‘My Little Pony’ Introduces First Lesbian Characters with Same-Sex Couple

Children’s cartoon My Little Pony is getting into the Pride Month spirit. This Saturday, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic will introduce its first lesbian couple, Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty, two horses who take care of young pony Scootaloo. According to BuzzFeed News, writer and producer Michael Vogel confirmed on Twitter that Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty are indeed a “cute couple,” not sisters or best friends who live together. “I think it’s fantastic that we can show that what truly defines a family is love — that, to me, is the core of My Little Pony,” co-showrunner Nicole Dubuc told BuzzFeed.

Viewers will first meet Auntie Lofty and Aunt Holiday in the next episode of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, titled “The Last Crusade.” The episode will follow Scootaloo, a school-age Pegasus pony, as her long-absent parents meet Lofty and Holiday, her current guardians. According to BuzzFeed, the episode recently aired in Europe, but U.S. viewers will be able to watch “The Last Crusade” this Saturday, June 15 on Discovery Family Channel at 11:30 am ET (the network is also airing a MLP: Friendship Is Magic marathon that morning from 10 am to noon).

Comics Beat reports that the new characters were first featured in a 2017 My Little Pony book, Ponyville Mysteries: Riddle of the Rusty Horseshoe, but this will be their first on-air appearance. Vogel told BuzzFeed that he and Dubuc thought the book “was a great opportunity to organically introduce an LGBTQ couple in the series,” so they “asked Hasbro and they approved it.”

When it came time to plot out the current season of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, which will be the show’s last, Vogel, Dubuc, and co-showrunner Josh Haber returned to the characters of Lofty and Holiday. “With Josh and Nicole running the final season together, it was something we all wanted to do — bring this out couple into the final season and make them ‘officially’ a part of the MLP world,” said Vogel.

“I think it’s fantastic that we can show that what truly defines a family is love — that, to me, is the core of My Little Pony,” Dubuc told BuzzFeed. Haber echoed that sentiment, saying, “Diversity and representation are important for kids for so many reasons, and it’s my first priority on everything I work on.” For Vogel, who is gay, the storyline feels particularly crucial. “My Little Pony has always been about friendship and accepting people (or ponies) that are different from you,” he said. “So it just felt like something important to do.”

My Little Pony is not the only children’s show to introduce a LGBTQ+ character in recent weeks. In May, PBS Kids series Arthur aired an episode that features the same-sex wedding of teacher Mr. Ratburn. Vogel told BuzzFeed that showcasing diversity on programs like Arthur and My Little Pony is essential. “As someone who grew up watching every animated show there was, I like that LGBTQ kids growing up today can see themselves reflected in the shows they are watching,” said Vogel.

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic “The Last Crusade” airs this Saturday, June 15 on Discovery Family Channel.

Where to stream My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic