Why Can't Children's Animation Be More Explicit About LGBT?

[AnimatedFan01]

Every time gay characters are shown in children's animated series or movies, they never explicitly use the word "gay" or any LGBT terminology and the biggest hint is that they are married and live together. I did hear Spies in Disguise say "50 shades of gay!" (a parody of 50 Shades of Grey) when a character revealed their rainbow pixie dust, but it was most likely meaning "happy" and a double entendre. I've also noticed children's cartoons have yet to show gay couples sleeping in bed together yet they do it all the time with opposite-sex couples (e.g. The Loud House with Rita and Lynn Sr.).

It's completely possible for kids' cartoons to be more detailed about LGBT without covering the sexual aspects. What's stopping them?

 

[SweetShop209]

I would say streaming could help out, but Kipo And The Age Of The Wonder Beasts is the only streaming kids show I know that explicitly says "gay" (when Benson says he's gay when Kipo tries to say she likes him). Other streaming kids shows I know that have explicit LGBTQ representation don't say gay (as well as lesbian) . There was also an episode of TOTS where Pip and Freddy deliver a rooster named Rudy to his two dads, and they wake up from bed to see him, though (like with the rest of the LGBTQ representation in the show), it's still for minor characters.

Besides that, I would assume that there are still restrictions on how far creators can go with incorporating LGBTQ representation into kids shows compared to adult shows.

 

[Surreal Kangaroo]

I would say streaming could help out, but Kipo And The Age Of The Wonder Beasts is the only streaming kids show I know that explicitly says "gay" (when Benson says he's gay when Kipo tries to say she likes him). Other streaming kids shows I know that have explicit LGBTQ representation don't say gay (as well as lesbian) . There was also an episode of TOTS where Pip and Freddy deliver a rooster named Rudy to his two dads, and they wake up from bed to see him, though (like with the rest of the LGBTQ representation in the show), it's still for minor characters.

Besides that, I would assume that there are still restrictions on how far creators can go with incorporating LGBTQ representation into kids shows compared to adult shows.

In The Hallows, Adam specifically mentions that he is gay.

 

[SweetShop209]

In The Hallows, Adam specifically mentions that he is gay.

I didn't see that show. In any case, that makes two examples of kids shows explicitly saying "gay" and nothing else.

 

[pacman000]

Probably for the same reasons they can’t be more frank about sex in general.

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

In The Hallows, Adam specifically mentions that he is gay.

You mean The Hollow, right?

 

[Sam the Cartoonist]

Western children's animation seems to now be in some transitional stage regarding LGBTQ+ representation where it's been more acceptable to show in comparison to even as recently as a decade ago but still feel restrained from explicitly mentioning it as they gradually dip their toes deeper into that territory.

 

[SuperSuck64]

Because the world is controlled by homophobes and China has a death grip on the entertainment world and studios would rather die than give up that sweet China money.