Steven Universe – Queer Sci Fi

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TV: Steven Universe back With Anti-Racism Message

October 29, 2020 by scott

Steven Universe may have left our screens but Garnet’s still on hand to remind kids about flexibility, love and trust. Cartoon Network enlisted Rebecca Sugar’s most authoritative Crystal Gem for a series of children’s anti-racism PSAs broadcast online and on TV. The first short, titled “Don’t Deny It, Defy It,” debuted Tuesday on the new website Crystal Gems Speak Up, which also offers links to social justice organisations and additional resources. The video shows two boys playing happily in a playground. In a casual nod to LGBT+ representation, one says to the other: “Hey, when we’re older let’s get married!” … Read more

TV: Steven Universe Creator Was Told Non-Binary Romance Could Have Ended Show

August 12, 2020 by scott

Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar has revealed that Cartoon Network bosses tried to meddle in the show’s famously-queer dynamic. Queerness is at the absolute core of the acclaimed cartoon series, which has won fans young and old alike for its pitch-perfect depiction of love between non-binary crystal gems Ruby and Sapphire, who together fuse to form Garnet. Steven Universe, which ran from 2013 to 2019, has set the standard for LGBT+ representation in kids’ entertainment, with many subsequent shows finding a newfound freedom to depict queer relationships and gender diversity on screen. But in an interview with Paper Magazine, Sugar … Read more

Steven Universe Character is Intersex, Non-Binary

July 1, 2019 by scott

Fans of the Cartoon Network show Steven Universe already know that it’s one of the queerest kids’ cartoon series ever. But it’s getting even queerer now that its creators have revealed that a major character, Stevonnie, is both intersex and non-binary. In a recent public service announcement (PSA) on Cartoon Network’s Instagram, Stevonnie flips through their own Instagram while discussing positivity and negativity on social media. Near the beginning of the PSA, Stevonnie’s Instagram profile says, “I am an experience. Intersex, non-binary, they/them.” The text is on the screen so briefly that if you blink, you’ll miss it. But this … Read more

Steven Universe Creator – “I’m Non-Binary”

July 20, 2018 by scott

Rebecca Sugar, creator of cartoon series Steven Universe, has come out as non-binary. Speaking to NPR’s 1A, Sugar revealed the main characters in the series – called Gems – are all non-binary women. She then said: ‘And I am also a non-binary woman.’ Sugar said it’s ‘been really great to express myself through these characters because it’s very much how I have felt throughout my life.’ The 31-year-old also identifies as bisexual and is the first woman to solely create a Cartoon Network show. By James Besanville – Full Story at Gay Star News

TV: Lesbian Proposal on Steven Universe

July 5, 2018 by scott

Cartoon Network show Steven Universe has featured a lesbian proposal. The popular American animated cartoon series has repeatedly earned praise for its portrayal of queer characters, with gem characters Ruby and Sapphire portrayed as a couple. The show’s groundbreaking depiction of a queer relationship in a cartoon has won praise from fans young and old alike – even as the show has faced repeated censorship around the world over its LGBTQ content. Ruby and Sapphire took another major step last night in Season 5 episode “The Question”. The show’s story arc had seen the pair – who often merge to … Read more

TV: Drag Race Meets Steven Universe

January 9, 2018 by scott

RuPaul’s Drag Race star Jinkx Monsoon has made her official debut in Steven Universe. The genderfluid drag queen and theatre star is the voice of the villainous Emerald. Monsoon, who is the first male-bodied star to play a ‘gem’ on the kids TV show, made their debut in the episode Lars of the Stars on 5 January. Steven Universe is the story of a boy that helps protect the universe with his gem powers alongside his three female sister/mother role models and superheroes Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. The vast majority of the show’s powerful figures are female-presenting. When it was … Read more

ENTERTAINMENT: Steven Universe – the Perfect Cartoon for Adults

May 23, 2017 by scott

Television wasn’t a big part of my life growing up, since my parents refused to shell out for cable on principle. Now that I’m an adult, I feel like I’m making up for lost time in watching what is ostensibly kids’ programming. Like millions of others, my current TV-Y7 obsession is Steven Universe. Created by Adventure Time’s Rebecca Sugar, Steven Universe tells the story of a magical young boy whose adventures with three ageless, shape-shifting space rocks will decide the fate of the planet. It’s got all the absurdity I crave to take my mind off my own problems, but … Read more

Lesbian Steven Universe Artist Hounded Off Social Media

August 26, 2016 by scott

A gay storyboard artist for the children’s TV show Steven Universe has deleted her Twitter after being harassed by fans. Lauren Zuke, an openly gay staffer on the show, posted a drawing of two characters Lapis and Peridot on her Tumblr. Fans were angry Zuke was showing support for shipping the two characters, instead the more popular pairing of Peridot and Amethyst. They accused Zuke of ‘queer-baiting’ them with a same-sex relationship on the show, according to the Daily Dot. This in despite Steven Universe having a confirmed lesbian couple by the creators and regularly explores LGBT themes and diversity. … Read more

Creator of Steven Universe Comes Out as Bi

July 23, 2016 by scott

Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar just gave an amazing speech when coming out as bisexual at Comic-Con in San Diego. To eventual rapturous applause, Sugar came out after a question from a fan on why Steven Universe touches on LGBT+ issues so often. Sugar comes out, simply saying: “Well, in large part it’s based on my experience as a bisexual woman,” but then she goes on to say a whole lot more. Discussing the importance of speaking to kids about LGBT+ issues, Sugar says not seeing oneself reflected in the stories we are told “changes who you are”. She ends … Read more