“Peppa Pig,” the hit cartoon show aimed at preschoolers, has introduced its first same-sex parent family in its 18-year history.
The landmark moment arrived during an episode entitled “Families,” which aired on Channel 5 in the UK on Tuesday.
In the short scene, Peppa’s classmate Penny Polar Bear talks about her two mommies and what makes each special.
While drawing a picture of her family — two polar bears in dresses — Penny says: “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.”
The episode divided viewers. While many welcomed the inclusion, some did not support the introduction of the same-sex couple.
British safeguarding organization Safe Schools Alliance tweeted: “Really nice to see age appropriate representation of same sex couples on @peppapig with Penny & her two mummies.”
Another viewer tweeted: “That’s the end of the Peppa Pig phenomenon. What a shame. Education, not indoctrination.”
Broadcast in 180 countries and translated into 40 languages, “Peppa Pig” has become a global phenomenon since it burst, oinking, onto screens in 2004. The franchise has toys, clothing lines and even its own tourist attraction: Peppa Pig World.
CNN has contacted Entertainment One, the Canadian production company behind the show, for further comment.
In 2019, campaigners launched a petition calling on the writers of “Peppa Pig” to include a same-sex parent family, to make it more inclusive for all children.
The petition, which attracted more than 23,000 signatures, stated: “Children watching Peppa Pig are at an impressionable age, and excluding same-sex families will teach them that only families with either a single parent or two parents of different sexes are normal.
“This means that children of same-sex parents may feel alienated by Peppa Pig, and that other children may be more likely to bully them, simply through ignorance.
“Peppa Pig is not just for entertainment, children are inevitably learning from it too.”
The-CNN-Wire
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