Hey Duggee, the children’s TV show, beloved by preschoolers and parents alike, has come under fire for introducing a gender-neutral raccoon.
In the award-winning Cbeebies show, Duggee is a cartoon dog who runs a clubhouse for young animals known as the ‘squirrels’. In each episode, the squirrels earn a badge (and a hug) by learning about something new.
In ‘The Sibling Badge’ episode, one squirrel, Roly, finds out he will be gaining a baby brother or sister, prompting Duggee to teach the squirrels all about siblings.
In a scene to help explain, the squirrels meet various animals and their siblings. After being introduced, via the voiceover, to ‘Arlo and his siblings’ and ‘Lucy and her sibling’, they then meet raccoon, Wren, and ‘their siblings’, prompting accusations of an attempt to introduce non-binary pronouns into the show.
Parents have complained, and it has been called ‘inappropriate’. The BBC denied that the character was ‘non-binary’, A researcher from campaign group Transgender Trend, Shelley Charlesworth, said: ‘Its target audience is still learning to speak and this only confuses…There is no way that a child of three to five can understand non-binary they/them pronouns, and using these neo-pronouns takes no account of child development.’
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