In April of this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initiated a call for an inquiry into the television ratings system, aimed at assessing whether “content related to gender identity” was being appropriately flagged for parental awareness. While the language of this inquiry was broad, the official statement clarified that the regulatory body is not concerned with the “TV-G” ratings of classic reruns like Father Knows Best, but rather with programs featuring transgender and gender non-binary characters that are currently deemed appropriate for children. Supporters of this oversight have pointed to shows such as Disney Jr.’s Firebuds—a cartoon featuring talking vehicles alongside a nonbinary human character—as grounds for concern, suggesting that the public inquiry implies such programming might be inherently unsuitable.
The Benefits of Expanded Gender Representation
Led by Brendan Carr, the FCC appears to be extending a long-standing pattern within the Trump administration of targeting gender-expansive communities, a strategy that has included fearmongering regarding trans people in public spaces and restrictions on gender-affirming care. The agency’s announcement vaguely questions whether gender identity themes should be explicitly labeled and if their mere mention warrants stricter parental ratings. However, research suggests that while providing parents with information about the inclusion of diverse gender identities is not inherently problematic, the actual impact of such media is frequently the opposite of what critics fear. Studies consistently reveal a myriad of benefits associated with consuming media that reflects the lives of gender-expansive individuals.
Layered television representations that expose children to diverse perspectives and experiences offer significant opportunities for transformative education and community building. Conversely, continuing to rely on a narrow, binary framework to define how children understand gender, sex, and sexuality poses real risks. A 2019 article published in the journal Communication, Culture & Critique concluded that media acts as a discourse that both reflects and creates reality. For children actively forming their own identities, seeing a broad array of experiences on screen can be vital to discovering and affirming their sense of self.
Programs such as Steven Universe—one of the shows targeted by those supporting the FCC inquiry for its inclusion of queer characters—have been utilized in classrooms to teach essential social and emotional skills. The animated series, which follows a young boy named Steven and his adventures with intergalactic beings known as the Crystal Gems, has been lauded by researchers for disrupting gender norms, addressing mental health, and providing expansive representation of queer relationships. These depictions have been shown to improve decision-making and interpersonal skills. This sentiment is echoed by young viewers, with one teenager noting to Teen Vogue that observing flawed characters who love one another despite their imperfections provides lasting lessons.
Conversely, when depictions of trans, queer, or nonbinary people are either absent or rely on stereotypes, researchers have found that it provides license for hegemonically inclined parents to suppress gender-deviant behaviors in their children. Queer children who lack parental support are statistically more likely to suffer from depression and endure higher levels of parental abuse. The 2019 study on gender-diverse representation highlights that narrow television depictions limit the understanding of what it means to be transgender or gender-diverse (TGD). Narratives focusing solely on binary, white, upper-middle-class, and heterosexual characters may exacerbate existing health risks, including the fact that one in three TGD individuals experiences assault during their primary school years.
Going Deeper Than Representation
Beyond personal identity, media can improve attitudes toward others. A 2021 study showed that participants' views toward transgender people and those living outside the binary improved significantly after watching a 1992 Star Trek: Next Generation episode titled “The Outcast,” which features a protagonist forming a romantic bond with a character from a genderless society. Researchers concluded that such interventions, by increasing familiarity and empathy, could contribute to a decrease in discrimination and violence. It is important to note, however, that the researchers did not find that changed attitudes guaranteed a shift in behavior or a commitment to supporting civil rights for trans people.
Visibility alone does not move the needle and, if representations are not varied and accurate, can lead to increased public scrutiny that makes life more difficult for marginalized groups. This phenomenon is observed in the stereotypical representation of Black children, which contributes to “adultification,” resulting in less care and greater discipline in schools. Racist and sexist tropes have long been staples of children’s television without triggering strict parental ratings. While Warner Brothers eventually ceased production of new Looney Tunes episodes featuring the character Pepe Le Pew due to concerns about his behavior, older episodes remain widely available and rated as appropriate for children.
Shows created by members of the communities they represent are more likely to deliver authentic content. A 2024 study found that series with Native writers or directors were rated more favorably by audiences. Disney and Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, featuring a Black protagonist named Lunella Lafayette, has received praise for its treatment of diverse characters, though it has not been immune to external pressures regarding parental choice. Regardless of the skepticism from some quarters, there is little evidence that children are harmed by holistic, layered representations of gender diversity. If anything, such media opens doors to conversations that are often avoided at home. With male characters still vastly outnumbering female ones in children’s media, according to the Geena Davis Media Institute, the focus on trans characters seems misplaced. Ultimately, parents and educators stand to benefit from more expansive representations of gender, race, and class, as these stories provide a necessary counterbalance to the historical dominance of white patriarchal narratives in children’s television.
