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Staff Post

Sampling of LGBTQ+ Content in Children’s Shows and Movies

The Ethics and Public Policy Center recently submitted a comment to the FCC on the current TV ratings system. EPPC scholars warned the FCC that the current ratings system fails to give parents the information they need to protect their children from harmful content  – including LGBTQ themes and gender ideology content. You can read more about the public comment here.

In conjunction with this public comment, PIP compiled a list of children’s TV shows and movies with the most egregious LGBTQ+ content so parents can be aware of the content being inserted into their children’s favorite shows. The shows and movies on our list were rated TV-Y or TV-G (indicating that they were suitable for very young children) and never warned parents that these shows included LGBTQ ideological content. While this list is not exhaustive, it includes some of the most popular examples.

“Coming-out” stories 

Andi Mack (Disney+)  

  • TV Show 
  • Season 3, Episode 8 “One in a Minyan” (2018-19) 
  • Character Cyrus comes out as “gay” to a friend, and apparently goes on to have a “boyfriend” with same sex crushes (described here).  
  • No warning, Rated: TV-G 

Out (Disney+)  

  • Disney “Short” (13 min long) (2020)  
  • Featuring a rainbow in the beginning scene, this short film is based on a “gay” character with a “boyfriend,” with clips showing affection between two males. The one who is moving out will only hang a picture of them in his new apartment because he didn’t want parents to find out, but the “boyfriend” is in the apartment when parents randomly show up to help their son pack. The character panics, and the dog protects the frame so the parents don’t find out, but mom confesses to the dog that she hopes her son finds someone by saying, “I just hope that whoever it is, well, that he makes you happy.” The ending insinuates that the son “came out,” and the “boyfriend” was introduced to parents, and dad gave his “boyfriend” a hug. 
  • No warning, Rated: PG for mild thematic elements  

Ridley Jones (Netflix) – [Same details apply to non-binary issues] 

  • TV Show 
  • Season 5, Episode 8 “Happy Herd Day” (2023)  
  • Bison character “Fred” is “non-binary” and says she used different names/pronouns when she saw grandma last, but grandma just used the old one. This was before the character realizes “Fred” feels more like her, and grandma still treats “Fred” as her granddaughter. Fred tells grandma that she needs to be herself, grandma replies urging her to always lead with her heart. Fred tells her she’s “nonbinary” and goes by “Fred” because that’s what fits her best, and that she uses they/them pronouns (using she/he doesn’t feel right). Grandma sympathizes and says “Fred” can’t lead the herd without feeling like yourself, so grandma apologize for using wrong name/pronoun 
  • No warning, Rated: TV-Y 

Trans/non-binary characters 

Muppet Babies (Reboot) (Disney+)  

  • TV Show 
  • Season 3, Episode 19 “Gonzo-rella” (2021-22)  
  • In this episode, Gonzo becomes upset at being described as one of the boys/princes. He declares he wants to wear the Cinderella gown to the ball and is crushed when told boys don’t wear dresses and is unconvinced when other boys say they’ll have a great time being knights. Gonzo’s “fairy Rat-father” gives him the perfect dress to wear to the ball and helps him transform himself to look like a princess. Gonzo declares that it makes him “so happy” to wear a dress and successfully passes himself off as a “princess.” Afterwards, Gonzo reveals to his friends that he is the mysterious “princess.” The episode presents identity distress and “social transition.” 
  • No warning, Rated: TV-Y 

Danger and Eggs (Prime Video) 

  • TV Show  
  • Season 1, Episode 13 “Chosen Family” (2017)  
  • Episode features a pride festival with lots of “LGBTQ+” identifying characters, one character describes that day as one full of “love, music, rainbows, glitter.”  
  • No warning, Rated: 7+  

Rubble and Crew (A Paw Patrol spin-off) (information based on external reports, not viewed by EPPC scholars) 

  • TV show 
  • Episode is called “The Crew Builds an Observatory” and features a “non-binary” character named “River” (Season 1, episode 17) (2023)  
  • Episode written by LGBTQ+ activist/educator Lindz Amer (Creator of Queer Kid Stuff)  
  • “River” socks that represent the pride flag (summary taken from this link). 

The Owl House (Disney+) (Concerns throughout the whole show as seen here, note comments below)  

  • TV show 
  • Character Raine Whispers is voiced by a “non-binary” actor Avi Roque, character is non-binary using “them/them” pronouns (described here) 
  • No warning, Rated: TV-Y7-FV (EPPC scholar viewed for a warning in the episode described above.) 

