Sometimes it can take us as humans a while to realize things about us or our past. For me, one thing that took a significant amount of time to figure out was my sexuality; now that I know who I am, I have been looking back at the cartoon characters I idolized as a kid. This reflection has made me realize that I never wanted to be any of them, I was just hopelessly in love with them. This seems to be the case for a lot of gay women or women loving women (wlw) out there, so here is my list of characters that helped me realize just how gay I am. I hope you can relate!
- Jasmine from Aladdin
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Jasmine definitely had a hold on a lot of little wlw hearts. She’s the hottest of all the princesses for sure, and she’s got more brains than any man can handle. I mean come on! Who doesn’t love a rebellious woman looking to change her world? Plus that red outfit when she is trying to seduce Jafar? Disney hit the heart of all the baby gays with that scene whether we realized it or not.
- Meg from Hercules
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Meg is one of the characters that inspired me to write this list. The legs? The voice? The hips? The quick wit? Hercules and the little lesbians in the audience never stood a chance. Those hips swinging from side to side as she shows Herc that she doesn’t need a man is just too good and was key in a lot of sexual awakenings. Women with sass and backbones who are really just big softies will get ya every time I swear.
- Shego from Kim Possible
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Liking Shego as a child seems like a rite of passage for women loving women across the country. The tight green outfit, gothic nature, and the flirty spats with Kim? This is a show that I wish was actually gay because it could have helped me and probably a lot of others realize their sexuality a lot sooner. Shego is the gothic mysterious girl we all want but will never get.
- The Hex Girls from Scooby-Doo
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The Hex Girls are another super popular crush among the gays. It almost feels necessary to have a crush on them to even get into the gay girl club. Who doesn’t love a group of gothic witchy vampires in a kickass girl band? Scooby-Doo went really hard with this one, and I think they crushed it. Also, Daphne and Velma definitely should have been a couple. That would have made this show so killer.
- Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
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Esmeralda is a strong, stubborn, and very attractive cartoon character! Thank you Disney! She made this list because, like so many Disney heroines, she was not only independent and stubborn, she also was very understanding and compassionate. I feel like a lot of us looked up to her when we were growing up, and if you are a part of this group, you’re probably gay now.
- Vanessa from Phineas and Ferb
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I will never truly understand my obsession with Vanessa Doofenshmirtz, but I am pretty sure it stems from the fact that I really related to Ferb as a kid. Also, I would marry her just for the “Busted” and “I’m Me” songs alone. She is a gothic badass who just does what she wants and doesn’t take shit from anybody. There might be a pattern emerging here with the gothic girls. I should probably look into that.
- Misty from Pokémon
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Misty from Pokémon was a strong trainer with a sassy attitude who told off all the boys, but at the same time, she was still super sweet and genuine. I have just always loved a nerdy girl who is cute and cheery, so I guess that’s how she made it onto this list. But, honestly what’s not to love about her! She’s great!
- Suki from Avatar: The Last Airbender
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A strong, badass warrior woman with insane makeup skills who could also destroy you whenever she wanted. Need I say more? She’s the lesbian dream.
- Ursula from The Little Mermaid
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You might think Ursula is a weird pick for this list of cartoon characters who made me realize I was gay, but I am convinced Ursula had a big influence on all the baby gays regardless of gender or orientation. She is a shape-shifting sea witch who chooses to be a bodacious octopus and teaches all of us that we should be comfortable in our own skin. She is the over-the-top, sassy, and flamboyant woman we all needed to help us find ourselves. Sure she was a bit manipulative or whatever, but I stand by it.
No matter which characters helped you figure out who you really were or who you wanted to be, here’s to the incredible shows of our childhood and to always embracing our true selves.