"Arthur" Character Mr. Ratburn Comes Out As Gay & Gets Married
Who'd have thunk that Marc Brown's beloved Aardvark Arthur would be among the more progressive cartoons ever made? The longstanding series, which is currently enjoying its twenty-second season on PBS, has been making waves across social media over a recent episode.
Those familiar with Arthur and its vast and varied cast likely recognizes the professorial Mr. Ratburn, who ultimately became a fan-favorite, and surprisingly layered character. As it happens, Mr. Ratburn is officially a married man, having gotten hitched to a man (or whatever animal he may be - an aardvark, perhaps?) by the name of Patrick.
The episode titled “Mr. Ratburn & the Special Someone” featured a gay wedding between Ratburn and Patrick, though it should be noted that the same-sex nature of the ceremony was never overtly acknowledged. Many took to social media to celebrate the fictitious union, dubbing Mr. Ratburn as a bonafide "gay icon." Clearly, Arthur remains on-the-ball where social issues are concerned, and it will be curious to see whether they continue to pursue the avenue of gay rights in subsequent episodes.
DMT.NEWS
via DMT.NEWS, Mitch Findlay, Khareem Sudlow
