There are many animated TV shows with LGBTQ representation these days. But these seven shows make a bold statement. They explicitly say, “This character is gay and you’ll be fine”. They get it right in LGBTQ representation. Here’s why:
The Owl House
The Owl House gave us Disney’s first openly bisexual character, Luz, who dated a girl after finding herself in a world full of magic. Even though the series was cancelled after three seasons, it did well with LGBTQ representation with characters like Rain, an older nonbinary character. The Owl House also had a great storyline and a fun animation style, so we were sad to see it end soon. It had a short ride, but this series gets a 10 because there’s no character as cute as King, and it’s a fan favourite.
RELATED: You’re a Dead Guy if You Didn’t Watch These 10 Animated Films Growing Up
Steven Universe
Steven Universe is great, but many things were queer-coded and not as boldly stated as shows today. Still, we can’t talk about LGBTQ reps in shows without giving them credit for the part they played normalising sapphics kissing and getting married. The show gave us the first animated lesbian marriage, a nonbinary intersex character Stevonnie and arguably the most nontoxic masculine main character in TV history. For its part in paving the way for more queer shows, Steven Universe gets a 9/10 because it’s just that bitch, and we will never get over it.
Dead End: Paranormal Park
From the start, this show said, “I’m going to give you a queer character and you will love him like you’ve known him forever.” The series is barely six days old but is already a fave because it stars a trans character that is relatable. Not only is he trans, but his love interest is also a man. Who else is doing it like them, show of hands?
They’ve given us binder struggles, funny-as-hell demons, and one of the show’s most badass villains is voiced by Mj Rodriguez from Pose.
RELATED: Did You Know These Animated Films Were Made by Nigerians?
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Lesbians, bisexuals, nonbinary/trans folk and gay couples. This show had us well fed. There was no coming out, no homophobia. It was all treated as naturally as it should be. I’m Jealous but also so happy for the younger queer audience that gets to experience this. The show was the wildest, most complicated lesbian love story I’ve ever seen, and the best part was that it had a happy ending. She-Ra was amazing but I rate it 7/10 for making their nonbinary character a lizard.
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
The only thing better than a show that teaches kids about the power of love and friendship is a show that isn’t afraid to use the word “gay”. This show gave us the softest men-loving men (MLM) relationship with Troy and Benson. My favourite part was that even in the face of an apocalyptic world full of talking animals, queerness was normalised. This show is vibrant, from the soundtrack to the animation style and colour, so it gets a solid 8/10.
The Legend of Korra
Korra gave us bisexual representation, and that is why it’s on this goated list. Korra is the sequel to Avatar, the Last Airbender that we didn’t know we needed, and anyone that hates it is just bad vibes. What’s not to love about a badass avatar that goes through so much and becomes stronger each time. And then her love story? Korrasami walked so every other queer ship could run. For that, it gets a 9/10 for us.
Craig of the Creek
First of all, Craig of the Creek is an animated show focused on a black kid with several black characters just doing child-like things like exploring the creek in their hometown and making fun memories with their active imagination. Most importantly, the show gave us a range of recurring LGBTQ+ characters. This includes a sapphic couple, a nonbinary character voiced by a nonbinary actor and one of the main characters who’s a lesbian. It’s raining 10s, people.
