The SpongeBob SquarePants Is Gay Controversy Explaed (& Why It's Dumb)

Contents:

• NICKELOON JT ANNOUNCED THAT SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS IS GAY
• SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS IS GAY! NICKELOON (FALLY) CONFIRMS HIS LGBTQ STAT FOR PRI
• SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS GAY? NICKELOON JT RERCED THAT THEORY
• IS SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS GAY? HERE'S WHAT CHARACTER CREATOR STEPHEN HILLENBURG HAD TO SAY
• IS SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS GAY? EVERY TIME THE SHOW SUGGTED HE IS
• THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS IS GAY CONTROVERSY EXPLAED (& WHY IT'S DUMB)

NICKELOON JT ANNOUNCED THAT SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS IS GAY

) Patrick both wh limp wrists, forhadowg this revelatn by reprentatn children's media remas srce, largely due to phback om studs and parents who equate visible gay, lbian, bisexual or trans characters wh the "sexualizatn" of children. Jt last month, Pixar released a short film on Disney+ featurg a gay protagonist; Out followed his journey to e out to his parents and troduce them to his boyiend. And later this year, Marvel Studs will but the first openly gay superhero the MCU — and his hband.

Given the fandom’s long-held belief that SpongeBob intified as gay, ’s the least Nickeloon uld do for this beloved kids show, and social media reactns did not disappot.

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS IS GAY! NICKELOON (FALLY) CONFIRMS HIS LGBTQ STAT FOR PRI

Fans quickly reacted sharg stills om the show and celebratg SpongeBob’s om SheKnowsGrey's Anatomy Fan-Favore Chyler Leigh Com Out Heartfelt LetterCoolhs Founr Natasha Case Spills Her Kid-Snack Hack & It Involv Eel, Not Ice CreamThe Trans Moms Hate Mother's Day -- Here's WhyNot surprised about #SpongebobIsGay sce has always kda jt been the way I have seen SB, but that do not stop me om beg DELIRIOUSLY happy about SB reprentg lgbtq+ culture ❤️?️‍?— ℍ???? ???? (@EmmaHso) June 14, 2020Other fans of the show have taken issue wh this, however, potg out that SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg had intified the character as asexual years ago. Further, sce SpongeBob is not explicly lled gay, fans are left wonrg whether the tweet was fact a misguid alln to his asexualy, which is not referenced the LGBTQ Nickeloon would undoubtedly have ma a stronger statement by, well, makg an actual statement, this is still a big step forward for reprentatn kids’ TV, which has long led LGBTQ characters and relatnships too “adult” for s ntent, spe their fort cludg adult heterosexual relatnships.

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS GAY? NICKELOON JT RERCED THAT THEORY

5% feel unsafe at kids had jt as many beloved gay rtoon characters as those they assume to be straight, how many LGBTQ kids might feel better accepted and unrstood? The cln of the rtoon sponge igned a social media nversatn surroundg SpongeBob’s sexual inty, wh some folks clarg him “a gay in. “We never tend them to be gay, ” Hillenburg said of SpongeBob and Patrick 2005, per People.

” (FYI someone n be both gay and asexual, as such inti are not mutually exclive. #SpongeBobIsGay started trendg as many cid the tweet was nfirmatn of the character’s sexualy.

IS SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS GAY? HERE'S WHAT CHARACTER CREATOR STEPHEN HILLENBURG HAD TO SAY

Due part to his close relatnship wh bt iend Patrick Star, the ter had long ago cid that SpongeBob was ed gay. “We never tend them to be gay.

Is SpongeBob SquarePants gay? " In fact, a Ukraian webse lled Fay Unr the Protectn of the Holy Virg said the spongy character promot homosexualy.

Of urse, this didn't prove anythg as the work or the creator of the character didn't e forward and say anythg about SpongeBob's sexual orientatn, but many took to social media assertg that their spicns that SpongeBob was gay. Turns out that don't matter what the work tend bee many saw the character beg an ally of the LGBTQIA+ muny as a nfirmatn that he is gay – they took the tweet by Nickeloon as SpongeBob g out.

IS SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS GAY? EVERY TIME THE SHOW SUGGTED HE IS

The work's tweet read, "Celebratg #Pri wh the LGBTQ+ muny and their alli this month and every month, " which promptly saw the hashtag #SpongeBobIsGay trendg. Intertgly enough back 2005, Hillenburg spoke about SpongeBob sayg that he didn't tend for Patrick and SpongeBob to be gay. ” So if we're gog by his statement, then well, the sponge isn't gay, he's asexual.

THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS IS GAY CONTROVERSY EXPLAED (& WHY IT'S DUMB)

The artwork by Ramzy Masri, which showed all three characters cloaked rabows, had the ter speculatg — and var forms of “SpongeBob is gay” was already nfirmed by the “Legend of Korra” creators to have end the seri a relatnship wh female iend Asami. Is SpongeBob gay?

After all, this isn’t the first time fans have speculated about SpongeBob, the square-panted hero who me up wh a rabowger:Nickeloon outright nied SpongeBob was gay 2002. ”Hillenburg doubled down on those ments to Rters 2005, sayg: “We never tend them to be gay. ”Unls Nickeloon is gog back on seri creator Hillenburg’s statements, SpongeBob isn’t gay.

While Nickeloon’s post had some perhaps erroneoly spreadg the word that SpongeBob was “nfirmed” to be gay, others were celebratg him as the asexual in he already is:You May Like.