Children of same-sex parents got some much overdue representation in mainstream animation this weekend, courtesy of the Disney Channel.
The animated children’s series “Doc McStuffins ,” which premiered in 2012, follows 7-year-old Dottie “Doc” McStuffins, who dreams of one day becoming a doctor. In the meantime, she helps her toys and stuffed animals recover from fictional ailments by giving them regular check-ups.
Saturday’s episode of the series stressed the importance of always having a back-up plan in place for unexpected events. Titled “The Emergency Plan ,” the story focused on two mom dolls who were separated from their kids when a toy dragon causes an earthquake.
The episode, which aired Saturday on The Disney Channel and Sunday on Disney Junior, featured two openly queer stars, Wanda Sykes and Portia de Rossi , as the voice of the moms. In a behind-the-scenes interview, Sykes said her 8-year-old twins, Lucas Claude and Olivia Lou, were both fans of the series, which teaches “very valuable lessons” and sent “a great message.”
“With this episode, they see a family that looks like our family,” the 53-year-old actress and comedian said in the interview, which can be viewed above. “We’re two moms... it’s going to be very exciting for [my kids] to see our family represented.”
Disney’s decision to cast Sykes and de Rossi as the two moms in “The Emergency Plan” didn’t go unnoticed by a number of LGBTQ advocacy groups, including GLAAD. In a blog post on GLAAD’s website, President and CEO Sarah Kate Elli s praised “Doc McStuffins” for having portrayed families reared by same-sex couples in “a beautiful and positive way” with the episode.
“Shows like this reflect our real world,” Ellis said , “and today that includes the many children being raised by gay and lesbian parents who are all going to celebrate this story.”
“The Emergency Plan” is the latest in a series of moves Disney has made to incorporate inclusive, pro-LGBTQ themes in its programming. It featured same-sex couples on its shows “Good Luck Charlie ” and “Gravity Falls ” in 2014 and 2016 , respectively.
Earlier this year, the inclusion of an “exclusively gay moment ” featuring the character of LeFou (Josh Gad) in the live-action reboot of “Beauty and the Beast ” made headlines , though critics were at odds over just how “exclusively gay” the scenes really were.
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