Progress is being made as more LGBTQ+ characters are represented in children’s TV shows.
Disney Channel is making history in its show, “The Owl House,” by having a bisexual lead character.
This is a move in the right direction for Disney Channel as more kids feel comfortable coming out at a younger age. Having representation is important for kids who are questioning their sexuality.
A study done by the Journal of Homosexuality in 2011 found media influenced self-realization and current identities in Texas LGBTQ+ youth by providing role models and inspiration.
The Owl House first premiered in January but the bisexual lead Luz Noceda, a 14-year-old girl who travels to another realm and befriends a witch, didn’t appear until the second season.
Luz Noceda dates Amity Blight, an openly gay character on the show. Disney Channel also added a nonbinary character, Raine Whispers, who uses they/them pronouns.
The series’ creator, Dana Terrace, said Disney Channel executives initially told her she couldn’t include a gay or bisexual relationship, but being bisexual herself, she fought for more representation, according to an Aug. 17, 2020 NBC news article.
Terrace was able to fulfill her vision for The Owl House, but some Disney Channel shows have received backlash for attempting it in the past.
Popular hit TV show“Good Luck Charlie” received backlash from conservative Christians for showing a lesbian couple in an episode, according to a Feb. 5, 2014 New York Daily News article.
One Million Moms, a group of moms who try to stop the exploitation of children, according to their webpage, called on Disney Channel to “avoid controversial topics that children are far too young to comprehend,” according to the same article.
Why does LGBTQ+ representation in kids’ shows have to be controversial?
Using the argument that kids aren’t old enough to understand sexuality is the same as saying they are incapable of understanding their own identities.
Children deserve to see themselves in the media as they grow into their own identity. If they don’t see themselves portrayed in the media, it can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, according to a June 6, 2020 Comic Book Resources (CBR) article.
CBR is a website that has comic-industry news and forums.
Some people argue that once a kid is exposed to an LGBTQ+ character, it will “turn them gay.”
This is a tedious and incorrect argument as queer kids have been exposed to straight characters their entire lives and it hasn’t changed their sexuality.
If anything, queer kids feel underrepresented and ostracized from their peers.
Think of young queer kids growing up and watching shows that have lead characters representing them, it could mean so much to them.
It’s no secret that kids connect to certain characters and if that certain character is going through a situation involving their sexuality, it might be similar to a real life experience one of the viewers watching is going through in real life and that show can help them through it.
There are many reasons why kids watch some shows more than others and it’s because they find that show relates to them more, according to an April 28, 2020 Romper article.
Romper is a millennial and Gen Z focused publisher.
Shows can teach them a lesson such as kindness or the difference between right and wrong. Sometimes the characters struggle with problems, and by watching the show, kids can figure out how to solve the issue in real life, according to the same article.
Many kids are scared to come out and tell their parents about their sexuality, and it helps to have LGBTQ+ characters on the screen so kids can see it’s perfectly normal.
LGBTQ+ representation in kids’ TV shows has been getting more common in recent years.
There was a 222% increase from 2017 to 2019 in the number of LGBTQ+ characters confirmed in new series or by showrunners of series that had ended, according to an Insider report.
Of 52 different studios, DreamWorks Animation had the most series featuring LGBTQ+ characters with a total of nine. Cartoon Network Studios and Disney Television Animation were close behind with eight each, according to the same report.
The report also states 214 animated LGBTQ+ characters, or 83% of those in the database, were in recurring or guest roles. Meanwhile, 22 shows out of 70, or 31.4% featured LGBTQ+ characters as lead characters.
While there are more kids’ shows including LGBTQ+ characters, there is still a lack of lead characters that are LGBTQ+, which is why Disney Channel’s first bisexual main character on The Owl House is so important.
By including more LGBTQ+ representation in kids’ shows, it will normalize the idea that queer kids exist and make them feel more included in society, according to a June 30 NPR article.
Media, after all, is a reflection of the culture and the world we live in. It’s 2021 and people’s attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community are progressively becoming more inclusive.
It’s time kids’ TV shows reflect that change.
