The new ‘Rugrats’ reboot will feature a gay parent—because representation matters

First things first: yes, there’s a Rugrats reboot happening. The popular ’90s Nickelodeon cartoon is streaming RIGHT NOW on Paramount+ and it has all your favorite characters from the original series. There’s one difference, however, and it comes in the form of Betty DeVille, better known as the Venus-symbol-loving mom of twins Phil and Lil.

In the reboot, she’s openly gay. According to Natalie Morales, the Parks & Rec actor who voices the character of Betty in the reboot, Betty is now an out and proud woman. How amazing is that?

In an interview with the A.V. Club, Morales confirmed that Betty is an example of “living your life happily and healthily.” Also, the more diversity is represented on television and other forms of media, the better for us all.

There are plenty of kids growing up in LGBTQ+ families who will be able to relate to Betty and her family in the new show.

Betty is going to be gay in the Rugrats Paramount Plus show https://t.co/yx8eAVqmxh https://t.co/tQ5Iwih7YI

— The A.V. Club (@TheAVClub)
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“Betty is a single mom with her own business who has twins and still has time to hand out with her friends and her community, and I think it’s just so great because examples of living your life happily and healthily as an out queer person is just such a beacon for young queer people who may not have examples of that,” she said.

No word on the status of Howard, the twins’ dad, but he seems like the kind of guy who has Betty’s back no matter what, if I remember correctly.

Morales, who came out as queer in 2017, says Betty is the kind of character she would have loved to see on television while growing up. “Even cartoons were hugely influential for me as a kid and if I’d been watching Rugrats and seen Betty casually talking about her ex-girlfriend, I think at least a part of me would have felt like things might be okay in the future.”

The AV Club reports that in the Rugrats reboot, Betty owns a cafe called Betty’s Beans, loves football and cracks jokes about her ex-girlfriends in addition to parenting Phil and Lil.

Bottom line: representation matters. In every way, for everyone, but especially for kids. Acceptance comes from exposure and understanding, and it looks like Rugrats is doing its part.