The popular children’s television show Peppa Pig has recently introduced its first same-sex couple.
The show aired an episode entitled “Families” in which Penny the polar bear and her two “mummies” are introduced.
This is the first time in the show’s 18-year run that a family in which the parents are LGBTQ+ have been included in the cast.
During the episode, Penny announces: “‘I live with my mummy and my other mummy. One mummy is a doctor and one mummy cooks spaghetti,” before viewers are shown a trio sitting down to a family meal.
The occasion is a win for the LGBTQ+ community and follows years of campaigning for the programme to exhibit a more diverse selection of families.
A petition was started nearly two years ago which has gone on to garner over 24 000 signatures from individuals around the world, reports The Guardian.
“Despite there being six series and over 250 episodes produced so far, none of the families feature same-sex parents,” said Beth G and Lacey K, the creators of the petition.
While the children’s show has been labelled a “global phenomenon,” it has also received its fair share of criticism with many pointing out that it reinforces gender stereotypes.
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Picture: Channel 5/PA