![]() ![]() The gay wedding episode of Arthur was met with mostly cheers. It went on to air two more seasons, in 20.”įourteen years later we seem to be a little more evolved. The show took a longer-than-normal break between seasons, and returned in 2006 for a significantly shorter second season funded by PBS and a smattering of other media and LGBTQ foundations. PBS did not pursue Education Department funding for the second season of Postcards, and the Congress-controlled Corporation for Public Broadcasting pulled out as a sponsor, as did other corporate sponsors. As a result, PBS did not send out the episode for affiliate stations to air (though the Boston-based member station WGBH, which produced Postcards, offered to send it to “ any station willing to defy the Education Department“). Department of Education grant, and Margaret Spellings, then the secretary of education, sent PBS a letter airing her ‘very serious concerns.'” Many parents ‘would not want their young children exposed to the life-styles portrayed in this episode,’ she wrote, despite the fact that the president of PBS had signed off on the episode after the network consulted with Education Department officials. ![]() As the Atlantic reported, in 2005, the Arthur spin-off Postcards From Buster featured a pair of lesbian moms in Vermont, where same-sex civil unions were legal at the time. “ Postcards From Buster was produced with help from a U.S. ![]() That’s because it receives government dollars, so any controversy can (and usually does) pose a threat to funding. Ironically, public TV has typically lagged in representation when it comes to LGTBQ characters. The Atlantic recently tried to track them down, and found seven kids’ shows with queer characters or storylines: Adventure Time, Steven Universe, The Legend of Korra, Gravity Falls, Clarence, and The Loud House. Ratburn’s dorky dance moves at the reception.Īccording to a report released by GLAAD earlier this year, the representation of LGBTQ characters on daytime children’s television “ continues to grow in leaps and bounds,” though the report does not provide exact numbers. Ratburn is marrying a man-they are just happy he’s marrying someone nice. The kids are relieved, and show no sign of being confused or even surprised by the fact that Mr. Ratburn’s sister, and his actual betrothed is a kind man who owns a chocolate shop. The inclusive twist comes when the kids’ find out the female rat is actually Mr. Ratburn bickering with a female rat over details of the big day, the kids become concerned that their sweet-natured teacher is marrying a bully, and they set out to try and stop it. On the season premiere of Arthur, the beloved animated kids’ show on PBS about a lovable anthropomorphic aardvark, everyone is excited about the upcoming wedding of Mr. ![]()
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