15 Episodes From Beloved Kids’ Shows With LGBTQ+ Representation

Season 2, Episode 8

Chip is an adorable pug, and she’s learning lots of new things: the ins and outs of kindergarten, getting a new sibling, and all kinds of similarly small-but-important adventures. So sometimes needs a confidence boost from her friend, a mouse named Potato who secretly lives in her pocket.

In the show’s second season, the Roy and Ray Razzle move into the neighborhood (shortly after another zebra couple, the Dazzles, move out), along with their twin babies, Ron and Ruby! Main characters they are not, but we love to see LGBTQ+ families and, honestly, we didn’t realize how much we were missing gay zebras until now.

Stream Chip and Potato, rated TV-Y, on Netflix.

Season 22, Episode 1

Arthur has been a cornerstone of PBS Kids since 1996, but in 2019, the show featured its first gay character... at his wedding! Arthur and his class trying to figure out who, exactly, their teacher is getting married to, only to discover that the “someone special” is another man.

While the “what a twist!” moment is perhaps a little more gimmicky that we'd like to see in terms of organic LGBTQ+ representation, once it’s revealed that Mr. Ratburn is marrying a man, it’s accepted as very matter-of-fact. It’s a really sweet, charming, positive moment in children’s entertainment and we’re here for it!

Stream Arthur, rated TV-Y, on PBS Kids.

Season 51, Episode 32

Sesame Street has been the gold standard in children’s education since it premiered more than 50 years ago. But it wasn’t until 2021 when the first two-dad family made their way to the Street. In this episode, the residents of Sesame Street are celebrating “Family Day,” which brings Nina’s brother Dave along with his husband Frank and their daughter, Mia. The crux of the show emphasizes that there are lots of different ways a family can look — a mom and a dad, step-parents and step-siblings, grandparents, and, yes, two dads.

Stream Sesame Street, rated TV-Y, on HBO Max.

Season 1, Episode 9

Based on the #1 New York Times Bestselling book series Princesses Wear Pants by Savannah Guthrie and Allison Oppenheim, Princess Power follows the adventures of four princesses who understand that “Princess is a Verb” and princesses have a responsibility to help people! And these bold girls embrace public service and sparklicious tea parties with equal zeal.

Now embracing the full gender spectrum in and of itself is a great message in and of itself, but one of the princesses, Bea, has two dads, voiced by Andrew Rannells and Tan France. This episode is not their first appearance, but it is one where dads and daughter take center stage.

Stream Princess Power, rated TV-Y, on Netflix.

Season 4, Episode 22

Like other shows on this list, Doc McStuffins doesn’t have a ton of LGBTQ+ representation, but this episode features an interracial lesbian couple (who just so happened to be voiced by Wanda Sykes and Portia De Rossi). What we like about this episode is the fact that their identity as lesbian women had absolutely nothing to do with the episode: it wasn’t a show about pride or LGBTQ+ families or anything like that. It was an episode about earthquake safety and the characters just happen to be lesbians. Representation is that easy, folks...

Stream Doc McStuffins, rated TV-Y, on Hulu.

Season 3, Episode 6

Madagascar: A Little Wild closed out its third season with a new character, Odee Elliot. Odee (voiced by nonbinary actor Ezra Menas) doesn’t know what kind of animal they are exactly (except for a party animal), but that doesn’t bother them. They just want to have fun at the Animal Pride Parade. The episode “Whatever Floats Your Float” is a great metaphor for young viewers about being happy with (and proud of) who you are and encouraging your friends to do the same... the song, “Be Proud,” really drives the message home.

Stream Madagascar: A Little Wild, rated TV-G, on Hulu.

Season 9, Episode 12

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic follows the adventures of unicorns, pegasi, and ponies throughout Equestria, where they solve problems and, occasionally, battle the forces of darkness, including the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. But while we've met Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's families in past episodes, Scootaloo's home life has always been a bit of a mystery.

In Season 9, we (finally) meet Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty, a lesbian couple raising Scootaloo. While not main characters, the casual nature of their existence is in and of itself kind of a big deal (even if we'd ultimately like them to have more screen time).

Stream My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, rated TV-Y, on Hulu.

Season 5, Episode 8

This whimsical preschool series takes place in a museum where the exhibits and displays come to life at night. Ridley and her family live in a treehouse in the building, and guard the museum’s magical secrets. One of the museum’s residents is a young bison named Fred, who is non-binary and uses “they/them” pronouns. In this episode, they share that information with their grandma, played by Cyndi Lauper.

The show is overall more casually queer-friendly — Ismat the mummy for example has two dads — but we like this one best since non-binary youth are so infrequently represented.

Stream Ridley Jones, rated TV-Y, on Netflix.

