(In 2005, the founder of the social conservative group Focus on the Family objected to an educational video produced by a non-profit in which SpongeBob appears dancing to the Sister Sledge song “We are Family.”) Many right-wing Christians certainly did. If you grew up watching the show or you’re familiar with its main character (his penchant for dressing in drag, his affection for his surly neighbour, Squidward, and his campy demeanour in general) you’re probably familiar with this long-held suspicion - or perhaps you held it yourself. The statement was immediately interpreted as solid proof of what many fans of the show have long suspected: that SpongeBob, the plucky sponge of Bikini Bottom is gay. Cohen, bisexual cartoon character Avatar Korra, and a rainbow-tinged SpongeBob: “Celebrating Pride Month with the LGBTQ+ community and their allies this month and every month.” On the weekend, Nickelodeon tweeted the following statement alongside photos of actor Michael D.
However, this incredible news was overshadowed (in my corner of social media, anyway) by another recent landmark announcement involving the LGBTQ community: apparently SpongeBob SquarePants, the protagonist of the Nickelodeon show of the same name, is a card-carrying member of said community. In a landmark decision Monday, the United States Supreme Court ruled that gay and transgender employees are protected under federal civil rights law from discrimination at work.
