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For LGBT characters in children's programming, see LGBT children's television programming. For LGBT characters in Netflix shows, see Netflix and LGBTQ representation.

For many years adult animation in the United States, especially television series have featured LGBTQ characters. This includes series such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, Allen Gregory, Star Trek: Lower Decks,

Fox Broadcasting

The Simpsons

For years, The Simpsons has has LGBTQ characters. For instance, in November 2018, RuPaul gave Homer Simpson a drag makeover.[1]

Apart from this was an episode of The Simpsons which aired on FOX on November 13, 2018. In the episode, titled "Havana Wild Weekend", Smithers came out, officially, as gay.[2][3] Although some called the episode disappointing,[4] or critical of Smithers as a form of gay representation,[5][6] others cited it as an example of how LGBTQ+ characters in television had become more accepted.[7][8][9] In November 2019, a showrunner for The Simpsons[10] teased the possible polyamorous sexuality of Lisa Simpsons[11] while Family Guy committed to phasing out jokes about the LGBTQ+ community.[12]

Family Guy

Like The Simpsons, Family Guy also aired on FOX. One character who appeared was the "dad" of Quagmire, who was a trans woman.[13] Some criticized the trans female character on the show, stating that her character was previously the "butt of many transmisogynistic and transphobic "jokes,"" and that the show does not promote inclusivity.[14]

Bob's Burgers

Another Fox sitcom, Bob's Burgers, had various LGBTQ characters as well. The show would feature a trans female sex worker named Marshmallow,[15] a lesbian limousine driver named Nat Kinkle, whose ex-girlfriend runs an animal sanctuary,[16] and a gay character, Dalton Crespin, who had a boyfriend for a short period of time.[17] The show would also introduce a lesbian character named Nat Kinkle in the episode "V for Valentine-detta."[18]

Other series

The short-lived show, Allen Gregory, which aired on FOX, had some LGBTQ characters. It featured a gay father of the protagonist, Richard De Longpre, and his husband, Jeremy, who previously had a wife and children.[19][20] On February 16, 2020, Duncanville began broadcasting on Fox. The show would feature the protagonist, Duncan, having a crush on his genderfluid classmate, Mia, who works at a pizzeria and sticks her finger in each pizza to "silently protest the company’s anti-gay stance."[21] On March 22, the show would reportedly have an unnamed gay couple in episode "Sister, Wife." In January 2014, Phillip "Chozen" Cullens, a white, gay, aspiring rap superstar premiered in the FX series, Chozen. He was in a relationship with fratboy-type Hunter, with their relationship developing throughout the series.[22]

Adult Swim

Venture Bros

In September 2020, The Venture Bros., which had been slated to be renewed for an eighth and final season,[23][24] was cancelled. On September 5, an illustrator for the show, Ken Plume, said he would be sorry if the show was cancelled,[25][26] which was confirmed by series creator Jackson Publick, with season 8 being axed.[27][28] Not long after, Adult Swim stated that they were working to "find another way to continue the Venture Bros. story"."[29] The show had featured LGBTQ characters like openly gay Colonel Horace Gentleman,[30] a lesbian character named Virginia "Ginnie" Dunne,[31] and a gay couple: The Alchemist and Shore Leave.[30] A number of creators weighed in on the decision. For instance, Owl House creator Dana Terrace criticized the cancellation, as did animator Bryan Brinkman, DuckTales producer Frank Angones, and other fans of the show.[32]

CBS All Access

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Early in October 2020, the creator of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Mike McMahan confirmed that Captain Amina Ramsey was Beckett Mariner's former lover at Starfleet Academy, even though it wasn't explicit, saying that "every Starfleet officer is probably at the baseline bisexual" in a sense, and that they did not "intentionally mean for anybody to be strictly heteronormative or straight or cis." However, he promised to do better in the show's second season, saying they would dig into it more, saying that the show could, in the future, more explicitly state "things that the writers always knew about Mariner."[33]

