New Green Power Ranger is queer

Photo credit: Power Rangers: Dino Fury/YouTube

By Jerald Uy

Children’s programming is growing up with the introduction of a queer Power Ranger, the franchise’s first LGBTQ+ character in the long-running television series.

In Episode 13 of Power Rangers: Dino Fury, French viewers of the show first took notice that the franchise’s first female Green Ranger - Dino Fury Green (Tessa Rao) is dating another girl. Titled The Matchmaker, the story showed how Isabella “Izzy” Garcia fell in love with her frenemy in the series, Fern.

One of the greatest moments in Power Rangers history#DinoFury #DinoFurySpoilers #LGBTQ pic.twitter.com/alL8ehFbYK

— Power Rangers Hype ⚡️ (@PowerRangersFun) September 7, 2021

Other members of Power Rangers: Dino Fury were pleasantly surprised and found the couple holding hands cute. It is not yet clear where in the LGBTQ+ spectrum Izzy falls.

Executive producer Simon Bennett denied that the show is queer-baiting, tweeting, “I assure you, it was no marketing ploy. And yes, well overdue.” He even retweeted rainbow flags commending the episode.

I assure you, it was no marketing ploy. And yes, we’ll overdue.

— Simon Bennett (@Pookina1) September 7, 2021

While Izzy is the first queer Power Ranger in the TV series, the franchise has introduced Trini Kwan/Yellow Ranger (Becky G) as a lesbian in the 2017 Power Rangers reboot movie. In the comics, there are queer characters but are not yet canon in the larger franchise on TV.

Looks like Power Rangers is embracing the full power of the rainbow! New episodes of Power Rangers: Dino Fury will air in the U.S. later this month.

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