Beloved children’s cartoon “Peppa Pig” is adding two LGBTQ characters to its cast of adorable animals.
The show, which has aired since 2004 in over 180 countries, stated that Peppa’s friend Penny Polar Bear has two mothers during a new episode that aired in the U.K. on Tuesday.
The polar bears’ appearance marks the first time that a same-sex couple has appeared in Peppa Pig’s community of Peppatown, BBC reported.
Penny Polar Bear drew a portrait of her family in the episode and explained how she lives with a mother who is a doctor along with another who “cooks spaghetti.”
The new characters come two years after a petition with over 23,900 signatures called for a family with same-sex parents to be included in the show.
“Peppa Pig” joins a number of other children’s programs and films that have included same-sex couples in recent years.
“Arthur,” the former PBS show that ended its 25-season run earlier this year, featured a same-sex couple in 2005 and a same-sex marriage in 2019. Both episodes were pulled from the air in Alabama, Al.com reported.
Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear,” a 2022 movie about “Toy Story” character Buzz Lightyear, included a kiss between two female characters that reportedly was not shown in multiple countries.
Some Twitter users weren’t happy with the new “Peppa Pig” characters, but others celebrated the inclusion of an LGBTQ couple in a hit children’s show.
You can read reactions to Penny’s parents below.