Comedy Central

Futurama

On July 8, 2010, the Futurama episode "Proposition Infinity" would air on Comedy Central. The episode would speak directly toward Proposition 8[34] and focus on Bender, as a robot, falling in love with Amy, a human, who want to marry like everyone else, with same-sex marriage legal, but robosexuals unable to marry, serving as an episode which is "mocking anyone who doesn't believe in our civil rights."[35][36] The show had dealt with robotsexuality before, as in the 2001 episode "I Dated a Robot," Fry has a relationship with a Lucy Liu-Bot, "which was discouraged by the Planet Express crew."[37] Around the same time, Billy West called the writers of Futurama brave, adding there is speculation that Zapp Brannigan is "a closeted gay man" who tries to get it with a woman, with West saying he could "care less about anyone's sexual orientation."[35] The episode also featured George Takei joining a debate over robosexual marriage.[38] Executive producer David X. Cohen later called it one of his favorite episodes in 2010.[39]

Brickleberry

In September 2012, Brickleberry, premiered on Comedy Central. The show would introduce a character named Constance Beatrice "Connie" Cunaman.[40] She is a lesbian park ranger who challenged the homophobia of her parents and was obsessed with Ethel.[41][42] The show's creators confirmed this assessment in an interview.[43]

Hulu

The Awesomes

At the same time, The Awesomes, airing on Hulu, with its first episode airing in August 2013, included at least three LGBTQ characters. First was a Tomboy, originally presenting as Gadget Gal's nemesis, she is outed in "Baby Got Backstory", as using the feud to cope with her own romantic feelings for her, in episodes like "Baby Got Backstory."[44] Next were two gay characters. Zip Danger / "Frantic", a "crazy fast" reject from a circus show,[45][46] who is forcibly outed under media pressure in "The Awesomes' Awesome Show."[47] He later falls for Christopher, a member of villain team The Gay Mafia. Then there is The Gayfather, the leader of villain team The Gay Mafia, including members like Christopher and Steven, who makes his debut in "The Gayfather".[48] Christopher falls for Frantic immediately upon meeting him, and sabotages his team's efforts as a result. This show was not alone.

CW Seed

Freedom Fighters: The Ray

From 2017 to 2018, Freedom Fighters: The Ray aired on CW Seed. The show would feature a gay superhero, Ray, and his gay friend, John. In an early episode, Ray would fail to ask a man on a date,[49] and would struggle in coming out to conservative parents,[50] and in a later episode, Jacob would become his lover. Then, in 2018, John Hart of Gays With Kids, wrote about how 16 Hudson featured episodes with a character who had two dads.[51]

