Nickelodeon Features First-Ever Interracial Gay Parent Characters in a Cartoon
In May 2016 Nickelodeon premiered the first American cartoon series in history to depict a married, interracial gay parent couple.
The cartoon is a half-hour show called The Loud House.
The cartoon is about an 11-year-old boy named Lincoln Loud who struggles to survive being an only male in an 11-child family with his 10 sisters.
The show is the first cartoon in American history to present such a family dynamic to children viewers.
And the very fact that such a show like The Loud House exists is proof positive that we have come a long way in recognizing the humanity of LGBT people.
The struggle is not over by any stretch of the imagination. The existence of The Loud House does not mean the that LGBT community has been magically accepted by society.
Nor does it mean that LBGT people will now be viewed by all as human beings instead of, “gay.”
The existence of The Loud House is heartening because it means that children who watch the show may be less inclined to treat LGBT as less human as they get older.
Most LGBT people discover their identity as children. It can be a startling and emotionally traumatizing time, especially as children begins to understand how LBGT people are treated in the world.
The Loud House promises a future of enlightenment and hope. At least for the younger generation.
It may be a small hope, but it is much better than paucity of hope and homophobia-enabled obstacles that we face in the struggle for LGBT rights right now.
