Peppa Pig has introduced its first ever same-sex couple – and we could not be more thrilled.
In a nearly-aired episode, titled Families, Peppa chats to Penny Polar Bear, who casually mentions she has two mums.
While drawing a portrait of her family, Penny explains: “I live with my mummy and my other mummy. One mummy is a doctor and one mummy cooks spaghetti.” What a combo.
While there’s been a few infuriatingly predictable responses online (sighs), we’d instead like to focus on the jolly reactions from parents and education groups.
Because as many have pointed out, little children really do not bat an eyelid when presented with LGBTQ+ relationships.
To them, they’re just another family to befriend.
The Channel 5 show’s new characters come after an online petition calling for a same-sex family on Peppa Pig gained more than 23,000 supporters.
“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,” the petition said.
“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 has also been accused of reinforcing gender stereotypes in the past, so it’s welcome news that producers are having a rethink.
The news comes in the same week that Thomas the Tank Engine has announced it’s introducing its first autistic character, voiced by nine-year-old autistic actor Elliott Garcia from Reading. His character will start appearing in episodes later this month.
What a great time for kids’ TV!