Steven Universe: Race and Sexuality

Steven Universe is a children's cartoon that centers on a family of three intergalactic aliens (Gems) Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, and their half human-half gem son, Steven. In a particular episode, "The Answer," we are able to see a metaphor for relationships across the racial and socioeconomic lines.

In the episode we are introduced to the first fusion of Garnet, one of the main gems. Garnet is a fusion between sapphire and ruby (which is the literal embodiment of a romantic relationship between the two.) Fusion is the process in which two gems become one as a way of combining their power and experiencing a new mode of being. In the episode we can see that sapphire has elevated status, and ruby is her guard, therefore has a lower status. In terms of race, ruby would be African American, and sapphire white. These assumptions could made because of their features, as ruby seems to have a traditionally black hairstyle, Afro, and sapphire has white characteristics. But, garnet, their fusion, strongly depicts the characteristics of a black woman.

 

Although the gems are agender, they are all given female attributes, therefore along with the race lines there is also the factor of sexuality. The article, “Steven Universe, Fusion Magic, and the Queer Cartoon Carnivalesque” by  Eli Dunn says, “It is Fusion that pushes the magic of the fantasy cartoon to its most useful for queer representation in Steven Universe, as Fusion serves as the prism through which the show addresses agender desire and genderqueer representations.” When the two gems fused for the first time the gems of the colony reacted negatively. "They've never seen fusion of two different types of gems." The other gems referred to the fusion as, "unbelievable," "disgusting," and "unheard of." This compares to both interracial and same-sex relationships. Interracial relationships have taken place in America since colonial times, but couples in such romances have faced continuous problems. There was a couple who was hauled from their house and thrown into jail for several days, all for getting married. They were an interracial couple. Similarly, same sex couples continue to go through similar circumstances. In regards to the gems, Ruby was going to be broken for having fused with Sapphire.

Gloria Anzaldua states, "most cultures have burned and beaten their homosexuals and others who deviate from the sexual common. The queer are the mirror reflecting the heterosexual tribe's fear: being different, being other and therefore lesser..." This could be seen as what occurred to the gems, however, Rose Quartz, leader of the rebellion, and Steven's mother said to Garnet after she expressed confusion, "No More questions. Don't ever question this. You already are the answer." The answer was, love.