be okay with it if they were only minor characters.

    Regardless of whether people are okay with it, I'd love to see a kid's show that dares to try.
     
  3. redonkulous

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2016
    Messages:
    0
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Michigan
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    I don't know how "kid" this show is but I remember like a year ago some show on the Disney Channel called Good Luck Charlie had backlash from some "family" organization because of a lesbian couple being in the show. I don't know much else about it or if that show is still on or not, but it at least means someone tried
     
  4. faustian1

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2011
    Messages:
    722
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    In a large, liberal city, probably. In Idaho, never. There still are a lot of people (and by that I mean most likely around 15% of the adult population), who openly equate gays with "child molesters," which I have found is the term most of this particular type of bigots prefer.

    I think the time will have come when your idea is workable, when more than 5% of the elementary school teachers and pre-school teachers are men. Today, most men in those professions are viewed by society as suspect. Society has been conditioned toward this view by the media.

    As for romantic attraction between children of any sex, most people in the United States today consider this to be deviant. In fact, in all states in this country sexual activity of any kind between children whose ages vary by as little as two years is a serious crime, and one that quite often is prosecuted today. Many people consider the idea you have proposed to be criminal and would consider such a program improper. By enacting these criminal laws, adult legislators have turned the majority of teenagers into criminals.

    I personally do not see much distance, between the gay persecution of old and this phenomenon. Even in Canada, and most particularly recently in Toronto, Ontario, this controversial reaction is common. In particular there is a huge uproar from the revised Toronto sex education curriculum.
     
    #4 faustian1, Jun 5, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2016
  5. redonkulous

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2016
    Messages:
    0
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Michigan
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
  6. RosePetals76

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2016
    Messages:
    475
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Illinois
    Gender:
    Female
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    There is a quick, often unnoticed scene in Frozen that has a gay couple in it. There's also a group of people pushing for Disney to make Frozen 2 contain Elsa (the main character) be a lesbian and give her a girlfriend. People are seeing Elsa as the ultimate coming out story, since she's hidden her secret powers her whole life and comes out when she is crowned queen. It would be amazing to see, but I doubt Disney will take that step.
     
  7. Daydreamer1

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2011
    Messages:
    5,680
    Likes Received:
    21
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Gender:
    Male (trans*)
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Other
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    Clarence has had a presumed gay couple in an episode as well, and Steven Universe is packed with queer under/overtones too.

    So for me, they can--depending on how smoothly they pull it off. I heard the child star who played Charlie (who is like five) got death threats because of the lesbian couple that was on the show.
     
  8. Vytas17

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2016
    Messages:
    34
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Narnia
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    There was a show on CBBC (A British channel for kids aged 7-14) called Wizards vs Aliens. A character called Benny came out as gay. I honestly can't remember much if any backlash to be honest. So it is possible.
     
  9. Daydreamer1

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2011
    Messages:
    5,680
    Likes Received:
    21
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Gender:
    Male (trans*)
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Other
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    Isn't Britain a little more progressive than the US, or am I mistaken?
     
  10. SillyGoose

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2016
    Messages:
    501
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    All but family
    My younger cousin loves Steven universe I think it's called that apparently contains LGBT characters
     
  11. YuriBunny

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2014
    Messages:
    44
    Likes Received:
    7
    Location:
    I'm an introvert; I live in my head.
    Gender:
    Female
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    Oh yeah, I saw that episode. I was very happy about it. ^^
     
  12. Vytas17

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2016
    Messages:
    34
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Narnia
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Yeah I guess. Probably because we are much more secular than the US. There's obviously a very vocal minority though. The most people do if they are 'offended' is complain to ofcom who couldn't care less :lol: still a long way to go in regards to representation on kids channels.

    If anyone watched The Sarah Jane Adventures (Doctor Who spinoff, again on CBBC) they were going to make the main character Luke gay and have a boyfriend but unfortunately Elizabeth Sladen was ill and so the series was cancelled.
     
  13. RainbowGreen

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2013
    Messages:
    1,442
    Likes Received:
    44
    Location:
    Québec
    Gender:
    Male (trans*)
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Some people
    It's not as clear as it could be though because the gems are technically genderless and use female pronouns for convenience.
     
  14. Gunsmoke

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2016
    Messages:
    609
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Manchester, United Kingdom
    Gender:
    Female
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    A few people
    There's already backlash over the mere mention of a lesbian couple in Finding Dory, so whilst I'd like to think it would be okay, I doubt it.
    Bigots are so pathetic.
     
  15. Bobsleigh1

    Bobsleigh1 Guest

    Steven Universe.

    ...

    I'd say that's doing pretty well for the amount of rainbow it's been spewing at kids and adults alike for the past two years or so.
    (─‿─) and i love it.
     
    #15 Bobsleigh1, Jun 5, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 5, 2016
  16. BryanM

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2013
    Messages:
    2,894
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Columbia, Missouri
    Gender:
    Genderqueer
    Gender Pronoun:
    They
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    There are already many different queer characters/couples in Steven Universe (Ruby and Sapphire, Pearl and Rose Quartz, Amethyst and Garnet(?)) and Stevonnie is the fusion of Steven and Connie and is seen by many as gender nonconforming or agender. SU has a niche and mainstream audience, attracting children and adults like.
     
  17. bubbles123

    bubbles123 Guest

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2015
    Messages:
    934
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    New England, US
    I guess it depends on how willing the channel is to follow through when ratings are concerned. And it depends how it would effect their ratings: whether or not parents find out through media or watching with their kids, if they'd actually block channels, etc.

    I think we're getting closer and closer now so hopefully there will be more lgbt+ representation for younger and younger age groups
     
  18. Rainbow Girl

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2013
    Messages:
    356
    Likes Received:
    0
    I saw that episode and it was very well done. Disney Channel deliberately chose to have that episode be the last one before the finale so that the show couldn't get cancelled because the backlash.
     
  19. BrookeVL

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2016
    Messages:
    2,157
    Likes Received:
    293
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Gender:
    Female (trans*)
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    I remember that episode of GLC. It was definitely pushing it a bit for DC, but I'm happy they did it.

    I think a show with a gay/lesbian/bisexual character might work...is The Fosters considered a kid's show?
     
  20. Kira

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2014
    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    16
    Location:
    Georgia
    Gender:
    Female
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    Out Status:
    Some people
    If that's true, I sadly wouldn't be surprised. The people who give backlash over others being represented don't usually have any sort of conscience telling them "Hey, maybe this is wrong."