Nickelodeon has strongly hinted that everyone’s favourite sea sponge is on the LGBTQI+ spectrum!
A message posted to the Nickelodeon twitter page in celebration of Pride Month grouped SpongeBob SquarePants alongside other recognised LGBTQI characters.
A pic of SpongeBob, Schwoz Schwartz from Henry Danger and Korra from the Avatar spin-off show Legend of Korra are all featured in the post with a rainbow colour background.
The post reads: “Celebrating #Pride with the LGBTQ+ community and their allies this month and every month”.
Celebrating #Pride with the LGBTQ+ community and their allies this month and every month 🌈
(🎨: by @ramzymasri) pic.twitter.com/pENmTaQB0h— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) June 13, 2020
The tweet has created a conversation online around SpongeBob’s sexual identity, with some calling him an “icon.”
asexual spongebob is a queer icon https://t.co/IhqkN4lt5O
— tyler oakley (@tyleroakley) June 13, 2020
SpongeBob has been a gay icon for years! I literally had conversations about this with members of the LGBTQ+ community nearly 20 years ago! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 https://t.co/kZZkZGmzPc
— Brittany Bailey (@BrittBaileyTV) June 13, 2020
Spongebob is gay 🙌🏻🌈
— Roly West (@RolyUnGashaa) June 13, 2020
Although the tweet doesn’t directly confirm SpongeBob’s sexuality, the shows creator, Stephen Hillenburg said in an interview back in 2005 that the iconic cartoon character was asexual.
“We never intended them to be gay,” Hillenburg revealed with regard to SpongeBob and Patrick. “I consider them to be almost asexual.”
Asexuality is, of course, part of the LGBTQI+ umbrella.
