Can you feel the love tonight? The LGBTQ+ cartoon characters who are an inspiration

There is so much amazing LGBTQ+ representation in animated shows these days, giving a whole new generation of young, queer kids the much-needed representation and visibility they need! However, this wasn’t always the case as classic cartoons in the 90s were filled with speculation because there were no openly gay characters. Here are 10 cartoon characters that fans have either guessed are gay or have come out of the animated closet...

‘Scooby-Doo’ came to an end in 2013 but it was in 2020 when co-creator Tony Cervone confirmed that Velma Dinkley was intended to be a lesbian. He said: "Velma in Mystery Incorporated is not bi. She’s gay, we always planned on Velma acting a little off and out of character while she was dating Shaggy because that relationship was wrong for her and she had unspoken difficulty with the why. “I don’t think Marcie and Velma had time to act on their feelings during the main timeline, but post-reset, they are a couple."

The DC comics antihero was introduced as The Joker’s lover but fans suspected she was keeping a secret in the closet. However, it was her growing friendship with Poison Ivy that led Quinn to be described as bisexual. What’s more, an animated opening to ‘Birds of Prey’ casually confirmed that she is actually bisexual.

The psychotic Chihuahua and dimwitted cat raised a few eyebrows with their suspected gay lifestyle as they shared a bed together on the cartoon show. Although they were not all that affectionate towards each other, creator John Kricfalusi remained coy about their relationship. He said: “I don’t know whether they’re gay or not. That’s their own business.”

‘The Little Mermaid’ villainess has long been a part of the LGBTQ+ community since the movie was released in 1989. Her features and personality were inspired by drag queen Divine, instantly making Ursula a gay icon. What’s more, the sea witch has also become the most body-positive Disney character for flaunting her curves confidently.

The ‘Frozen’ queen caused speculation when she became the first Disney female character to not end the film with a man by her side. However, many queer people resonated with Elsa through her struggle with self-acceptance and their own experiences growing up. It led to the #GiveElsaAGirlfriend campaign on Twitter, that aimed for Disney to create the first LGBTQ+ couple.

‘The Simpsons’ star represents the stereotypical closeted gay man as there have been many double entendres about his sexuality throughout the show’s run. During season 27 in 2016, an episode called ‘The Burns Cage’ saw Smithers finally announce he is gay to his boss Mr Burns. However, Mr Burns rejects his love and the other characters of Springfield attempt to find a boyfriend for Smithers.

The ‘Recess’ star has been suspected of being a lesbian due to her tough tomboyish style. She became the feminist icon for refusing to settle with the group of mean girls known as The Ashleys, so she shed her first name and went by Spinelli. Her fearlessness has since inspired a number of gay kids to accept themselves despite what society says.

‘Rick and Morty’ co-creator Justin Roiland confirmed that the alcoholic scientist is pansexual. He stated: “Rick is pansexual.” This was made clear during the episode ‘Auto Erotic Assimilation’ when Rick connects with an ex-lover who is a collective hive mind of assimilated individuals from the planet they occupy.

During Pride month in 2020, Nickelodeon tweeted a series of rainbow-colored portraits of the network's LGBTQ+ characters that included our favorite little yellow sponge, officially confirming he is gay. The tweet read: “Celebrating #Pride with the LGBTQ+ community and their allies this month and every month Rainbow.” Although the tweet received backlash from upset parents, SpongeBob’s LGBTQ+ fanbase was thrilled by the news.

Gay marriage wasn’t legal in all 50 United States for another 20 years after Timon and Pumbaa made their big-screen debut in ‘The Lion King’ in 1994. Nathan Lane - who voiced Timon in the film - said the two pals could now “live openly” as a gay couple. He said: “Now that gay rights have come so far, in this version Timon can finally marry Pumbaa and live openly in the Serengeti. Believe me, once you’ve had warthog, you never go back.”