‘Arthur’ & More Great Kids Shows With LGBTQ+ Characters
Representation matters, and these family-friendly LGBTQ+ shows for kids are a great way to celebrate Pride Month.
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Kids' Entertainment
Because representation matters.
Let’s face it, finding LGBTQ+ representation on TV, in general, can be hard. And if you’re looking for family-friendly entertainment with queer representation, that can feel like more of a mission. But, the good news is, there are actually many shows out there (no pun intended!) to stream with your kids and we’ve gathered them all in one place for you!
While many of these shows put queer characters and storylines front and center, others are a little quieter about it. In many cases, LGBTQ+ representation comes as side characters or special guest stars. There’s also more than one instance of characters whose sexuality or gender identity are hinted at, or only revealed towards the very end of a series. (Why that's often the case is certainly a subject for discussion or even debate.) But, at least on some level, we're going to call any representation a win (even as we continue to hope and push for more LGBTQ+ main characters). And what better time than Pride month to catch up on some wholesome LGBTQ+ shows?
To get started, here are 20 great options to add to your family’s watch list.
Arthur
Arthur has been a cornerstone of PBS Kids since 1996, but in 2019, the show featured its first gay character... at his wedding! “Mr. Ratburn and the Someone Special,” the first episode of Season 22, features Arthur and his class trying to figure out who, exactly, their teacher is getting married to, only to discover that the “someone special” is another man.
Madagascar: A Little Wild
Madagascar: A Little Wild kicked off its third season with a new character, Odee Elliot. Odee doesn’t know what kind of animal they are exactly (except for a party animal), but that doesn’t bother them. They just want to have fun at the Animal Pride Parade. The episode “Whatever Floats Your Float” is a great metaphor for young viewers about being happy with (and proud of) who you are and encouraging your friends to do the same... the song, “Be Proud,” really drives the message home.
Chip and Potato
Chip is an adorable pug, and she’s learning lots of new things: the ins and outs of kindergarten, getting a new sibling, and all kinds of similarly small-but-important adventures. So sometimes needs a confidence boost from her friend, a mouse named Potato who secretly lives in her pocket.
In the show’s second season, the Roy and Ray Razzle move into the neighborhood with their twin babies, Ron and Ruby! Main characters they are not, but we love to see LGBTQ+ families and, honestly, we didn’t realize how much we were missing gay zebras until now.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic follows the adventures of unicorns, pegasi, and ponies throughout Equestria, where they solve problems and, occasionally, battle the forces of darkness, including the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.
In Season 9, we (finally) meet Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty, a lesbian couple raising Scootaloo.
Rugrats
Look, did we always know deep down that the unabashedly feminist, boisterous Betty DeVille, aka Phil and Lil’s mom, on Rugrats was a lesbian? Probably. But the Rugrats reboot has confirmed this by re-writing the character as a lesbian single mom. (Sorry, Howard.)
Doc McStuffins
Like other shows on this list, Doc McStuffinsdoesn’t have a ton of LGBTQ+ representation, but in an episode called “The Emergency Plan,” the show featured an inter-racial lesbian couple (who just so happened to be voiced by Wanda Sykes and Portia De Rossi). What we like about this episode is the fact that their identity as lesbian women had absolutely nothing to do with the episode: it wasn’t a show about pride or LGBTQ+ families or anything like that. It was an episode about earthquake safety and the characters just happen to be lesbians. Representation is thateasy, folks...
Andi Mack
Andi Mack is a story about a girl who discovers, on her 13th birthday, that the person she always believed to be her sister is actually her mom. This altered family dynamic serves as a backdrop for a more typical coming-of-age series. It’s a show about figuring out who you are, and that includes Cyrus, one of Andi’s best friends, who comes out as gay in Season 2.
The Loud House
In a house with 11 children – 10 girls and 1 boy– things are bound to get Loud... and Loud just happens to be 11 year-old Lincoln’s last name! He often seeks refuge with his best friend (and only child) Clyde and his two dads, Harold and Howard. Additionally, Lincoln’s sister, Luna, is bisexual. Her crush (and eventual relationship with) Sam Sharp is adorable.
