‘Steven Universe’ Major Character Revealed To Be Intersex And Non-Binary

Fans of “Steven Universe” have always been proud of how the Cartoon Network animated series has challenged gender norms. Now the show’s creators have taken things to a whole new level and confirmed that one of the major characters identifies as both intersex and non-binary.

Cartoon Network recently shared a public service announcement about social media and self-esteem featuring the major “Steven Universe” character Stevonnie. In the video, which was posted on the network’s YouTube and social media pages, fan-favorite Stevonnie talks about the pros and cons of social media as they show viewers their Instagram account.

Stevonnie’s Instagram bio clearly says “I am an experience.” It also indicates that the character identifies as intersex and non-binary and that their preferred pronouns are they/them. In “Steven Universe,” Stevonnie is a “fusion” of the main character Steven Universe and his good friend Connie Maheswaran.

With the reveal about Stevonnie’s identity, the history-making cartoon series has introduced one of the first intersex and non-binary child cartoon characters on television.

The Intersex Society of North America defines intersex as a person born with biological characteristics that don’t fit the conventional definitions of “male” or “female.” For instance, a person might have been born with external genitals that appear to be male but have mostly female reproductive anatomy on the inside.

According to the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), non-binary refers to those who don’t fit neatly into society’s categories of “male” or “female” and those who “don’t identify with any gender.”

The award-winning Cartoon Network show has been widely praised for its deft representation of openly LGBTQIA+ characters. But it has also been repeatedly censored around the world for its depiction of same-sex relationships.

In 2016, “Steven Universe” creator Rebecca Sugar, who came out as non-binary in 2018, explained why she was putting LGBTQIA+ characters in a children’s cartoon series.

“You can’t wait until kids have grown up to let them know that queer people exist,” Sugar said, as per Pink News. “There’s this idea that that is something that should only be discussed with adults — that is completely wrong. If you wait to tell queer youth that it matters how they feel or that they are even a person, then it’s going to be too late!”