The new Rugrats reboot has confirmed Betty DeVille, the mother of twins Phil and Lil, is a gay, single mother. Though this character change may seem like a small step, it's a step forward for queer representation in a genre that has been hesitant to embrace the LGBTQ community. Some fans were divided on whether or not Paramount+'s Rugrats reboot was a good idea at all, but the decision to change Betty's identity was a good update for the reboot to make.
In the original Rugrats, which came to an end in 2004, Betty (voiced by Kath Soucie) was married to a man named Howard (voiced by Phil Proctor). In the reboot, Betty (now voiced by Natalie Morales) is a single mother who owns a cafe, raises her children, and enjoys spending time with her friends; and, she's canonically a lesbian. Betty makes jokes about her ex-girlfriends, which is as far as the series has gone to recognize her identity so far—but, with only five episodes released, there is plenty of time to explore Betty's character further. Betty is a queer woman played by a queer actress— something almost entirely unheard of in children's media.
Despite seeming like a minor inclusion within mother characters, the portrayal of a gay, single mother in a program geared towards children is monumental. As LGBTQ representation has increased in television and film, media aimed towards children has been slow to include explicit LGBTQ representation. With Betty's character, the Rugrats reboot features two demographics that are frequently underrepresented in media, let alone in children's media. The show has also managed to include this facet of her identity without making her a caricature or making it her entire identity; she is also a tough, confident woman who is quick to make a joke. It is yet to be known whether Betty will ever have an on-screen relationship, which would be an even bigger step towards representation. Of course, just one LGBTQ character doesn't mean the problem has been resolved, but Betty sets a precedent for representation of non-traditional families.
Rugrats is a show children have related to since the 90s— now, a new generation of children with single mothers or with LGBTQ parents will see their family on the screen in a way they don't in other shows. Both of these demographics are growing by the day, and this change in Betty's character allows Rugrats to subtly align more with modern audiences. Being able to see a happy, openly out queer character on TV can mean so much for young queer people who are still learning to navigate their identity and who don't see themselves represented on the screen often. It also means a lot for the queer community who has grown up with Rugrats to see this representation.
Some fans— and even Rugrats cast — weren't entirely surprised by the latest update. Social media was rife with Rugrats fans pointing out Betty's queer-coding after the announcement was released, and some gay fans have claimed Betty as a gay icon long before the reboot, where their suspicions were confirmed. E.G. Daily, the longtime voice of Tommy Pickles, told TMZ that the cast had long suspected that Betty was gay, but society hadn't progressed to the point where they were allowed to discuss it. Now, the cast is excited to fully embrace Betty being her true self and what that can mean for the Rugrats.