Steven Universe has been hailed as one of the most inclusive, queer-friendly shows of all time.
In fact, in last week's episode, two same-sex protagonists got engaged. The episode is the first time a same-sex proposal has been seen on a mainstream children's show.
But that's not all the exciting news for Steven Universe fans. The show's creator, Rebecca Sugar, just came out as non-binary. They revealed their identity is partly what contributes to the non-binary identity of the show's protagonists, but it was the show itself that allowed Sugar to become more open in discussing their own identity publicly.
In a recent interview with NPR's 1A, Sugar said,
"One of the things that's really important to me about the show is that the Gems are all non-binary women. They're very specific and they're coming from a world where they don't really have the frame of reference. They're coded female which is very important. I was really excited because I felt like I had not seen this. To make a show about a young boy who was looking up to these female-coded characters--they appear to be female, but they're a little more representative of nonbinary women.
They wouldn't think of themselves as women, but they're fine with being interpreted that way amongst humans. And I am also a non-binary woman which is been really great to express myself through these characters because it's very much how I have felt throughout my life."
