The petition, started on Care 2 Petitions, comes after US TV show Arthur aired its first ever same-sex marriage.
The petition reads: ‘Despite there being six series and over 250 episodes produced so far, none of the families feature same-sex parents.
‘Children watching Peppa Pig are at an impressionable age, and excluding same-sex families will teach them that only families with either a single parent or two parents of different sexes are normal.
‘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, children are inevitably learning from it too.’
The children’s show follows the life of Peppa Pig and her brother George. It follows their mishaps and adventures through the world. It is one of the most popular young children’s television shows in the UK and across the world.
There are a few shows already with LGBTI families and characters, though none aged at the very young age demographic of Peppa Pig. In 2016, Nickelodeon made network history with their first-ever portrayal of a same-sex male couple on their animated series The Loud House. The show has also revealed that Lincoln's sister, Luna, and her crush, Sam, are bi-sexual. The series' positive portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters has earned it two GLAAD Media Awards nominations.
The network also featured a younger unmarried female same-sex couple in the 2014 conclusion of its hit animated action series The Legend of Korra, which ended with Korra and Asami, two of the shows female characters, embarking on a romantic relationship, with fans endearingly calling the couple 'Korrasami'. Korra and Asami's relationship continues in comic book sequels to the series, including the upcoming Ruins of the Empire.
Further back in the '90s, Nickelodeon's iconic animated series Hey Arnold!, one of Arnold's teachers, Mr. Simmons, was gay. Craig Bartlett, the creator of Hey Arnold!, has also hinted that Arnold's friend, Eugene Horowitz, was also gay.
Most recently, Nickelodeon's revived Double Dare featured it's first family with two dads. A major milestone.
These representations are big deal considering that Nickelodeon has millions of viewers around the world, and the network's TV shows and movies featuring LGBTQ+ characters is an important step forward for mainstream visibility and acceptance of same-sex couples among younger viewers.
Shows like Steven Universe also have openly queer characters, whereas Star vs. the Forces of Evil has gender non-conforming characters.
Peppa Pig airs on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels globally.
More Nick: Peppa Pig's Puddle Jumping World Record Attempt Raises Funds for Save the Children UK!
Original source: Gay Star News.
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