#and Sadie has like no Black features despite literally being mixed

[sentient-stove]

reading the graphic novel adaptations of heroes of olympus is just one long game of ‘whose goddamn white baby is that’ when it comes to any of the characters that aren’t explicitly white

[whatwashernameagain]

My fangirling about female representation, ethnic diversity and relationship models in Steven Universe

The knowledge that children will watch this show and learn that it is okay to be gay, autistic, polyamorous or a proud big, butch, non-binary or black girl is marvelous to me. I’m sure this has been done before, but I want to share my love for this progress in storytelling with my fellow famders (because I have to tell someone.right.now.)

Steven Universe, (created by the non-binary angel Rebecca Sugar) in short, features the (actually genderless) aliens called ‘the crystal gems’, who are almost exclusively considered female and raise a boy that represents the opposite of toxic masculinity.

Steven:

He embodies healing, nurturing, protection, acceptance and friendship - all usually female traits, and relentlessly tries to befriend villains and mosters alike. Wonderfully, he is allowed to make silly mistakes and learns that he is still loved.

Pearl:

She is the epitome of a caring and nurturing female that sacrifice themselves for their charges, portrayed with grace and beauty. At the same time, the struggle of this sacrifice and threatened loss of self are shown. Pearl comes from a background where she is taught servility and prettiness (as women have been for centuries), yet she has learned to re-invent herself and became a master-swordfighter. She’s also a lesbian in canon.

Amethyst:

She’s a bombshell. A loud, small, roundish troublemaker with issues and a dirty, immature humor. She suffers from anxiety over expectations of physical standards she cannot live up to, since amethysts are expected to be a certain way she cannot achieve. An example for the damage of impossible beauty standards.

Ruby and Sapphire:

An example for a relationship that grew over time with work and effort and is based on mutual respect and love of the things that make their partner different. Additionally, while they are not only a mixed-race lesbian couple, they come from different classes of society. Their union represents the way a healthy relationship can create something greater than the sum of its parts. 

Garnet:

A kick-ass, huge woman of color who loves herself and loved being herself. A counterpoint to the lesson we have been taught for too long: to be humble and unobtrusive. My favorite character of the show. She’s the result of the fusion of Ruby and Sapphire and combines all of their awesome lesbian love vibes. No one would ever dare to make this black goddess feel like she’s anything less than amazing, as no black girl should.

Click for more enthusiastic rambling.

Connie:

Steven’s best friend. Their friendship is the purest thing, based on communication and mutual consideration. She’s the nerd. Smart, bookish, hard-working - and a fierce fighter who does not let anyone stand before her, despite the fact that she has no powers. As she was intruduced, she was just another girl in a dress. Her arc shows what girls can accomplish when they demand entrance to circles usually closed to them.

Stevonnie:

One of the most liberal and creative uses of gender I’ve seen. They are the fusion of Steven and Connie. At no point in the show is there any conflict about the fact that a boy and a girl have fused to create something new - with a femaleish form. This non-binary person is considered something especially wonderful, perphaps because they embody characteristics of both. they are even refered to as them in the show by Pearl. (notice how Connie dips Steven? Awesome)

Smoky Quartz:

The fusion of Amethyst and Steven. A chubby, black person with self-esteem issues handled with a lot of good-natured humour. Wonderfully, their weight is never the issue for even a moment, because they are awesome and we need more big angels being cute and beautiful! They’ve also been referred to with they/them pronouns.

Peridot:

This tiny nerd has overcome a lot of prejudice and has had to learn to co-exist peacefully with her new friends. Due to what I would interpret as autistic tendencies, she has trouble reading emotion and reacting accordinly. Technology is easier for her to handle, which is therefor used by Steven to bridge the distance between them. She now lives in a cute and domestic lesbian platonic partnership with Lapis where they grow crops and create art with their ‘dog’ pumpkin.

Lapis:

She is the victim of abuse in different ways. After being locked away for a long time, she closes herself off or lashes out and requires patience and understanding to heal, thus representing the violence women often suffer from. Unfortunately, she soon gets entangled with Jasper, ending up in another abusive relationship as victims of violence often do.

Jasper:

The abuser. Female violence is a topic not often portrayed, yet one that definitely exists. She represses and uses Lapis (who binds her as well) and yet becomes a victim of their relationship herself, since toxic relationships hurt both parties. The damage done to her by her obsession with Lapis, and by extension her desperate need to be in a partnership, is represented by a corruption that eats her up.

Bismuth:

Isn’t she wonderful? Flat-chested, rainbow-haired, broad-shouldered alpha bitch with a loud and brash humor that you cannot help but love. This lady is a perfect example for the way women are allowed to be butch in this show and still be unquestionably beautiful. With her occupation as a blacksmith and her violent anger when hurt, she pushes relentlessly into traditionally male characteristics in storytelling.

Fluorite:

“How many gems are you now?”

Fluorite: “Six. Or more, if we find the right gem.”

This gentle rainbow giant is another example of the way fusion represents relationships - a polyamprous one in this case. As in our society, they are cast out and misunderstood for being different, but kids will simply see it as normal and that is awesome!

Rose:

The mother. Though she has been a bad-ass war criminal before, feared and hunted and a brave and inspiring leader, she has sacrificed everything once she became a mother. Portrayed as a traditionally nurturing female form with round, fertile lines and pale rose colors, she represents the mothering aspect of femininity. The fact that she is twice the size as her partner Greg and can easily pick him up once again shows that being feminine doesn’t make her weak. She shows the self-negating and sacrificing tendency many women display for their family in a very drastic way, since she literally disappears as Steven is born and becomes a part of him.

This is where I’ll stop this already too long post, even though I could say lots more about the insecurity Lars experiences because of toxic expectations of masculinity, the modesty of Sadie that makes her allow others to walk all over her, or the appreciating way the show deals with Greg, who is arguably a bad provider but still a loving father. I just adore the caring and supportive tone of this show so much and I hope everyone will give it a chance.

Love you all