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Comedy

Netflix Claps Back at Troll Criticizing Gay Characters in the Best Way

Why do homophobes even bother?

Taylor Henderson

Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!

Read Full Bio

Taylor Henderson

cornbreadsays

May 07 2020 12:33 PM EST

May 31 2023 3:07 PM EST

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.

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— Sunchild \ud83c\udf3a (@Sunchild \ud83c\udf3a) 1588679659

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:

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— pauline (@pauline) 1588712726

\u201c@AdamSB___ so straight characters are normal but gay characters are unnecessary? the whole point of representation is to normalize it because being gay is normal and so it isn't unnecessary, its important and is no less "necessary" than straight characters\u201d
— chelsea! \u263b (@chelsea! \u263b) 1588697342