Why There Isn't Much LGBTQ Representation In Preschool Programming

SweetShop209

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Disclaimer: Before I start, I want to say that I'm a straight person and not LGBTQ in any way, shape, or form. I just want to talk about some things I observed.

Incorporating LGBTQ representation into TV shows is always a challenge, whether it's because of network censors or how standards are different in other countries. The one area where this is really noticeable is with preschool programming. There isn't much significant LGBTQ representation in preschool programming. It's usually for one shot characters, kept in the background, or it's put into the narrative much later. Why is that the case? Well, I have two ideas.

1. The first comes down to the idea of romance, or lack thereof. Romance isn't non-existent in preschool shows. It's just given much less priority compared to other kinds of relationships, mainly those involving friends and family. Romance that is typically there is usually for for adult characters. When you think of shows with significant LGBTQ representation, like Steven Universe, The Owl House, She Ra And The Princesses Of Power, and so forth, they not only aim for older audiences, they're also shows that aren't afraid to tackle romance. Some preschool shows that have LGBTQ representation, but where it's a very minor part of the show, include TOTS (where it's mainly one shot same sex couples) and Blue's Clues And You (there's a music video about a pride parade, and there was a YouTube video of a kid talking about non-binary people, though I have to double check).

2. There's also the overall mission of preschool shows. They're usually meant to emphasize some sort of educational curriculum or talk about social skills through the use of morals. This would usually mean difficulty in talking about LGBTQ representation due to there being a different kind of standards and practices compared to non-preschool shows. You'll notice how preschool shows that show a different kind of family structure very rarely show someone with two same sex parents. It's usually single parent (well, he's not a biological father, but The Man In The Yellow Hat from Curious George is a father like figure who raises him on his own) , where one of the parents is a step parent (Sofia from Sofia The First has a biological mother and a stepfather, though she calls him dad) , or they live with a different relative like an aunt or a grandparent (Ellen from Little Ellen lives with her grandmother) .

Now the question remains on how one could incorporate significant LGBTQ representation into preschool shows? Well, there's plenty of different ways to do this, where it usually involves normalization and making it feel natural even if romance won't be touched upon much. I will pick Ridley Jones, the first preschool show with significant LGBTQ representation from the start, to talk about this. One of the main characters is a non-binary bison named Fred (they're not called non-binary, but they're referred to in they/them pronouns) . They're also voiced by Ezra Menas/Iris Menas, who is also non-binary. The main thing about their character is wanting to be seen as a strong and fearless leader. There's another main character named Ismat, where it's revealed that she's the daughter of two mummy dads, who are voiced by gay actors Andrew Rannells and Chris Colfey (I hope I spelled that right). The show itself had a bit of self awareness about being the first preschool show with significant LGBTQ representation given two early moments, probably as a way to reassure the audience. In the first episode, when Ridley asks Peaches if Fred is a she or he, she says "I don't know. They're just a Fred.", and she finds this cool. "My Dinner With Ismat", the second segment of episode 2, has Ridley tell Ismat that it's cool she has two dads.


What do you think about this though?
 
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Goldstar!

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Basically, it boils down to the show's target audience. Since preschool shows are aimed at viewers who are pre-sexual, romance is rarely depicted on them. You may get some mild romantic moments between the parents or other adult characters on the show, but that's about it.

It could also because the producers or networks don't want to deal with homophobic backlash or give the series any unwanted attention by distracting from the series' intended purpose; to entertain and educate young children. Producers likely want to avoid anything that could potentially harm their chances of marketing the show to other countries in which the subject of LGTBQ relationships is even more taboo a subject than it is here in the States.
 

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