LGBTQIA+ Representation in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

By: Allison Gant - 

Spoilers! It’s hard to find LGBTQIA+ representation in cartoons, even today. One cartoon that does LGBTQIA+ representation well is She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. The show is full of many ships, but here are some that stand out to me as great LGBTQIA+ representation.

• Adora and Catra- Adora and Catra’s relationship is interesting because they’re friends and rely on each other a lot in the early days. The love between them feels natural and not as forced as some LGBTQIA+ relationships feel in shows. They fight and don’t get along, but all they want is each other.

• Catra and Scorpia- I saw Catra’s and Adora’s instant chemistry and expected to ship them the whole time. Scorpia was introduced and I was immediately torn. She genuinely cares for Catra and would do anything for her. Scorpia is almost too good to Catra. She’s the lesbian princess I want on my side.

• Scorpia and Perfuma- We don’t get to see much of their love story on screen, but they deserved each other. Scorpia was in love with Catra for a long time and it felt like they might get together. They’re a better example of representation than Catra and Scorpia. Scorpia deserved some sweet love with someone who only had eyes for her, and she got that with Perfuma. We see Perfuma go for Bow during Princess Prom. So you think there might be a romance there. Instead, she ends up with Scorpia and gets true happiness.

• George and Lance- I was immediately excited to meet Bow’s dads. I find that TV shows are okay with gay women, but not gay men. When there are gay men, at least one is normally a stereotype. This is not the case for She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. They are just normal characters. If anything, they’re stereotypes of parents.

• Spinnerella and Netossa- They are a wonderful married couple that we didn’t deserve but got anyway. They are perfect for each other. They help each other out and stick by each other no matter what. They stick with the Princess Alliance after every other kingdom leaves. They are so sweet and deserve all the happiness in the world.

• Rogelio and Kyle- Kyle is regularly made fun of, taken advantage of, and beaten up during the show. Rogelio is the only person to show kindness to sweet, innocent Kyle. After the war is over, they get together. The show is very female-centric. I’ll take any male ships I can get.

• Light Hope and Mara- The relationship between Mara and Light Hope is an interesting one. Light Hope is technically an Artificial Intelligence, but she’s female so I count it. It literally goes against her programming to fall in love. She fell for Mara anyway. Mara was the first person to show her humanity and Light Hope saved Mara as a result. They are a sweet couple who defies expectations.

Here’s a list of characters that are on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum as confirmed by showrunner, Noelle Stevenson.

• Bow- Though he ends up with Glimmer in the show, he shows attraction to Sea Hawk. It’s done so well that the attraction doesn’t feel forced at all.

• Glimmer- She shows attraction towards Adora. It’s a great example of a bisexual character. It shows how someone is still bi even while being in a straight passing relationship.

• Sea Hawk- Sea Hawk ends up with Mermista but Stevenson says he dated a character we don’t see a lot of, Falcon. They ended on bad terms and that’s why Falcon hates Sea Hawk.

• Lonnie, Rogelio, and Kyle- These three are always together. They don’t get all the attention. They’re always being ordered around. The whole time they were in a loving polyamorous relationship together. They are there for each other proving love can between more than two people.

• Entrapta- She was said to have had “a lot of boyfriends and girlfriends” by Stevenson in a live stream. She really has a lot of love to give. She always wanted someone to understand her.

Another good example of representation in this show comes in the form of the character Double Trouble. They are the first non-binary character in the show. They are an inspiration for all the kids and adults watching this show that doesn’t feel like they fit into the binary gender boxes. They aren’t overly sexual or underly sexual. They’re just another character, a great one. Stevenson is actually non-binary in real life. They prove that queer voices should be writing queer stories. They are an inspiration to people who feel like they can’t just check the male or female box.

The character Jewelstar is a canon transgender man. He is a good example of trans characters in tv shows. He is a sweet, serious, soft-spoken man. You might think his sisters would overshadow him, but he still manages to stand out. He isn’t a stereotype of masculinity or anything. He’s just a person who’s been through a lot.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is such a good show for any age and any gender. The representation I have been searching for is very much present in this show. If you’re looking for a fun show with LGBTQIA+ themes then definitely go for this one.