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Gay Families Need Representation Too, Says Arthur Creator Marc Brown
"Kids need to see what's happening in the world," the creator, author, and illustrator of the iconic kids series said.
Iconic PBS animated series Arthur broke the internet last week the when Lakewood Elementary School teacher Mr. Ratburn effectively came out as gay when he got married to another man!
\u201cMR RATBURN IS GAY HELLO !! HE GOT MARRIED !!\u201d— REMADE @WEREWOLFNOIR (@REMADE @WEREWOLFNOIR) 1557762221
Series creator Marc Brown was proud to use his show for this representation and was delighted when the moment started "blowing up Twitter."
"I started reading the comments and it just made me feel great that we did something that was so helpful to so many people," Brown told CBC News.
The episode was a teaching moment, Brown says, and a vital one since "gay families aren't represented on TV."
"The more we talked about it, the more we saw it as an opportunity for a learning experience and this great way to represent another part of life that so seldom gets portrayed on television."
Brown says that fostering progressive conversations between kids and their parents is one of television's most important jobs.
"Art reflects life. Life reflects art. And I think that kids need to see what's happening in the world. I would hate to live in a world that was sanitized and censored."
Watch the clip below.
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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!
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!
