Recently, modern cartoons such as The Owl House, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and Steven Universe have done a great job representing the LGBTQ+ community. They've done so by introducing characters all members of the community can cherish and relate to. However, getting to this point in modern media was a struggle for content creators, writers, and character designers alike. They often had to fight tooth and nail to get the LGTBQ+ representation viewers deserved.
Before better LGBTQ+ representation arrived, viewers chose various characters across a myriad of shows to represent their identities, even if the shows' canon went against their ideals. This gave them characters to admire until proper representation came along.
10 Applejack and Rainbow Dash Are The Gay Couple Nobody Expected
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic was a show aimed at a female-representing audience, featuring predominantly female characters as a result. So, it was no surprise when viewers started shipping mostly gay couples with few exceptions. However, nobody expected anything to come from the audience's fantasies of an actual lesbian relationship.
Yet, when the final episode aired, Hasbroimpressed the majority of viewers by heavily hinting Applejack and Rainbow Dash were a couple in the future. It was a small victory with no actual confirmation, but it was a victory nonetheless.
9 Perceptor Is The Aromantic Representation That People Deserve
Perceptor from G1 Transformers is a character some might easily overlook to represent the LGBTQ+ community. He doesn't show any inclination for relationships like the other characters, and is generally happy in his body and sense of self, feeling no need to change or adapt. Yet, a part of the LGBTQ+ community that is often overlooked are aromantic people – those who don't feel the need for romantic attachments or relationships. In proudly being himself and being happy with his friends and work, Perceptor shows how people can be happy without pursuing romantic relationships.
8 Lexington Is Gay In The Comics
Greg Weisman, the creator of the animated show Gargoyles, confirmed Lexington – the tech-whiz of the gargoyle clan – is canonically gay. However, since the show aired on the Disney Channel in 1994, there was no hope of any representation for the character, except for the fact Weisman hoped those in the LGBTQ+ community could find characteristics in him to relate to.
Some fans of the series take comfort in the fact Lexington received some positive gay representation in the comics, especially as he formed a crush on a London gargoyle, Staghart. However, the relationship didn't come to anything since the comics were canceled before the pair could announce their feelings toward one another.
7 Shego Acted As A Gay Awakening To Many
Many women of the LGBTQ+ community claim one of their first-ever crushes was Shego from the Disney series, Kim Possible. Shego has many admirable qualities. She's strong, fierce, intelligent, and practically running the operations of the self-proclaimed "main villain," Dr. Drakken.On top of that, many viewers saw Shego and Kim as the ultimate gay couple. Despite being on opposing sides, they entertained audiences with their witty banter, intense battles, and claims they belonged to one another, feeling nobody else deserved the honor of fighting each other. So, although they may have been enemies, Kim and Shego were a match made in heaven.
6 Daffy Duck And Bugs Bunny Are Gender Fluid Icons
The Looney Tunes have always cared very little for gender roles, insisting that both Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck will happily change their pronouns and identity for whichever gender will give them the comedic edge. Yet, instead of mocking these characters when they seemingly switch genders, the show depicts how happy and comfortable they are. The only characters who get mocked for their opinions of gender fluidity are those who haven't gotten with the program and don't know the joys of being free to express themselves to the fullest.Although David from Camp Camp has only been depicted in one heterosexual relationship within the show (so far), viewers debate where he stands within the LGBTQ+ community. Some claim he's pansexual, others think he's bisexual, and some believe he could be asexual.
Either way, David is greatly admired for being open with his feelings, being in touch with his feminine side, and generally wearing his heart on his sleeve. Whether the show will reveal if David is in the LGBTQ+ community or not, the viewers are all eager to claim him and use him as a reflection for their needs and desires.
4 Double Trouble Is A Pillar Of Non-Binary Confidence
She-Ra And The Princesses of Power was a breeding ground for LGBTQ+ characters who were happy in themselves, and more often than not, in healthy relationships. However, Double Trouble stands above the rest as being the kind of non-binary character everyone wanted to be. They were so unapologetically themselves, they gave viewers the confidence boost they needed to do the same.
The great majority of shows prior to She-Ra felt the need to explain what it is to be non-binary or show the struggles of a character learning they don't fit into heteronormative gender roles. In avoiding that trope and just presenting Double Trouble as themselves, She-Ra re-wrote the rules and held new shows to a higher standard.
3 Grenda Appears To Be Trans-Gender
Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch fought tooth and nail to get any kind of queer representation in his show. However, he lost more battles than he won. Even so, viewers appreciated him for his hard work anyway, and still found the time to create their own fan theories about the characters who already existed.One of the more prevalent fan theories of the show is that Grenda – a large, muscular, deep-voiced girl is actually transgender – explaining those qualities. Although it was never confirmed, this theory is widely accepted and only adds to the diversity of animated shows.
2 Peridot Represents Pansexuals And Asexuals Alike
There are a great many characters who represent the LGBTQ+ community within Steven Universe. While it'd be easy to talk about Garnet, Pearl, or Lapis Lazuli, one of the more often overlooked characters for a place within any LGBTQ+ faction is Peridot, who displays both asexual and pansexual traits.Peridot is slow to trust others and consider them friends, but when given the time, it's clear she develops healthy relationships based on mutual interests. This was one of the very reasons Peridot and Lapis made the ideal couple; they both needed each other to be patient to form a strong bond.
Later, Peridot found herself disgusted with fusion, but once she had gotten over her initial reaction, she decided to try it for herself, asking Garnet for assistance. Although she couldn't go through with it, Peridot learned that fusion isn't disgusting, but rather something that can bring people together in quite a beautiful way. She also discovered that although fusion was good for some, there were others like her who'd never try it, and that was okay too. This was a great analogy for asexual people, and it was one of the many times Steven Universe proved that it was there to represent everyone.
1 Raine Whispers Is A Non-Binary Character Who Forms Healthy Relationships
Where She-Ra's Double Trouble displayed the confidence of a fiercely proud non-binary character, The Owl House took a different direction with their non-binary character, Raine Whispers. Raine is gentle, sweet-natured, and ever-eager to protect those they love, forming strong bonds with most of the characters they interact with.They are a good example of a Non-Binary person who doesn't conform to heteronormative pronouns but seeks to form either platonic or romantic relationships. By displaying the healthy relationship between Raine and Eda, The Owl House once again raised the standard that all modern shows should be trying to represent.