Season 2, Episode 7

The elevator pitch for Centaurworld, an animated musical series was, according to series creator Megan Nicole Dong, “What would happen if you dropped Brienne of Tarth into the land of the Muppets?” Separated from her rider via a magical portal, a serious and determined warhorse (known only as Horse) finds herself in Centaurworld, a land of silly, magical, constantly singing “half-animal half-man things.” Horse and her newfound herd must find each piece of a magical key, guarded by centaur shamans, to return home as whispers of a ruthless “Nowhere King” haunt their steps.

There are queer references sprinkled throughout the series, but our favorite is in the penultimate episode of the series, the flamboyant Zulius ignites a relationship with his one-time rival, the equally fabulous Splendib and together they plan a spectacular hootenanny!

Stream Centaurworld, rated TV-Y7, on Netflix.

Season 1, Episode 13

On Danger and Eggs, D.D. and her best friend Phillip, an anthropomorphic egg, have all kinds of adventures in Chickenpaw Park by creating games for themselves — D.D. is the stunt woman while Phillip makes sure everything is safe. It’s whimsical, weird, funny, and unabashedly LGBTQ+ friendly. Representation abounds: trans kids, gay parents, and much more. In this episode, the duo celebrate Pride. Actress and activist Jazz Jennings provides the voice of Zadie, a trans girl who sings a heartfelt song about being who you are.

Shadi Petosky, the series creator, told NewNowNext she was keenly interested in representing her community without relying on crushes or romantic relationships, admitting it was a challenge to do so without stereotyping too much. (Though, seriously, mission accomplished.)

“We wanted to show innocent LGBTQ friendships, before the age of romantic connections,” Petosky said. “We didn’t want to do metaphors, so we tried to find traits LGBTQ kids, allies, or families would see in themselves.”

Stream Danger and Eggs, rated TV-Y7, on Amazon Prime.

Season 2, Episode 8

Teenager Luz Noceda stumbled through a portal that took her to the Boiling Isles, a whimsical world full of fantastic creatures and (kid-friendly) monsters. There, her mentor Eda is helping to teach her magic and overthrow the oppressive Emperor Belos.

In this episode, Luz (who is canonically bisexual) asks out her one-time rival Amity, a powerful witch with a talent for creating abominations. Their romance had been percolating since Season 1, but this is where all of that tension pays off in a really cute, funny way that will be familiar to folks of any orientation who dated in middle school. Additional secondary and tertiary characters on the show are also part of the LGBTQ+ rainbow. Luz’s friend, Willow, has two dads. Eda’s love interest is a charismatic, non-binary bard named Raine.

Stream The Owl House, rated TV-Y7, on Disney+.

Season 3, Episode 1

Admittedly, this is sort of a “blink and you’ll miss it” type of representation but, as we’ve learned by now, that’s often what you get in any show (and, ultimately, often a first step). Violet Sabrewing had referenced her dads before in the series, but this episode is the first time we get to see them. We especially like the coordinated “I’m With Dad” shirts they’re wearing.

Having two dads isn’t the point of the episode: it’s about Huey and Violet duking it out for a scouting title, but there’s something nice about the casual nature of having same-sex parents just kind of in the background. (Because, honestly, it isn’t a big deal!)

Stream DuckTales, rated TV-Y7, on Disney+.

Season 5, Episode 13

Adora, an orphan, was raised to be a soldier for the Horde. But when she discovers that the Horde has been harming the people of Etheria, she joins freedom fighters in their rebellion to save the world. (The magic sword that gives her powers and the identity of She-Ra does help...)

LGBTQ+ representation abounds in this fabulous reboot! Gay characters! Bi characters! Lesbian characters! Trans characters! And not just incidental characters, either: main characters. In this episode, though, that reaches exciting new heights when Adora and Catra confess their love for one another.

Stream She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, TV-Y7, on Netflix.

Season 1, Episodes 17 &18

This silly but charming series is set in the early 2000s and follows an imaginative but immature girl named Reggie, who copes with impending teenage years by creating “Endless,” a Neverland sort of realm where she never has to grow up and all her toys come to life. But the real world often permeates this magical kingdom, and Reggie and her friends are forced to start dealing with growing pains and conflict. Reggie has been described by executive producer Shadi Petosky as a queer character “coming to terms with her sexuality,” and in this episode we get to see her flounder through something most of us probably did, too: a middle school crush. (In this case on the kind and creative Connelly.)

Stream Twelve Forever, rated TV-PG, on Netflix.

Season 5, Episodes 23 & 24

This Emmy-nominated series was praised as groundbreaking in its depiction of complex emotions in a children’s show, and for its representation of queer and non-binary characters. Perhaps this is best summed up in “Reunited” in which Ruby and Sapphire get married. The two individuals fuse to form Garnet, a third person entirely who is the manifestation of their 5,000 year (and eight months) love for one another.

Stream Steven Universe, rated TV-PG, on Hulu.