PBS cartoon ‘Arthur’ has teacher Mr Ratburn comes out as gay, children attend wedding
In case the normalization of gay marriage was not complete, PBS debuted the 22nd season of Arthur with a gay marriage, outing one of the teachers on the show.
During this episode, titled “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone,” shows Arthur, the titular eight-year-old aardvark, attends his teacher’s wedding, along with friends and other teachers, where they anticipate Mr. Ratburn’s marriage to Patty, a female rat.
At first they are surprise when Patty is revealed to be his sister, before their teacher walks down the aisle with his groom.
Arthur exclaims, “Mr. Ratburn is married. I still can’t believe it.” Francine responds, “Yep. It’s a brand new world.”
Following that, Mr. Ratburn and his betrothed are shown doing campy dance moves on the floor, with Fran adding that that’s something teachers “should never do.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, the network said: “PBS KIDS programs are designed to reflect the diversity of communities across the nation. We believe it is important to represent the wide array of adults in the lives of children who look to PBS KIDS every day.”
According to a report from The Sun, British comedian Jack Whitehall was named to play the openly gay role.
“This is a huge gig for Jack and has landed him his biggest ever pay cheque,” the source told the outlet. “But, more excitingly, he is playing a gay man – one who is hugely effete, very camp and very funny. It’s a dream role. Disney’s always been incredibly supportive of the LGBTQ community. This latest script, set at a time when it wasn’t socially acceptable to be gay, is another significant turning point.”
Arthur the longest-running animated series for children in the USA.
In 2005, the show retracted an episode involving lesbian mothers following a backlash.
To respectfully make your views known to the creators of “Arthur”, please contact:
Jonathan Abbott
President and CEO, WGBH
One Guest Street
Boston, MA 02135
E-mail: Arthur
Audience and Member Services Phone: 617-300-3300
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