Cartoon Network, an American TV channel which launched in 1992, and Adult Swim, its adult-oriented nighttime programming block which launched in 2001, has regularly featured lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) characters in its programming.
In the 2010s, Cartoon Network featured multiple cartoons whose main characters expressed their identity and were featured in LGBT-focused storylines. These characters include Garnet, Pearl, and Princess Bubblegum. The network hosted shows which were said to be "strong champions for LGBT representation," such as Adventure Time and Steven Universe. This representation was difficult to achieve, as Rebecca Sugar, the creator of Steven Universe, was told by executives that the inclusion of a central queer romance could have ended her show. At the time the iconic wedding episode of Steven Universe was first drafted, gay marriage was not yet legal in most of the United States.
The role of Cartoon Network shows in LGBTQ representation continued in the 2020s, with the airing of Steven Universe Future on the network and Adventure Time: Distant Lands streaming on HBO Max, along with characters in DC Super Hero Girls. Other shows with LGBTQ characters were OK K.O.!: Let's Be Heroes and Craig of the Creek. In December 2020, Amy Friedman, head of programming for Cartoon Network and HBO Max Kids & Family, stated that they are looking "at ourselves across the inclusion and equity spectrum," including the LGBTQ+ community, to evaluate projects in production, development, and post-greenlighting.
Comparison to other networks
Some reviewers argue that, when Disney and Cartoon Network are compared, it is "easy to see who actually cares about LGBT representation," noting that for shows on Cartoon Network, "LGBT characters aren't centered around their sexuality."
For instance, the Disney Channel has struggled with LGBTQ representation in their animated series, and their content has often included LGBT stereotypes, one example being queer-coded characters in Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Mulan. However, the animated series The Owl House is a recent series by Disney that is a positive example of the company incorporating LGBTQ+ representation into their shows. The series, which ran from 2020 to 2023, concerns protagonist Luz Noceda, a 14-year-old Dominican-American girl who made history as Disney's first openly bisexual protagonist.
1990s
In the 1990s, queer coded characters appeared in various Cartoon Network series, such as Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Mission Hill, episodes of Dexter's Laboratory and Cow and Chicken.
Space Ghost Coast to Coast, which aired on Cartoon Network (1994-1999; 2001); Adult Swim (2001-2004), and GameTap (2006-2008), included a gay character. On December 25, 1994, Lokar, a locust alien and member of the Council of Doom, was introduced in the Space Ghost Coast to Coast Christmas special A Space Ghost Christmas. Supplementary material for the series had Lokar referred to himself as a Confirmed bachelor while an article on the official Cartoon Network website featured a reference to a slang word for gay sex. His sexuality was confirmed in audio commentaries for the Space Ghost Coast to Coast Volume 2 DVD and it was revealed that Lokar died at some point during the series. However this was eventually contradicted when Lokar returned in Season 11 in where he is shown to be alive and well.
On May 18, 1996, Silver Spooner, the sidekick to Barbequor, appeared in an episode of Dexter's Laboratory titled "Dial M for Monkey: Barbequor". Both characters are parodies of Silver Surfer and Galactus, with the episode banned. While some said this was because Silver Spooner was a stereotype of gay men, with complaints to that effect after it aired, others said it had more to do with copyright infringement as the estate of Jack Kirby threatened to sue Cartoon Network over the parody character. The episode was, in later broadcasts, and on its Season 1 DVD (Region 1), replaced with "Dexter's Lab: A Story", an episode from season two.
The now-banned Cow and Chicken episode "Buffalo Gals" aired on June 27, 1998. It only aired once, as frequent complaints prevented future airings. Complaints were made about its overt innuendos, frequent double entendres, and lesbian stereotypes. It no longer airs on television and has been replaced in future reruns with "Orthodontic Police."
Mission Hill aired on The WB from 1999 to 2000 and Adult Swim in 2002. It featured Gus Duncz and Wally Langford, a gay elderly couple in their late 60s. As a result the series won an award from GLAAD for this representation, with some arguing that the series was "prematurely axed".