No gods or gay men but a whole lot of llamas | Film | The Guardian

Contents:

• KIPO AND THE AGE OF WONRBEASTS MAK G OUT AS GAY SIMPLE AND DIRECT
• 'KIPO' SHOWNNERS ON POSIVELY PORTRAYG GAY CHARACTERS HEALTHY RELATNSHIPS
• HOW THE CREATORS OF KIPO WERE ABLE TO MAKE BENSON GAY
• TROYE SIVAN, HAYLEY KIYOKO ARE THE UNABASHEDLY GAY POP STARS WE NEED RIGHT NOW
• NO GODS OR GAY MEN BUT A WHOLE LOT OF LLAMAS

KIPO AND THE AGE OF WONRBEASTS MAK G OUT AS GAY SIMPLE AND DIRECT

From the first season, which premiered January 2020, we learned that ma character Benson was gay after Kipo admted she had a csh on him. After this, Benson says he do like her, but only as a iend, and sually tells her he’s gay.

To actually have a character e the word “gay” is a huge step for kid’s animatn. While some seri have had queer characters, next to none have actually ed terms like gay, lbian, queer, bisexual, pansexual, or non-bary.

'KIPO' SHOWNNERS ON POSIVELY PORTRAYG GAY CHARACTERS HEALTHY RELATNSHIPS

Havg Benson simply tell Kipo he’s gay was a seismic shift animatn and hopefully opens the doors for more queer terms to actually be said dialogue. A non homophobic parent?

Someone who n say they’re gay but also get to have a csh on a boy like him who’s also gay! It’s treated as a regular thg whout any of the rtrictns gay characters have had before. Voltron suggted Shiro was gay, but rather than give fans sight to the past, his love tert, Adam, was killed off-screen.

It ntu a warm terplay where Roberto is supportive of his gay son, while everyone around them, om humans to mut, root for the uple as they see their love as normal.

HOW THE CREATORS OF KIPO WERE ABLE TO MAKE BENSON GAY

And most of all, while queerns don't fe their inti, watchg two gay teens celebratg and enjoyg each other as soulmat whout fallg to stereotyp is a weled sight. Not bee there's anythg wrong wh her, but bee he's gay. Livg the year 2020, really shouldn't be a surprise when a show for children has a character who explicly and simply tells people they are gay, but that is the realy of the world we live right now.

Too many animated children's shows will dance around character sexualy, showg characters love but beg aaid to explicly e the word "gay. " There are shows like Steven Universe, where two female characters get married, but they're technilly agenr space rocks whose genr n be altered foreign dubs, and other shows that heavily imply queer pairgs but leave them jt vague enough to be niable, like The Legend of Korra endg wh two female characters walkg off together hand hand, but for a character to simply say that they are gay is still rare enough to tch me off guard when happens. Gettg to see a young person of lor e out as gay an animated show for kids is an all-too-rare occurrence.

Aga, this shouldn't be a shocker, but you'd be amazed how rare is to see a gay character animated children's media get to actually fall for people along their journey. I jt want to state that was such a breath of h air to hear Benson was gay.

TROYE SIVAN, HAYLEY KIYOKO ARE THE UNABASHEDLY GAY POP STARS WE NEED RIGHT NOW

And not only that but knew he was gay om his troductn to the show, not havg be disvered on screen. It's nice to see some gay reprentatn.

I'm glad we got to see a gay character on screen and not have to go through the whole g out phase. That's what a lot of specifilly gay media tends to be about. I ially me at this thkg that was too small of a step gay reprentatn, but now I realize that is a huge step the right directn.

If Kipo met Benson episo 1, that csh would have e sooner and they would have had to addrs anythg gay. Wh the first Episo beg you're first exposer to the world and story you are tryg to tell, imediately puttg a gay character might turn off the more nsertive viewers.

NO GODS OR GAY MEN BUT A WHOLE LOT OF LLAMAS

I hontly n't thk of a better way to have a gay character a show whout gog through the old gay character trop. 'Kipo' Shownners on Posively Portrayg Gay Characters Healthy Relatnships.