Steven Universe Challenges Heteronormativity Through Character Relationships

Heteronormativity is not commonly addressed in mainstream media, but when the topic is formally introduced, it is easy to recognize just how much society is structured upon heteronormative values as well as how it frequents our daily life. Because of this, any media, persons, or movements which disregards heteronormative standards are often treated as anomalies. The cartoon titled "Steven Universe" features 14 year-old Steven and his three magical guardians, all of whom work together to defend the Universe.

Steven is a gem-human hybrid placed in the care of three gem aliens Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl; altogether calling themselves the Crystal Gems.

I will argue that the children's cartoon show "Steven Universe" challenges heteronormative ideas about sexuality through the different family, relationship, and gender structures of various characters as well as their intersecting identities affecting how they interact and impact one another; all of which work towards normalizing relationships and identities that differ from the norm and as a result, serve as a positive and inclusive representation for youths.

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Most of Western society is built upon patriarchal ideologies. This is and has long been reflected in the types of families that are normalized in media. These are often nuclear, patriarchal families with a strong father figure in charge of the household and a soft, careful mother. Steven Universe fully strays from the traditional family through what Steven considers to be his family. Steven lives with and is raised by his late mother's three gem disciples; Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst. These female identifying gems are the central parental figure in Steven's life, teaching him many skills and shaping him into the character he is.

As Steven grows in this matriarchal environment he adopts feminine qualities which contribute to his overall empathetic nature.

Steven is best defined as a boy who thinks with his heart. He goes out of his way on a daily basis to ensure that his family, the gems, are happy. He doesn't hesitate to share his emotions with his peers and on multiple occasions has shown the utmost trust in characters who might not have had the cleanest records. The article "What is Heteronormativity and How Does It Apply to Your Everyday Feminism?" states that "The system of heteronormativity informs what we expect from men and what we expect from women - and we perpetuate that system when we police those behaviors accordingly" (Nelson).

The minute we learn of someone's gender we formulate a bunch of qualities and characteristics expected of said person just because they are male or female. Because this is what we believe is normal, males who might have feminine attributes or females who have masculine attributes are considered abnormal. Steven's sensitive nature would be considered unnatural by heteronormative standards, but he is never ridiculed for his feelings, and is instead encouraged and rewarded by his family and friends to express himself.

The show also defies patriarchal gender roles through subtler ways, such as each of the Crystal Gem's weapons and battle tactics. Stevens magical powers seem to have an overall maternal theme, especially compared to the more aggressive weaponry used by his female companions. As a result, the binary way of thinking that all men are strong and aloof and all women are weak and nurturing is eliminated.

Steven Universe's inclusion of intersectionality also has them deviating from heteronormativity through gender, race, and sexuality. All gem characters in Steven Universe are inherently sexless, as they derive from gems which are inanimate objects. According to the article titled "(De)Subjugated knowledges: An Introduction to Transgender Studies.", transgender studies includes anything that deviates from what we believe are normal in regards to biology, gender as well as how one presents themselves in society in correspondence to their assigned sex and how they are non-conforming to heteronormativity. (Stryker, 3).

Home world gems (gems from their home planet who have not been introduced to Earth) do not have a gender binary nor concepts of gender. Despite this, all of the gems introduced in the series have identified and as female and have occupied female body types (with the exception being Steven, as he is half-gem half- human). Another character who challenges gender norms is Stevonnie, who is a fusion between Steven and his human friend Connie Maheswaran. A writer confirmed that Stevonnie identifies as gender neutral, and uses they/them pronouns, which defies the binary way of thinking regarding genders through depicting a character who identifies as neither female nor male.

The cartoon is also inclusive of many races. Connie Maheswaran, one of the central characters, is South Asian, and many minor characters featured regularly range in ethnicities. Regarding gems as races, the show also portrayed the first time two different gems formed a fusion. When Ruby and Sapphire fused into Garnet, they were met with negativity and were even sentenced to execution through destroying their gems. The casting behind the show is incredibly diverse as well, with Steven's voice actor being the only Caucasian person.

This cartoon also portrays a loving and committed relationship between two characters who are identified as female in a positive light. Ruby and Sapphire's relationship represents communication and trust in such a way that allows them to fuse into one of the strongest characters in the show. In the episode Keystone Motel, Ruby and Sapphire are shown to be arguing. This upsets Steven, which leads to the two reconciling. In the climax, they exchange flirtatious dialogue and even shows Ruby kissing Sapphires face and neck. This short cut defies heteronormativity by not only portraying the deep and loving bond between Ruby and Sapphire, but portraying it in a way that normalizes such behavior between same genders in the eyes of the audience.

Representation is vital for people of all ages, but even more so for young people in their pre-teens to teens as they are in the stages of forming their identity and perceptions of themselves. "Steven Universe and the Importance of All-Ages Representation" states that not only are children positively encouraged when they see themselves positively depicted in media, they are also negatively impacted through lack thereof (Mey).

Through the abundance and variations of intersecting identities through gender, race, sexuality, etc portrayed in Steven Universe, children who do vary from the heteronormative standards placed upon them are given characters who they can relate to and validate their identities in a society that considers them abnormal. Likewise, it also affects how they are treated by their classmates and friends, as representation like Steven Universe will normalize non-heteronormative identities and relationships to all children.

Steven Universe also challenges the heteronormative ideals placed upon society to look a certain way to be considered attractive. Steven at first glance would be thought to represent the fat person trope, where shows include an overweight person solely for comedic value. Humor is often derived from their weight and the troubles they face because of it. With Steven, however, his weight is never used as a means of comedy or something to make fun of. His physical appearance has never equated to his downfall. "The Body Beautiful", written by Rosalind Coward, talks about how Western media defines the beauty of the female body by how slim they are.

Women are constantly fed heteronormative ideals to be thin and feminine (Coward, 345). In Steven Universe gems have the ability to assume any form they please. This means that the physical shape they take is the form that they themselves choose to be in. Heteronormative ideals of women's body would translate to these gems all having uniformly tall, thin, and feminine features, however this is not the case. All characters in Steven Universe are incredibly diverse in their body shapes.

Pearl, for example, is long, thin, and graceful, while her team mate Amethyst is short, chubby, and rambunctious. Neither characters are put down or used as a source of cheap humor but are individuals who are comfortable in their physical appearances regardless of how others may look. This positive portrayal affects women and their constructions of reality by realizing that their bodies are beautiful even though they might or might not conform to heteronormative standards of beauty, and as a result embracing themselves and increasing their self confidence.

The various themes in Steven Universe not only challenge heteronormativity, gender, and sexuality, but these topics are incredibly vital and are placed at the forefront of the show in a way that is impossible for viewers to disregard. Rightfully one of the most forward children's shows, Steven Universe includes subverts dominant family structures and gender roles, portrays sexuality, gender, and race in ways that differ from the norm, and serves as a great source of representation for people of all ages; all of which results in a phenomenal cartoon which deviates from almost all aspects of heteronormativity.