At least 41% of Netflix’s G-rated series and 41% of its TV-Y7-rated series include LGBT content, including trans-identifying characters and same-sex couples, according to a new study.
A new report, LGBTQ Messages Across Children’s Programs on Netflix, summarizes references to LGBT-related messages and stories across 326 Netflix programs aimed at children.
The study, released by Concerned Women for America, a Washington-based conservative Christian advocacy group, analyzed licensed and original programming on streaming platforms with ratings such as TV-G, TV-Y, and TV-Y7.
“Netflix’s anti-kid, anti-family agenda has finally been exposed. Its children’s programming is permeated by adult preoccupations with sexuality and gender identity,” CWA President and CEO Penny Nance said in a statement shared with The Christian Post.
“Our new report makes clear that children’s programming is not exempt from identity politics. This is a significant departure from its historical role. We knew that Netflix aired this type of programming, but our research quantified how much children’s programming was subverted by LBGTQ messages and themes,” the CWA president continued. “This is a shocking number, but most parents don’t realize it.”
Following Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Nance argued that families need to be made aware of what she called the platform’s potentially “irresponsible approach to content moderation for children.”
“The government should take it up as part of the conversation about this merger,” she argued. “An independent external council should be established to represent the interests of parents and review the program’s ratings.”
Netflix did not immediately respond to The Christian Post’s request for comment on this report.
The study characterized LGBT representation in categories such as “explicit” (explicitly identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or non-binary), “implicit” (non-main characters or “queer-coded” characters), and “meta” (gay family members or reality TV participants).
Across all age categories, 33% of youth-related Netflix series included LGBT themes, storylines, or characters. 41% of G-rated series contained LGBT content, but only 4% fell into the implied category. According to the report, LGBT content in G-rated series is “almost evenly split” between explicit content (18%) and meta content (19%).
Regarding TV-Y7 programming, the study reported that the majority of LGBT content was explicit (24%). The researchers found that TV-Y programming had the lowest percentage of LGBT content, although 21% of programs aimed at young children featured such messages.
For example, the children’s show Strawberry Shortcake: Berry of Big City features a trans-identifying character named Banoffee and a non-binary character named Raisin Cane.
Another children’s show, “The Magic School Bus: The Magic School Bus Rides Again,” features characters that include two mothers and a “transcoded” chameleon named Liz.
In addition to inserting LGBT content into children’s programming, Netflix has introduced transgender or same-sex characters in reboots of old shows such as “The Baby-Sitters Club.” A modern version of the series, based on Scholastic’s novel, premiered on Netflix in 2020 and featured a storyline about a boy named Bailey who identifies as a girl.
In the fourth episode of the series, the boy’s babysitter Mary Ann tells viewers that she has noticed that Bailey is “a little girl and her new clothes will help people see that.”
Mary Ann then tells a friend whose father is gay about Bailey, who compares being transgender to being right-handed or left-handed. My friend Dawn explains that it’s “strange” to try to get a right-handed person to do things with his left hand.
“That’s how Bayley feels. Just like you know you’re right-handed, Bayley knows she’s a girl. … We all want our outward appearance to match our inner self,” Dawn says.
Although Netflix canceled the series after two seasons, the rebooted version of “The Baby-Sitters Club” was targeted at tweens and young adults.
“The hundreds of thousands of mothers, daughters, and grandmothers I represent believe that conversations about sex and sexuality are sensitive, personal, and unique for each family and child,” Nance said of CWA’s latest report.
“These conversations should only occur when parents deem it necessary and developmentally appropriate. No parent should be forced to have a conversation with their child about adult sexual orientation or gender identity because of a cartoon,” she stressed.
Originally published by Christian Post
