Gay characters in children's cartoons

[Mr Pantomime]

snip

Posting here seems like itl have all the effect of pissing into a river, but here goes

Yes, itd be nice to see gay characters in childrens cartoons. I think it would let children know that gay people exist, and that, not to be cliche, "its ok to be gay".

I think the Rainbow Dash idea would work because its simple. We dont need the whole "what are these feelings?, is it right to feel this way?" thing. Leave that to crappy teen drama. All the kids need to know is that a character of one sex like a character of the same sex in a romatic way, and thats perfectly ok. Everything else can wait til puberty, where its actually relevant.

What we dont need is a show called "Brians new Mommy, George". Thats not helpful, that just creates a stigma, like when parents tell their kids not to stare at the crippled kid.

 

[jimpy]

"[/quote] I think people should be able to feel secure in their sexuality. If a kid turn out gay, they'll often be teased and hated for it, because it's not the norm. If they put gay characters in cartoons it will probably become more acceptable with time to be gay."[/quote]

I work a lot with kids and trust me they will bully someone for anything. Having kids learn about sex from a young age isn't going to create a rainbow utopia. If a kid is going to bully another kid they'll find a reason to justify it.

 

[Infernai]

I'll put it this way: if the said homosexual character in the show is actually there to expand on the story and adds to the overall show, rather then just being tacked in because "We needed a gay guy" then i have no problem with them.

I'm not saying gay characters can't or shouldn't be in shows, quite the opposite: I would be perfectly fine seeing homosexual characters, and they could definitely add something to a show or indeed become damn good characters (One example of a good homosexual character is Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood/Doctor who [ok, so he's technically bi but...Shutup, he's awesome!]) but just don't throw one in who has absolutely no depth and characterization (Aka. just a stereotype), who adds absolutely jack shit to the show itself and is basically just useless in regards to the story.

 

[spartandude]

im going to make one post to deal with something ive breifly said before

sex and sexuality are related but different things

sex is well sex

sexuality can include sex but also includes merely romantic relationships, people have a crush on someone, maybe even a kiss in some childrens stuff holding hands and such
these things happen all the time in childrens shows, the question is should this be restricetd only to straight people

But sexuality is the desire to be sexual with someone. That's the entire point of that word. Holding hands, kissing, dating - all that stuff, is courting to gain trust and is preparation for sex.

If someone doesn't want to have sex with someone of the same sex as them, they aren't homosexual. Maybe they should call themselves... I dunno. Close friends?

but these are things already explored in childrens cartoons and what not, they may be leading to sex eventually but a kid doesnt realise that

 

[MetalGenocide]

It's okay to have gay characters if they are written well, and don't represent a narrow old stereotype.
And that, seems to be difficult to find.

Rainbow Dash is not homosexual. I never understood why others think she is.
I see her, as a tomboy who had a rough childhood, made a friend with a similar disposition, and eventually grew up to overcome her fears(mostly). She even build herself up an ambition, and found some role models. I saw nothing "gay" about her whatsoever.
Maybe some people are just looking too hard, and seeing things that were never there.

 

[ConeFTW]

]Sorry, i didn't mean to offend. Im not trying to use the term 'defect' offensivley, but i dont know any other term. As far as I know, homosexuality is uncommon. And in my belief, i think it is a brain defect since its not carried on in dna. Just trying to show you where I am coming at.

Actually it is carried in the DNA...

Link? As far as I know, we havent found the cause for homosexuality yet. This would be some serious firepower for me come next english debate.

http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=5957271
It's not a gene that guarantees homosexuality but it could be one of the influencing factors.

 

[Chaos Phantom]

As a gay teen male(still in the closet though) i would love too see gay/LGBT characters in cartoons and more LGBT characters & LGBT protagonists in the media in general. I do feel that LGBT characters need to be represented more in all the forms of the media and not just in the light hearted jokey shallow kinda way we have seen in the past, but in a serious & deep thought provoking way.

Hopefully in the near future the media will try and attempt to take a serious look at homosexuality and show that LGBT people are no different to straight people, to show that were not "sinners" and are actions arent "wrong/disgusting" but perfectly natural & normal, & to show that are homosexualality makes up only a small part of who we are and is not something we should be judged upon by others. And I hope oneday peoples perceptions/views on LGBT people will genuinely change for the better.

 

[ConeFTW]

I think you guys are over shooting this. Being straight is biologically normal. Should we not present that as a norm? Yes, homosexuality is a part of life, but we dont need to stuff it into entertainment for the hell of it. Especially a kid's show. If a kid is going to be gay, let them find that out for themselves instead of doing it because this character from this show is gay.

You can present something as the norm while still having things that are unusual exist as well.
What do you mean by "we dont need to stuff it into entertainment for the hell of it."? Do you mean that giving a detail about a character that's considered odd by general society is pointless or silly? Would you also say that it's pointless to have a character who happens to be Spanish?

The way you seem to phrase it, you sound like you think that merely having a homosexual character in a show is forcing homosexuality on the children watching it, if so, was X-Men trying to make people Catholic because Night Crawler was one, was Spider Man trying to force me to take up photography, did Invader Zim try to convince kids they should get a defective robot?

I knew I was gonna get shit for this. The way you guys are putting it, it sounds like you want homosexuality in there just so it can be in there. Im not objecting to putting a gay character in, I just dont want it in kid shows. That said, I dont want to see hetrosexual love either. I do, however, belive that we should educate kids about hetrosexuality and homosexuality respectivley.

Heterosexual characters are already put on kid's shows just to be there.
What you "want to see" is different from "what reality is", and we know you're lying about heterosexuals on children's shows bothering you.
This is such shameless copypasta, I don't get why it even counts as discussion.