The Owl House
Teenager Luz Noceda was supposed to go to a juvenile detention summer camp. But instead she stumbled through a portal that took her to the Boiling Isles, a whimsical world full of fantastic creatures and (kid-friendly) monsters.
Luz is bisexual, but showing that took time. “When we were greenlit I was told by certain Disney leadership that I could NOT represent any form of bi or gay relationship on the channel,” show creator Dana Terrace tweeted in 2020. “I'm bi! I want to write a bi character, dammit! Luckily my stubbornness paid off and now I am VERY supported by current Disney leadership.”
Steven Universe
Gender identity and inclusivity are key themes in Steven Universe, a show about a boy fighting alongside his alien-mother’s best friends to save the world.
But according to creator Rebecca Sugar, inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters wasn’t about making a statement. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she said “We need to let children know that they belong in this world. You can’t wait to tell them that until after they grow up or the damage will be done.”
Star vs. the Forces of Evil
When Princess Star Butterfly proves irresponsible with the magic wand her parents gave her for her 14th birthday, her parents send her to the thoroughly un-magical planet Earth, where she and her new foster brother, Marco, work together to battle villains, from intergalactic monsters to mean kids in their high school. It’s also where Star crushes on boys and girls. Star is not canonicallybisexual, but you can’t tell that to some fans and, honestly, you wouldn’t have much of an argument if you tried. It’s pretty obvious. (Just look at her face above!)
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Adora, an orphan, was raised to be a soldier for the Horde. But when she discovers that the Horde has been harming the people of Etheria, she joins freedom fighters in their rebellion to save the world. (The magic sword that gives her powers and the identity of She-Ra do help...)
LGBTQ+ representation abounds in this fabulous reboot! Gay characters! Bi characters! Lesbian characters! Trans characters! And not just incidental characters, either: main characters. She-Ra’s a lesbian, folkx!
Gravity Falls
Twins Dipper and Mabel Pines are spending the summer with their great uncle (and renowned huckster) in the mysterious town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. Strange things are afoot in this unusual town...
The love between Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durand is briefly discussed — again, at the very end of the series, and in one line — but we figure if you just casually tell your kids the characters are gay at the beginning.
Too Loud
Too Loud is about siblings Jeffrey and Sara, who have wacky adventures as library volunteers.
In “Slumber Party Sneak In” Jeffrey wants to go to a girls-only slumber party with his sister, so he “dresses up” like a girl named Desiree but, in the process, realizes... “I’ve never been so happy. I’m having the time of my life ... I feel really good as a girl, like myself.” Subsequent episodes show the character as “Jeffrey” using he/him pronouns, but gender fluidity is a part of who he is.
Legend of Korra
There’s some debate about whether Legend of Korra “counts” as LGBTQ+ representation in a kids’ show. While fans suspected a romance between main characters Korra and Asami, and while creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have confirmed that “Korrasami is canon,” the series never really showed their romantic relationship. Still, we’re including this because Legend of Korra rocks.
The Bravest Knight
Cedric wasn't always the greatest knight in the realm. In fact, long before he married a prince, he was a simple pumpkin farmer. Now he tells the story of how he achieved his goal to his 10 year old daughter, Nia, who wants to follow in her father's footsteps.
Clarence
Clarence sees the best in everything, which brings out the fun in even the most mundane situations. His imagination makes dirt fights, awkward crushes, and everything else more interesting. While there are some minor gay characters on the show, main character Jeff is being raised by two moms, EJ (voiced by Lea DeLaria) and Sue (voiced by Tig Notaro).
Twelve Forever
Reggie Abbott doesn’t want to grow up. But, at 12 years old she feels the threat looming ever closer. Fortunately, she and her friends can escape to Endless, a magical world where she doesn’t haveto, instead living out their superhero fantasies.
In addition to featuring several LGBTQ+ characters, Twelve Forever is, according to executive producer Shadi Petosky a queer coming-of-age story, telling the Associated Press, “The main character is queer and coming to terms with her sexuality ... I want to see a lot more about what it’s like for us as kids.”
Adventure Time
Fans of Adventure Time wondered for several seasons if there was something between Princess Bubblegum and Maceline — their bond evolved over time and there seemed to be... maybe something more than friendship there. The final episode confirms what many often suspected (and hoped): the two are in love, and finally sealed it with a kiss.
