For the first time in the children’s show's 18 years of existence, Penny the Polar Bear and her two ‘mummies’ have made an ‘appearance’ on the popular show.
In an episode that aired Tuesday on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, Penny the Polar Bear tells the main character Peppa Pig that she has “two mummies” and draws a picture of herself holding hands with them.
“I'm Penny Polar Bear. I live with my mommy and my other mommy. One mommy is a doctor, and one mommy cooks spaghetti. I love spaghetti,” Penny says in the short clip.
Over 17,000 people have signed a petition calling on the children’s television show Peppa Pig to introduce a family with same-sex parents, according to the Gay Times.
The petition, started by Beth G and Lacey K, says: “Despite there being six series and over 250 episodes produced so far, none of the families feature same-sex parents.
Well what do you know? My kids saw the first same-sex couple on Peppa Pig and the world didn’t end. Penny Polar Bear said she lives with her ‘mummy and her other mummy’ and the four horsemen of the apocalypse didn’t came storming over the horizon to bring humanity to a close. pic.twitter.com/dtcHMDXJt5
— Simon Harris - #LovelyBitOfSquirrel (@simonharris_mbd) September 7, 2022
The cartoon show, which centres around a 4-year-old piglet and her family, has been translated into 40 languages and broadcast in over 180 countries and territories, including the US, according to its production company, Entertainment One.
It’s been called a “global phenomenon,” though it has also faced some criticism for reinforcing gender stereotypes by showcasing a nuclear family structure with a dad who works and a stay-at-home mom.
IOL