What We tell Children: Queer Representation in Children's Animation

In this paper, I explore the history of queer representation in mainstream children's media -- both implicit and explicit -- and the historical movements that influenced their structures. Starting with the emergence of the "buddy" genre in the late 1950s and early 1960s, I use this as the basis of implicit queer representation and same-sex desire. I then move onto the contemporary shows like The Legend of Korra and Steven Universe as the movement from implicit to explicit queer representation. I also analyze the representations within contemporary, "out" shows to see if they've moved away from the trappings of implicit representation. By analyzing these moments from the two most progressive animated children's television shows in the last ten years, The Legend of Korra and Steven Universe, I argue that social change, fandom interaction, profitability, and creator intention are the reasons behind this move forward and the current limitations.