References

  1. ^ Bollinger, Alex (November 7, 2018). "This is what Homer Simpson looks like after RuPaul's drag makeover". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  2. ^ Holpuch, Amanda (September 28, 2015). "The Simpsons' Smithers to finally come out as gay, producer reveals". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  3. ^ Vincent, Alice (April 3, 2016). "Smithers will finally come out - thanks to Simpsons writer's gay son". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; March 27, 2020 suggested (help)
  4. ^ Thomas, June (April 4, 2016). "Why Won't The Simpsons Let Smithers Say, "I'm Gay"?". Slate. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; March 10, 2019 suggested (help)
  5. ^ D'Addario, Daniel (April 4, 2016). "Waylon Smithers' Coming-Out on The Simpsons Shows How Toothless the Show Has Become". TIME. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  6. ^ Leszkiewicz, Anna (April 5, 2016). "The Smithers question: why do we keep retrofitting progressive narratives in pop culture?". New Statesman. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  7. ^ Juntwait, Kelsey (October 10, 2016). "30 Characters Showcasing Positive LGBT Representation on TV Right Now". Fansided. Archived from the original on October 15, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  8. ^ Brooks, Grace (February 13, 2016). "An LGBT history of Television". The Boar. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  9. ^ Glass, Joe (July 24, 2016). "The LGBTQ Geek Year in Review At San Diego Comic-Con". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  10. ^ Perkins, Dennis (November 17, 2019). "A well-written Simpsons gives the family a satisfying vacation for a change". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; March 26, 2020 suggested (help)
  11. ^ Perkins, Dennis (April 2, 2019). "The Simpsons showrunner teases Lisa's sexuality and could become polyamorous president". Metro (Philadelphia newspaper). Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  12. ^ Jones, Damian (November 17, 2019). "Family Guy to 'phase out' jokes about the LGBTQ community". NME. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  13. ^ Isler, Ramsey (May 8, 2012). "Family Guy: "Quagmire's Dad" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 19, 2017. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  14. ^ Rude, Mey (October 7, 2019). "'Family Guy' Is Still Just as Transphobic as Ever". Out. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; October 8, 2019 suggested (help)
  15. ^ Clifton, Derrick (November 23, 2015). "From Titus to Marshmallow: ranking TV's top five black LGBT characters". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  16. ^ Chappell, Les (March 22, 2020). "Nat the limo driver returns to take Bob's Burgers on a delightful road trip". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  17. ^ Steele, Amanda (September 26, 2019). "Bob's Burgers: 10 Characters That Could Be Bi". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2020. It's also said that he has a boyfriend who he had recently broken up with before the dance. While he might be gay instead of bi, he's for sure a queer character.
  18. ^ Chappell, Les (March 22, 2020). "Nat the limo driver returns to take Bob's Burgers on a delightful road trip". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  19. ^ Bianco, Robert (October 28, 2011). "'Allen Gregory': Nasty, brutish and hopefully short-lived". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 9, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  20. ^ GLAAD 2011, p. 8.
  21. ^ Keller, Joel (February 16, 2020). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Duncanville' On Fox, Where Amy Poehler Plays A 15-Year-Old Boy Who Finds It Tough Being A 15-Year-Old Boy". Decider. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  22. ^ ""Chozen" is Going to Be a Big Gay Hit". NewNowNext. December 26, 2013. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2020. Chozen treats Hunter as his prison bitch. It would be truly disturbing, except that Hunter doesn't seem to mind (and even appears to enjoy the debasement), the relationship is clearly meant to evolve over the course of the series, and the other characters on the show never seem to pass judgment on Hunter.
  23. ^ "The Venture Home News Facebook Page". Facebook. Archived from the original on September 30, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  24. ^ Valdez, Nick (September 5, 2020). "Venture Bros. Art Book Author Says Show is Cancelled". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on September 7, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  25. ^ Ken Plume [@KenPlume] (September 5, 2020). "The Venture Bros" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 5, 2020 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ Llewellyn, Tom (September 7, 2020). "Has The Venture Bros been cancelled? Cryptic Tweet from author concerns fans". HITC. Archived from the original on September 7, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  27. ^ Jackson Publick [@jacksonpublick] (September 7, 2020). "Unfortunately, it's true: #VentureBros has been canceled. We got the highly disappointing news a few months ago, while we were writing what would have been season 8. We thank you, our amazing fans, for 17 years of your kind (and patient) attention. And, as always, We Love You" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 7, 2020 – via Twitter.
