The Season 5 finale of Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe has been praised by fans for its incredible trans subtext.
The show, whose creator Rebecca Sugar came out as non-binary in July, has won plaudits for exploring gender and showing a lesbian proposal—and wedding—last season.
In its latest episode, “Change Your Mind,” the cartoon creates a wonderful trans story, featuring main character Steven struggling to convince his biological family, Blue, Yellow and White Diamond, that he is a boy.
After winning over Blue and Yellow, who stop calling him by his mum’s name—Pink Diamond—and start calling him Steven, he takes on White, who still believes he’s actually his mum pretending to be a 14-year-old boy.