LGBT children's programming
Encyclopedia
According to the 2000 US Census, one-third of female partner households and one-fifth of male partner households in America have children. However, resistance to LGBT
representation continues in children's programming.
Early children's programming addressing LGBT-related subject matter includes two episodes of CBS Schoolbreak Special
. "What If I'm Gay?" originally aired on March 31, 1987. The episode told the story of a teenage boy struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. It was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Direction in Children's Programming. The 1993 episode "Other Mothers" featured a boy who was afraid that his friends would think he was gay because he has two mothers. The episode was nominated for five Daytime Emmys, winning for Outstanding Writing in a Children's Special, Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special (Justin Whalin
) and Outstanding Sound Mixing in a Children's Special. In 1986, HBO broadcast The Truth About Alex
, which told the story of a high school athlete who discovers that his best friend Alex is gay.
On June 18, 2002, children's cable network Nickelodeon
ran a program entitled, Nick News Special Edition: My Family Is Different. Produced by Linda Ellerbee's Lucky Duck Productions and hosted by Ellerbee, My Family Is Different featured children of gay and lesbian parents talking with children from households that oppose equal rights for gay and lesbian families.
In 2005, an episode of the children's series Postcards from Buster
in which the animated bunny visits the children of two lesbian
couples, raised controversy and PBS announced it would not distribute the episode.
In September 2007 Dottie's Magic Pockets
became the first available show for children in gay and lesbian families.
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
representation continues in children's programming.
Early children's programming addressing LGBT-related subject matter includes two episodes of CBS Schoolbreak Special
CBS Schoolbreak Special
CBS Schoolbreak Special is an American anthology series for teenagers that aired on CBS from April 1980 to January 1996. The series originally premiered under the title CBS Afternoon Playhouse, and was later changed during the 1984 - 85 season...
. "What If I'm Gay?" originally aired on March 31, 1987. The episode told the story of a teenage boy struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. It was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Direction in Children's Programming. The 1993 episode "Other Mothers" featured a boy who was afraid that his friends would think he was gay because he has two mothers. The episode was nominated for five Daytime Emmys, winning for Outstanding Writing in a Children's Special, Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special (Justin Whalin
Justin Whalin
Justin Garrett Whalin is an American actor best known for his role as Jimmy Olsen in the American television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.-Early life:...
) and Outstanding Sound Mixing in a Children's Special. In 1986, HBO broadcast The Truth About Alex
The Truth About Alex
The Truth About Alex is a 1986 short made-for-television film. Based on the book Counterplay by Ann Snyder, The Truth About Alex tells the story of Alex Prager, a high school student who is inadvertently outed as gay and the difficulty his best friend Brad has in coming to terms with it...
, which told the story of a high school athlete who discovers that his best friend Alex is gay.
On June 18, 2002, children's cable network Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
ran a program entitled, Nick News Special Edition: My Family Is Different. Produced by Linda Ellerbee's Lucky Duck Productions and hosted by Ellerbee, My Family Is Different featured children of gay and lesbian parents talking with children from households that oppose equal rights for gay and lesbian families.
In 2005, an episode of the children's series Postcards from Buster
Postcards from Buster
Postcards from Buster is a children's television series for children aged 6-12, containing both animation and live-action that originally aired on Public Broadcasting Service . It is a spin-off of the Arthur cartoon series. The show stars Arthur's best friend, 8-year-old rabbit Buster Baxter...
in which the animated bunny visits the children of two lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
couples, raised controversy and PBS announced it would not distribute the episode.
In September 2007 Dottie's Magic Pockets
Dottie's Magic Pockets
Dottie's Magic Pockets is a children's show featuring Dottie and her magical friends as they sing, dance, and learn. Dottie's Magic Pockets is the first LGBT children's programming created for gay families, single-parent families, adopted families and traditional families.The Dottie's Magic Pockets...
became the first available show for children in gay and lesbian families.