  28. ^ Moreau, Jordan (2020-09-08). "'The Venture Bros.' Canceled at Adult Swim After Seven Seasons". Variety. Archived from the original on September 9, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  29. ^ @AdultSwim (September 8, 2020). "We also want more Venture Bros. and have been working with Jackson and Doc to find another way to continue the Venture Bros. story" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 9, 2020 – via Twitter.
  30. ^ a b Kevin Burra (July 11, 2012). "'Venture Bros.' Co-Creators From Adult Swim Talk Gay Characters, The Upcoming Season And Gay Sex". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; April 12, 2020 suggested (help)
  31. ^ Reed, Phil (July 7, 2008). "The Venture Bros.: Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman". Noise to Signal. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  32. ^ Burton, Bonnie (September 7, 2020). "Adult Swim cancels The Venture Bros after 17 years". CNET. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  33. ^ McMahan, Mike (October 8, 2020). "'Star Trek: Lower Decks' EP Mike McMahan On That TNG Cameo and LGBTQ Characters in Season 2" (Online) (Interview). Interviewed by Adam B. Vary. Variety. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  34. ^ Gandert, Sean (July 9, 2010). "Futurama Review: "Proposition Infinity" (1.4)". Paste. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; August 28, 2020 suggested (help)
  35. ^ a b Anderson-Minshall, Diane (June 18, 2013). "How Animated Shows Like Futurama Can Unite Us All". The Advocate. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  36. ^ Handlen, Zack (July 8, 2010). "Futurama: "Proposition Infinity" [Review]". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; November 16, 2019 suggested (help)
  37. ^ Canning, Robert (July 9, 2010). "Futurama: "Proposition Infinity" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  38. ^ Thill, Scott (July 6, 2010). "Trek's Takei Moderates Futurama's Robosexual Marriage Debate". Wired. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  39. ^ Thill, Scott (July 29, 2010). "'Futurama' exclusive: Exec producer David X. Cohen previews the return". EW. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  40. ^ "Countdown to Brickleberry: Meet the Characters - Connie". Comedy Central tumblr. September 19, 2012. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020.
  41. ^ Glarum, Silvert (March 6, 2020). "5 Reasons Why Paradise PD is Better than Brickleberry (& 5 Reasons Vice Versa)". CBR. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. One of the delights of Brickleberry was co-creator Roger Black's surprisingly sensitive portrayal of Forest Ranger Connie Cunaman. Connie is not only physically strong but mentally as well. Raised by religious parents, she challenged their homophobia in "Gay Bomb."
  42. ^ Abercombie, Chelsey (October 10, 2013). "'Brickleberry' producers miss Barberitos, among other Athens specialties". The Red & Black. Archived from the original on December 4, 2018. [Roger] Black still appears on the Howard Stern show and performs some stand-up. In addition to writing for "Brickleberry," he also provides the voice for lesbian park ranger Connie Cunaman.
  43. ^ Kate Leth (w). "Brickleberry: A Joint Interview With Creators Waco O'Guin and Roger Black [column"] Vampirella, no. 3, p. 24 (May 4, 2016). United States: Dynamite Entertainment.
  44. ^ Ihnat, Gwen (September 11, 2016). "The Awesomes". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2020. But I've watched her battle sequence about five times and I still can't figure out why Tomboy would hit Gadget Gal with a rejuvenation ray: wouldn't that be a good thing?
  45. ^ "Characters". Official website of The Awesomes. 2008. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2020. Season 3 of the animated Hulu series The Awesomes premieres on Tuesday, September 8, and will once again feature gay super hero Zip "Frantic" Danger, who can move at super-speed and is voiced by Saturday Night Live's Taran Killam.
  46. ^ Watercutter, Angela (August 1, 2013). "Watch the Full Pilot of Hulu's Animated Superhero Comedy The Awesomes". Wired. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2020. ...a circus-family reject named Frantic (SNL's Taran Killam) {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; April 16, 2016 suggested (help)
  47. ^ Kane, Matt (September 6, 2015). "Must-See LGBT TV 9/6-9/12: British Baking and The Awesomes return". GLAAD. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2020. Season 3 of the animated Hulu series The Awesomes premieres on Tuesday, September 8, and will once again feature gay super hero Zip "Frantic" Danger, who can move at super-speed and is voiced by Saturday Night Live's Taran Killam.
  48. ^ Schwindt, Oriana (September 6, 2015). "5 Things to Expect on The Awesomes Season 3". TV Insider. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020. Eichner...[will] play Sea Man (think Aquaman) and The Gayfather (leader of the Gay Mafia).
  49. ^ Roots, Kimberly (August 11, 2016). "Gay Superhero Show a Go at CW Seed, Arrow-verse Integration Eyed". TV Line. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  50. ^ Adams, Tim (July 23, 2017). "The Ray Battles Nazis in First Trailer For Animated Series". CBR. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  51. ^ Hart, John (September 5, 2018). ""16 Hudson," a New Animated Show for Preschoolers, Features Two Gay Dads". Gays With Kids. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
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