Penny Polar Bear is very excited to share about her parents. For the first time in its nearly two-decade-long run, Peppa Pig has included a same-sex couple. The moment comes during the episode entitled “Families,” which aired on Britain’s Channel 5 on Sept. 6. The short scene happens when Peppa’s classmate, Penny Polar Bear, discusses her family during the school day.
“I’m Penny Polar Bear,” she says, as she draws a photo of her two mothers in dresses. “I live with my mommy and my other mommy. One mommy is a doctor and one mommy cooks spaghetti. I love spaghetti.”
The inclusive storyline has been a long time coming: In 2019, a petition called for the show to feature same-sex couples, so children “at an impressionable age” can be educated on them.
“Excluding same-sex families will teach [children] that only families with either a single parent or two parents of different sexes are normal,” the petition noted at the time. “This means that children of same-sex parents may feel alienated by Peppa Pig, and that other children may be more likely to bully them, simply through ignorance.”
“Peppa Pig is not just for entertainment,” petitioners added, “Children are inevitably learning from it too.” Peppa Pig isn’t the first animated series to recently include same-sex couples. Arthur featured a gay wedding in 2019 when cake-loving teacher Mr. Ratburn got married to his longtime partner.
The episode, titled “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone,” shows Arthur and his friends trying to figure out who the teacher is engaged to. The mystery is solved when the students see him walking down the aisle with his future husband, with Francine ultimately noticing that the event signals “a brand-new world.” (ENews)
