I had the unpleasant honor of listening to a religious fanatic indignantly recount how in a Peppa Pig cartoon, there was mention of Dad 1 and Dad 2. The individual was foaming at the mouth, trying to prove to me that homosexuals are trying to corrupt our children from a young age and that it is his and the church’s duty to fight against such things happening. I take attacks on vulnerable groups personally.
Barely keeping my composure, I responded: Cartoons and films reflect the society we live in. LGBT members are part of this community. It’s not right for all children in this community to grow up only seeing cartoons with princes and princesses in a world where they don’t see themselves represented. Generations have grown up without understanding what was happening to them. They couldn’t talk to their parents, family, teachers, psychologists, friends, or anyone. The inability of these children to find themselves in the stories that are part of the harmonious development of all children has devastating consequences on their psyche and adult life. The price that society as a whole pays is enormous.
On the other hand, generations have grown up without being told that there is another normality, or worse, they were told that LGBT members are the incarnation of the devil. These cartoons don’t just help LGBT children; they play a crucial role in healing society from homophobia.
He looked at me long and hard, and I could almost hear the two neurons clashing forcefully as they struggled to process the perspective I had offered. He had no compassion for the poor children, but it seemed he understood the devastating effect and serious consequences on society of not including LGBT children in the universe of stories—consequences that we would all have to bear.
