The long break between the second and upcoming third seasons of Young Justice has been unfortunate for many reasons — mainly, because there’s been no new Young Justice to watch. But in one way, the break has been of benefit: The show can now explicitly acknowledge LGBTQ characters.
Series co-creator Greg Weisman has long said that there are main characters in Young Justice who were LGBTQ, but guidelines for the show at the time meant that nothing could be openly acknowledged. That’s a fact that he reiterated once again yesterday evening on Twitter, while in a lengthy debate with a Twitter user “concerned” at the possibility of minority representation in children’s media, heavens forbid.
@Superhero_News1 @JasmineShawarma @SexyDeadpool69 There are already LGBT characters in #YoungJustice
— Greg Weisman (@Greg_Weisman) January 6, 2017
But interestingly, Weisman followed up by implying that times have changed. Of course we have shows like Steven Universe, or Nick’s Loud House, or many others today that feature open representation of major and minor LGBTQ characters in kid’s animation (and although it could only be hinted at in its finale, there’s also Legend of Korra‘s bisexual female heroes Korra and Asami). Now, guidelines forbidding the acknowledgement of LGBTQ characters that were in place when seasons one and two aired are, presumably, no longer in place.
“@Superhero_News1: @SchweitzerMan @JasmineShawarma Just looked it up. Here you go;https://t.co/EQSXm3YDCP” Again, that was then.
— Greg Weisman (@Greg_Weisman) January 6, 2017
Which makes it seem like that, in season three, Young Justice will at long last be able to acknowledge the sexualities of characters that it previously could not. If there was ever a silver lining in having to wait so long to get the third season of the show, well, this is definitely one of them.
Comments
16 responses to “It Sounds Like The Next Season Of Young Justice Will Openly Acknowledge LGBTQ Characters”
Oh yeah, these things always go off without a hitch.
Writers will never get better at handling this if we don’t let them ever try.
That said I’m kind of confused as to why this is a thing in a kid’s show – I’m guessing character’s sexualities aren’t really a big part of it? Dunno, never watched it.
The show rather focuses on its characters being teenagers, it’s about those young sidekicks coming to age and beginning to become adults.
As such relationships play an important part, but it’s not like you’re seeing sex scenes or the like.
“…it’s not like you’re seeing sex scenes or the like.”
Well shit, count me out then….
Yeah as zimmy points out above this isn’t so much a “kids show” as a “young adults” show and as such relationships play a very important part.
I will be interested to see how this goes and agree we need to let writers try.
We need more LGBTQI characters that teenagers can relate to to help them through the sexuality issues they are dealing with.
Yeah, definitely. Thanks for clearing that up.
This. The biggest hurdle cartoons face is trying to change that perception that all cartoons a kids shows.
Definitely.
It’s funny how anime is often considered to be for adults as much as kids and yet with western cartoons it is so often perceived as children’s television.
I think that’s starting to change though.
Shows like Young Justice, Star Wars: Clone Wars and Rebels and even the recent Troll Hunters are more aware of their older audiences.
I don’t think all cartoons are kids shows, but as I said I’ve never seen this one, and the article refers to it as ‘childrens media,’ so I was going off that.
I actually think this is a battle that’s already been won in anyone under the age of 35 or so, with shows like Rick and Morty (which is targeted at adults) and Adventure Time (which is primarily targeted at kids but is just really great all around) having large adult followings.
Plus you have things like The Simpsons or Futurama that have been around for a long time and people in general seem completely comfortable with these basically being animated sitcoms as opposed to kids shows.
At this point it feels like anyone claiming cartoons are just for kids is just being willfully ignorant or obstinate for the sake of it.
Just like video games are for kids!
Oh your preaching to the choir girlfriend.
But given that the start of it was in response to “concern”, I can already see the folks filling the mud hole in preparation.
…..yay for us all
I look forward to young justice returning and glad to see more representation in cartoons. I just hope they don’t get lazy with representation like they do with movies and comic books. Go Batman the animated series route, not Spider-Man Homecoming.
It’s disappointing that despite gay marriage being legal in most of the developed world it’s still implicitly treated like some sordid thing around children. It’s crazy!
Yeah. Like Sesame Street doesnt exist. That is a kids show aimed at kids where YJ is a young adult show (To me at least).
Sorry I don’t get it. Are there gay characters on Sesame St? (I mean openly gay characters, Bert and Ernie are tots queer).
Not gay but transgender.