PBS made the public aware of two surprising reveals this week.
First, it’s popular children’s cartoon ‘Arthur’ is not only still being produced, it is in its twenty-second season.
That news alone is shocking enough, but the long-running program produced some additional low-key shockwaves by marrying off one it’s regular characters – Mr. Ratburn. To a man (manimal?).
Mr. Ratburn is Arthur’s teacher and the episode in question begins with a case of mistaken identity when Arthur and friends think thing beloved teacher is set to marry a horrid female character (voiced by the great Jane Lynch). They eventually come to find out that Mr. Ratburn is gay and marrying a male.
CBS reports that while this isn’t the first time gay characters have been featured on the show this is definitely the first gay wedding.
It’s not the first time the children’s show has included LGBTQ storylines although the last one occurred in 2005, TV Line reports. In the episode “Postcards from Buster,” Arthur’s best friend met children with two moms while on a trip to Vermont.
The word “lesbian” was not used in the episode, nor was the word “gay” used in the episode about Mr. Ratburn. However, the show received praise for teaching children that men can marry men and women can marry women.
Twitter reactions were mixed, but more than anything people were just shocked the show is still on after all these years.
Arthur's Mr Ratburn is gay and he got married in the season 22 premiere https://t.co/9DMKqyEkko lol this show is still going on #Arthur
— straight edge (@wrestli97244026) May 14, 2019
Just like everyone else I honestly had no idea that the show Arthur was still going on. That aside, kudos for another kid show not hiding away from a same-sex relationship! The teacher Mr. Ratburn gets married!https://t.co/9IR6Le4xRo
— NitsuaGamer (@NitsuaGamer) May 14, 2019
The only thing bigger than Mr. Ratburn being gay is the fact that Arthur is still going???!!!!!
— Olivia (@olivia_sjolund) May 14, 2019
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