Dont tell me what i belive in. I babysit alot, and when doras parents had another baby, my little cousin asked me the big one. "Where do babies come from?". God, that was so awkward. When i went down to see my other cousin in missisippi, i went with my aunt who was pregnant. (baby should be coming any time now!) He was completley mystified by her belly. Kids are curious, and alot smarter than you guys give them credit for.

You're right, kids are smarter than most people think which is why they need to be educated about sexuality (maybe not sex but the concept of sexuality) sooner rather than later. A good way of doing this would be to make them curious through seeing a homosexual or bisexual character in a cartoon. Even if they aren't that way inclined then at least their minds will be more open and accepting to the idea that homosexuality is just as normal as heterosexuality, although less common.

Also why is it you don't want you're kids being educated about sexuality? I can understand not wanting them to know every detail about sex but avoiding the subject entirely is unhealthy.

Who are tv networks to tell you what your kids should and shouldnt know? This is why i think it should be left up to the parents.

Then it's up to the parents to let the kids watch the show or not. If they don't want their kids to see a character who they don't agree with then they can change the channel rather than stopping all children everywhere from being able to watch it. Some parents would want their children to see that kind of show. I know I would want my kids to be able to have that kind of experience.

 

[Treblaine]

People, yourself included, say often that the majority of gay men are flamboyant and feminine by nature.

When did I say that?

Particularly the "Majority". I distinctly remember saying "many really are like that. Just not ALL of them."

 

[Seydaman]

Wouldn't mind it
I'd like to see more homosexual characters in cartoons
Think it'd help kids who are gay a lot.

 

[ConeFTW]

I have trouble believing it's not a choice... Just me... Because if it's not a choice it's a defect...

So what's your justification for thinking that it has to be one or the other, as opposed to merely being more akin to laterality?

Gay relationships can't have kids, simple.

I hate bringing this part up, but I'm stubborn as hell, what is the huge difference in sexual orientations that pedophilia, bestiality, or necrophilia (and probably more -ilias) can't be considered a valid option/choice/something? I don't see a huge jump from them to gay, if you subtract doing damage. Why shouldn't some things be considered acceptable while others aren't. I choose not to vouch for any of them. Gay just seems to be the borderland of the sexual orientations(probably not using the right word)

I hope it makes sense, i almost never do, partly blame my English..

Actually they can. Sperm banks. As has been stated about 50 times throughout this thread.
And if you're saying that sexual orientation is similar to paedophilia etc. then that makes straight people just as close to them as gay people. And if you subtract doing damage then you subtract any reason for it to be wrong. If it doesn't cause harm then why shouldn't it be acceptable?

 

[ConeFTW]

According to the internet rules of debate that means I win.

It actually means two things.
1. Im sick of arguing pointless shit with people. My opinion, is my opinion.

2. I have to get my hair cut already.

So you accept defeat?

Please stop trolling, you're not helping.

 

[Farseer Lolotea]

Ooohhh. I see what you're saying. You're not saying homosexuality needs to be everywhere. You're saying heterosexuality is everywhere and no one points that out - that heterosexuality is so normal it's expected.

Pretty much. As I said, cognitive dissonance: No one gives a damn about hetero content unless things get pretty explicit, but people will make a federal case out of Spongebob or the purple Teletubby (never mind that both were pretty damn big jumps to conclusions).

Well, I guess that comes down to the fact that homosexuals, bisexuals, nonsexuals and whatever else there is including myself, are simply not normal. We aren't, I don't think, bad or anything. But we aren't normal.

Yep, that's about the size of it. My usual conclusion is "everyone, by some definition or another, is a freak."

 

[ConeFTW]

BUT... from the Nature point of view, a homosexual being would be considered a failure, if it would live his sexual orientation out. A homosexual could not reproduce which is the measurement for how successful a being is, Nature-wise.

You are wrong. If you're going to use science, you should get it right.

Homosexuals exist in nature - all mammals have homosexual members. And those members REPRODUCE. Even before Sperm Banks, gay individuals would still "take one for the team" and have children the old fashioned way. It's a preference, not a rule.

Homosexuality is a desire - it doesn't prevent us from getting pregnant (or from getting someone pregnant) - we just prefer the alternative.

Do research on homosexual animals in the wild. They reproduce.

So please, do not try to spread intolerance or ignorance in the guise of weakly researched science.

Those words that you said right there, thank you for them.
You have no idea how good it feels to have someone else argue this point through science, at least partially.

 

[BringBackBuck]

The bottom line is that the most you see at this level is friendship as I pointed out, there are no gender walls involved in that. When you start trying to direct sexual themes and propaganda at pre-sexual humans, I have an issue with that. While anti-gay overall, understand I'd have issues with someone wanting to put heterosexual sexual themes into this kind of programming so kids would be more "open and accepting to the idea"... any way you define it and from any position it's totally borked. Keep sex and sexual politics out of children's programming, leave it for the teen level where it belongs, those are issues to be introduced when kids are developing sexually, not beforehand.

I agree with this sentiment, but draw a different conclusion.

Children's programming should not be sexual in any way at all.

However inserting homosexual characters into a cartoon could be done very simply and in no way sexual.

For example: What if Pingu had 2 daddy penguins instead of a daddy & mummy penguin? You wouldn't ever write a story that has anything to do with the fact that both penguins are daddies. I reckon 90% of kids wouldn't even notice. But for maybe a few little children who had already noticed this in a real life context they might say: "hey Pingu has 2 daddies just like how that kid Michael at pre-school has 2 daddies who come to pick him up sometimes".

No harm done. Kids aren't watching gay porn, and maybe a few children will see this behaviour as acceptable and in turn make someone's life a little bit easier.