Honoring Pride Month: Championing LGBTQIA+ Voices in Animation
This Pride Month, we're turning the spotlight toward the intersection of animation and the LGBTQIA+ community. This dynamic space has undergone a significant transformation, paving the way for compelling narratives and characters that mirror our diverse world and shine the light on underrepresented voices.
The past decade especially has seen growth and improvement.
For example, there’s 'Steven Universe', a groundbreaking animated series hailed for its rich LGBTQIA+ representation. Under the helm of nonbinary animator Rebecca Sugar, the series clinched a GLAAD Media Award in 2019, making history as the first animated show to do so. Among its many memorable moments was a same-sex wedding between characters Ruby and Sapphire, a pivotal step forward in children's television.
Netflix’s 'She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’ series won a GLAAD Media Award in 2021 for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming, presenting LGBTQIA+ characters as powerful heroes and leaders.
'The Owl House', Disney’s first-ever animated show featuring LGBTQ+ protagonists, earned multiple GLAAD nominations for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming - Animated and snagged the 2022 Autostraddle Award for Outstanding Animated Series.
Despite these remarkable strides, we mustn't forget the long and challenging road that led us here. For far too long, animation’s lacked comprehensive LGBTQIA+ representation, relying instead on harmful stereotypes. With the progress, we seem to have hit a new age that embraces a diverse spectrum of orientations and gender identities.
However, the journey for representation is far from over. The recent backlash faced by various corporations’ Pride initiatives, (such as Budweiser and Target) as well as the legislation and bills in states across the nation, underscores the persistent hurdles in promoting underrepresented voices and the aggressive voice of the minority.
In our role as allies, it’s our responsibility to advocate for diversity and inclusivity, showcasing LGBTQIA+ talent and stories in animation. Doing so serves as a powerful counter-narrative to exclusion and fear, underlining the importance of representation.
The stories we narrate and the characters we animate can cultivate empathy, acceptance, and equality. This June let's revel in the ways animation echoes the authentic diversity of our world.