Thread:Gilgameshkun/@comment-16329837-20151030003151/@comment-995426-20151030014441

If I knew how, I might have tried long ago.

But also, today, I realize it's not as simple as that. Even if the answer is yes, there may be complex business reasons they wouldn't be able to confirm it. If they make an admission, it's certain to be reported in the LGBT news media and in the right-wing news media, and SPLC-designated hate groups like One Million Moms would call for a boycott, and lots of parents would forbid their kids from watching the shows and wouldn't buy them any more of the toys, and Nickelodeon and Playmates would feel a small decline in their profits. Basically, lots of news media attention and economic consequences that Nick may not want to invite so publicly.

In hindsight, there's a reason the creators of The Legend of Korra waited until after the last episode had aired on Nickelodeon before making their announcement about Korra and Asami. At first I'd thought it was Nick being friendlier to gay people. But then, those creators announced they were cutting all ties with Nick, even after making Nick two really successful TV series. Now it seems more likely Nick was embarrassed by the revelation and that the show's creators had snuck it past their radar for some time. I honestly don't think Nick themselves have a huge problem with gay people, but they are afraid of losing money and audiences from regional markets where this kind of admission would not go down so well.

All these considerations make the question feel too heavy to ask them directly, and makes me feel so small as just one person. It's really, really depressing, especially considering the openly gay characters in both Mirage TMNT (E'ro'chk) and IDW TMNT (Lindsey Baker, Jillian Amante), and Lindsey is a wonderfully boring, ordinary lesbian. (She's more interesting for being a human living with the Mutanimals.) Just when I think we're past all the BS...we realize we still have to go through some of it a bit longer.