It's an understatement to say Netflix has put in the work when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation on TV. Between shows like Orange is the New Black, Atypical, and Sex Education, they've pushed themselves - and the rest of the industry - to include nuanced storylines for characters we've never seen in television and movies before.
And we at PRIDE couldn't be more grateful!
Unfortunately, not everyone sees it as a positive. Even though GLAAD reports only 10.2% of TV characters in 2019 were LGBTQ+, homophobic people who aren't used to seeing these storylines might feel like they're being flaunted in their faces - or shoved down their throats.
A tweet making that exact point went viral earlier this week. It depicts Spongebob Squarepants (labeled "any new series") with a narrow funnel in his mouth preparing to have Patrick (Netflix) stuff an oversized pumpkin (an "unnecessary" gay character) down his spongey esophagus. "Every damn new series," reads the caption.
The comments underneath the post only got worse. "They Promoting that Sh*t they want society to accept it and start Viewing it as normal as a way of life," one wrote.
The rebuttals quickly began to pour in:
Netflix was not having it. "Sorry you have yet to realize that every gay person is very necessary," they responded to the post.
Their slam dunk of a tweet has nearly half a million likes at the time of this article's publishing.
Tell 'em Netflix!