Same-sex relationships/unions 

Blue’s Clues and You! (YouTube)  

  • TV Series 
  • “Pride Parade Sing-Along” (2021) 
  • This episode features drag queen Nina West emceeing a “pride parade” that included families with same-sex couples and characters who presented as “non-binary” or “transgender,” including one character with visible double mastectomy scars. The episode has no visible rating and contains no warning that it promotes gender ideology—including normalizing double mastectomies on minors, to young children. 
  • No warning  

Sesame Street (YouTube)  

  • TV Series 
  • “Family Day” (2021)  
  • Features gay “married” couple with their daughter who calls them “Pappy and Daddy.”  
  • According to watchdog groups (see this link), the series included a song called “We All Sing the Same Song,” with lyrics referencing two “daddies.”   

Doc McStuffins (Disney+) 

  • TV Series 
  • Season 4, Episode 22: “The Emergency Plan” (2016-18)  
  • Features same-sex parents (two women)  
  • No warning, Rating: TV-Y 

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney+)  

  • TV Series 
  • Season 1, Episode 4 “Father Figures” (2022)  
  • Features same-sex parents (two men)  
  • No warning, Rating: TV-PG 

Cocomelon Lane (Netflix)   

  • TV Series 
  • Season 1, Episode 8 “Say Cheese Nico” (2023)  
  • In this episode, one character, Nico, is a boy with two “dads,” who tries on various outfits as he decides what to wear for a family photo. When the men remind Nico that he likes to dance, Nico appears dressed in a tutu and tiara, against a rainbow wall of music notes as a background, and spins around for the men as they sing “just be you.” Nico declares that he feels like himself when he finally appears with multiple hats and the tiara. This episode has no content warnings and is rated TV-Y. 
  • No warning, Rated: TV-Y 

Peppa Pig (Prime Video) (information based on external reports, not viewed by EPPC scholars)  

  • TV Series 
  • Season 7, Episode 41 “Families” (2021-23) 
  • Features same-sex couple (two female) polar bears. Penny the Polar Bear tells Peppa she has “two mummies” and draws a picture of herself holding hands with them (summary taken from this link and story covered by faith-based media, linked here).  

Stars vs. The Forces of Evil (Disney+) 

  • TV Series 
  • Season 2, Episode 20 “Just Friends”  
  • Features a same-sex kissing scene  
  • No warning, Rated: TV-Y7 

Bluey (Disney+) 

  • TV Series 
  • Season 3, Episode 49 “The Sign” (2016-7)  
  • Dog mentions “mums” = two females (“mothers”)  
  • No warning, Rated: TV-Y 

Fire Buds (Disney+) 

  • TV Series  
  • Season 1, Episode 4 “Picnic Pile Up/Duo Dash” (2022) (Other episodes reportedly contain similar content) 
  • Features two females as parents, with characters in episode saying how cool it is  
  • No warning, Rated: TV-Y 

Lightyear (Disney+) (EPPC scholar reviewed scene, not entire movie)  

  • Movie (2022) 
  • Same-sex romantic relationship with a kiss (between 2 women) 
  • No warning, Rated: PG for “action and peril”  

Arthur (PBS Kids)  

  • TV Series, Episode available on YouTube via PBS Kids and PBS website 
  • Season 22 (2019) “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone “ 
  • A third-grade male teacher gets “married” to a man, with his students happily attending  
  • No warning, Rated: TV-Y
  • Alabama Public Television refused to air it. 

Frozen (Disney+)  

  • Movie (2013)  
  • “Family in sauna” mentioned by the male store owner, screen pans man in sauna with children 
  • No warning, Rated: PG 

Beauty and the Beast (Live version on Disney+) (Description from this link) 

  • Movie (2017)  
  • Director announced that Gaston’s right-hand man, Le Fou, would be presented as “gay” (subtly indicated throughout movie, including dancing with another man)  
  • No warning, Rated: PG for some action violence, peril, and frightening images  

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Disney+) 

  • TV Series  
  • Season 1, Episode 5 “Homecoming” (2019-20) 
  • Two boys dancing together  
  • No warning, TV-PG 

The Bravest Knight (Hulu)  

  • TV Series (2019-)  
  • Whole series for preschoolers/elementary is based on a male knight and his male “husband” Prince Andrew with an adopted daughter (central characters)  
  • No warning, Rated: TV-PG  

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Netflix) 

  • Movie (2021)  
  • Main female character wears a pride pin for the whole movie and near the end is asked by mom if she’s bringing her girlfriend (“Jade”) home for Thanksgiving  
  • No warning, Rated: PG 

Clifford the Big Red Dog (Reboot) (information based on external reports, not viewed by EPPC scholars) 

  • TV Series 
  • Season 1, Episode 12  
  • Features a friend who brings her two “moms” to a party