I grew up in a world where LGBTQ+ representation in the media I consumed was almost non-existent. If it was present, such characters and themes would often be marred by needless stereotypes and hurtful writing that either failed to understand the queer experience or actively sought to make fun of it. Things have changed, and much of that progress has been for the better, but as representation becomes more widespread and fandoms grow in size and influence, infighting unfortunately begins to drag down the steps forward these creators are trying to take.

Steven Universe was a substantial benchmark for queer rep in animation, making strides alongside Adventure Time and The Legend of Korra as they all sought to depict queer couples in a way that was normalised. Korra and Adventure Time felt significantly more truncated than Rebecca Sugar’s show, which was filled with canon couples, queer themes, and storytelling that felt like it was written to resonate with that kind of audience. It was perfect for young and old viewers alike. I still remember being blown away at Ruby and Sapphire’s wedding and how the narrative was able to be honest about two girls loving one another, it even popped the more masculine Ruby into a dress so censors couldn’t possibly question her gender.

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This show set the foundation for additional milestones like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. ND Stevenson’s adaptation was queer from the outset, updating the ‘80s classic to feature diverse body types, non-binary characters, and a central lesbian relationship that was slowly built up during its five seasons. At the beginning of production the eventual romance of Catra and Adora wasn’t always guaranteed, with Stevenson trying his best to plant the seeds and hope that Netflix and Dreamworks would eventually provide enough wriggle room. He succeeded, and the show has become iconic amidst queer communities because of how groundbreaking it managed to be.

Catradora

The Owl House followed. When Dana Terrace’s show first began airing last year a fandom quickly formed around it, with many migrating from She-Ra and forming similar expectations around what it might accomplish in terms of queer representation. Many thought the worst given it was being helmed by Disney, but it overcame expectations and gave us a canon romance between its two lead characters, the non-binary character Raine Whispers, and a selection of background characters who happily identify as queer.

The show exists in a world without homophobia, which is a refreshing stance to take, and with all it managed to achieve, the fandom around it has been massive. Having recently been cancelled and its third season shortened to a trio of specials, its future remains uncertain, leading many to believe that Disney doesn’t believe it belongs in its brand and the queer rep was too progressive to remain afloat.

The Owl House

I imagine the truth is far more complicated, and there’s a chance we’ll never know the finer details, but it sucks. Still, that’s no reason to turn against other shows that will continue onward that also feature LGBTQ+ characters. Amphibia’s third season is airing right now, and while no concrete rep has been established between the main characters - I’m still crossing my fingers for Anne and Marcy - a handful of supporting characters have attracted an adorable level of attention online. Because, you guessed it, they’re adorable.

Chemistry between Yunan and Olivia has been rampant, teasing that a full relationship between the two will blossom in the coming weeks. Gay lizard girls - Amphibia is really serious about giving us the goods. More subtle characters include a duo of goofy inventors who help Anne and company in an earlier episode, finding mutual love in their creativity while being the sort of crafty dorks I love to see in shows like this. Finally, there were two gay men in last week’s episode who were seen throughout a number of fun gags, their relationship being a state of being rather than an in your face piece of representation.

Amphibia

Seeing them work together and go on dates all while a bunch of chaos reigns around them was a lovely slice of romance, all culminating in a marriage proposal where a sweet message in the sky is foiled by a giant clown balloon. Sharp comedic timing and sweet dialogue help this episode shine, and as expected, social media hopped on these gay little nuggets and shouted about them from the rooftops. I was right there along with them, fawning over fan art and observations from the production crew that detailed how these little moments were made possible. It was amazing, but the two gay men I mentioned earlier were immediately compared by some to Luz and Amity from The Owl House.

One man had purple hair, while the other was a man of colour, so I suppose those dots were enough to establish some sort of connection. If I squint I can see it? Either way, immediately comparing every single slither of representation to the gay witches isn’t a good thing. Lumity deserves to be placed on a pedestal for all they’ve managed to achieve, but it’s damaging to declare everything as a reference to their success or being lesser because they don’t push boundaries in a similar way. You don’t punch down on the progress that came after you, that isn’t how moving forward works.

Amphibia

Queer representation isn’t a linear path to acceptance. It’s messy and inconsistent, and we will need to succumb to failure as much as we rise to success. As a pansexual trans girl I can say with confidence that being queer can be a fucking nightmare sometimes. It’s a stressful, joyous, euphoric, and strange journey that is different for everyone, but nobody is going to have a smooth ride, and expecting that perfectionist approach to be reflected in representation is bordering on ignorance.

People mocked The Last of Us Part 2 for putting queer characters through endless misery, while others threw shade at Tell Me Why for being a sanitised approach to the trans experience. There is no winning, and forming invisible battlelines within a community that is still fighting for rights and recognition will only result in more confrontation. You don’t need to put down others to justify your favourite fictional couple or claim that other examples of representation are toxic because they became before, after, or during. Legislation has shown that the world can so often be set against us, so bickering amongst ourselves is meaningless.

Catradora Kiss She-Ra

I recently came across a TikTok that declared Catradora as toxic because it was apparently inspired by Stevenson’s relationship with his partner and similar life experiences, placing Lumity above them in terms of quality and what they managed to achieve. Why would anyone feel the need to pit these two shows against one another, much less bring the showrunner’s personal life into the picture to further their own agenda. What sort of mindset do you need to have to be this defensive?

Media draws on life experiences, whether it explores trauma, romance, or the growth we seek as human beings - of course Stevenson was going to draw comparisons from that. Vocal minorities like this have brainworms, and are happy to drag the most well-meaning amongst us through the mud because they must shackle their identity to a piece of media instead of stepping out into the world and finding themselves. I adore The Owl House - I got a tattoo inspired by the show last week - and I’m heartbroken it’s been cancelled, but my love for Lumity isn’t mighty enough to brush aside debates that ultimately snuff out representation because they’re willing to turn all of it into a needless contest.

The Owl House

Unfortunately I imagine this sort of discourse will be impossible to avoid, and the only solution is to single these fools out and label them as the toxic enablers they are. The majority of fans I’ve interacted with across The Owl House, She-Ra, and Amphibia fandoms have been delightful, happy to introduce me to parts of the fanbase I wasn’t aware of or mentioned they’d seen some of my work in the past, slowly but surely labelling me as the Queen of Queer Cartoons across the internet. LGBTQ+ people are wonderful, messy, distinct, and have stories that can be explored in countless different ways. Even if they aren’t what you expected or don’t reach the level of previous milestones, all are worth celebrating.

Next: Little Witch Academia Walked So The Owl House Could Run