It may have taken decades of LGBTQ+ advocacy and shifting social tides for same-sex marriage to become legalized throughout the U.S., but Bikini Bottom has always been at the forefront of gay rights — no Macklemore songs necessary.
Back in 2007, roughly eight years before the Supreme Court ruling Obergefell v. Hodges federally legalized gay marriage, fans were given a glimpse at a historical document hinting that the aquatic residents of Bikini Bottom have always been “rollin’ with the LGBT,” as Squidward Tentacles expert CupcakKe once put it, allowing queer folks to tie the knot for hundreds of years prior to SpongeBob SquarePants’ existence.
In Season Four’s “Rule of Dumb,” Patrick Star is visited by an official from the “Royal Ministry,” informing him that he’s not just SpongeBob’s rock-dwelling bestie, he’s also royalty, according to a “centuries” old family tree.
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“It starts with the marriage of King Amoeba and Queen Midew,” the royal official began, before working his way down the scroll to Patrick. But as one eagle-eyed fan noticed on Reddit, not all couples featured on this tree are straight. Case in point: King Amoeba and Queen Mildew’s son, Prince Callous, who both married and had a child with a fellow royal named Prince Dingus.
Patrick’s stint as King of Bikini Bottom may have been short-lived — Gary, SpongeBob’s pet snail, was ultimately named the rightful heir to the Bikini Atoll-inspired locale after a brief map mix-up — but the subtle detail left a lasting impression on several fans of the show.
Sparking a debate over whether this early queer representation was the first in American cartoon history — there have been other implicitly gay characters, though their marital status is largely unknown — others were just happy to see gay rulers that aren’t from Red, White & Royal Blue.
“Happy for them,” wrote one fan, as another used the clip to shoot their shot into the figurative void, “Who wanna be the Dingus to my Callous? FR.”
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