(The Lion)–More than 40% of Netflix programming rated for children contains LGBT themes or characters, according to a new report raising concerns about the role of entertainment companies in shaping children’s values.
The analysis, conducted by Concerned Women for America, examined 326 Netflix television series rated TV-G, TV-Y or TV-Y7. Researchers found 41% of both G-rated and TV-Y7-rated series included LGBT content.
The report categorized content as explicit, implied or meta. Explicit content included characters clearly identified as gay, lesbian, transgender or nonbinary. Meta content included depictions of same-sex households or family structures presented as normal background elements. Implied content included non-primary or coded characters.
LGBT themes were most common in shows aimed at older children, the report found. Nearly one-quarter of TV-Y7 programs included explicit LGBT content. Even programming rated TV-Y, often marketed as educational, included such themes in more than one-fifth of shows.
Researchers also found LGBT representation increased sharply after 2021, when 42% of children’s programming introduced on Netflix contained LGBT themes. By 2023, over 60% of newly released children’s shows on the platform included such content.
The report argues the trend reflects intentional choices by content creators.
“Content creators view children’s programming as a tool for cultural transformation, not merely a reflection of existing norms,” the report said.
Public comments from television executives support this conclusion. Most notably, Disney Television Animation executive producer Latoya Raveneau previously described her work as advancing a “not-at-all-secret gay agenda” in children’s storytelling, according to the report.
Concerned Women for America also noted a correlation between media trends and rising LGBT identification among young people. While less than 10% of the overall population identifies as LGBT, the percentage among Gen Z rose from roughly 11% in 2017 to more than 20% in 2023, it said.
The report observed the increase in identification “mirror[ed] the surge in LGBTQ content in children’s media – particularly on Netflix – that came online during Gen Z’s formative years.”
Researchers said they cannot definitively establish causation. However, they argued media exposure plays a role in shaping children’s worldview.
“Children are highly mimetic creatures. What they repeatedly encounter becomes normalized, then internalized,” the report said.
Examples of children’s programming cited in the analysis included Ridley Jones, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, The Baby-Sitters Club, Anne with an E and CoComelon Lane, including shows aimed at preschool audiences.
The findings raise questions about parental authority and transparency in children’s media, especially as streaming platforms operate with minimal content warnings for families seeking programming that fits their values.
