Culture

Power Rangers Dino Fury makes history with series’ first LGBT+ ranger: ‘About time!’

Power Rangers Dino Fury

Power Rangers Dino Fury. (Nickelodeon)

Power Rangers has introduced its first queer ranger in a landmark moment for LGBT+ representation on television.

The series, titled Power Rangers Dino Fury, is currently airing on Nickelodeon – and fans were blown away to see that Izzy, the Green Ranger, was confirmed as queer in a recent episode.

In episode 13 of Power Rangers Dino Fury, titled “The Matchmaker”, Izzy came out as a member of the LGBT+ community in a heartfelt scene that saw her holding hands romantically with Fern, played by Jacqueline Joe.

The scene ends with the other rangers watching on with pride as Izzy and Fern walk into the distance, hand in hand.

Power Rangers fans rushed to social media to share their joy at seeing one of the rangers finally confirmed to be canonically queer in the original television series.

https://twitter.com/PowerRangersFun/status/1435391804728246273

https://twitter.com/PowerRangersFun/status/1435330333453402112

https://twitter.com/RangerDude91/status/1435454961542995972

Many fans also tweeted Simon Bennett, executive producer on the series, to thank him personally for bringing LGBT+ representation to the world of Power Rangers.

Bennett has also been replying to fans who shared their thoughts on Izzy’s sexuality. In one tweet, he said he was “very pleased” they had been able to bring queer representation to the Power Rangers universe.

“About time!” he added.

Bennett also took the time to respond to a fan who suggested that depicting Izzy as queer was just a “marketing stunt”.

“I assure you, it was no marketing ploy,” he replied. “And yes, well overdue.”

Past Power Rangers adaptations have confirmed characters as queer

This isn’t the first time one of the Power Rangers has been depicted as queer, but it is the first time it’s been done in a mainstream Power Rangers television series.

In 2017, a Power Rangers film adaptation showed the yellow ranger, Trini, coming to terms with her sexuality.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the film’s release, director Dean Israelite said: “For Trini, really she’s questioning a lot about who she is. She hasn’t fully figured it out yet.

“I think what’s great about that scene and what that scene propels for the rest of the movie is, ‘That’s OK.'”

Fans had been crying out for some time for a queer ranger in the television series – and they’ve finally gotten their wish.

The Power Rangers set hasn’t always been a particularly welcoming environment for queer people. The Blue Ranger once famously quit the show because of the homophobic abuse he endured.

David Yost, who played Billy Cranston and the Blue Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, said his co-stars were repeatedly quizzed about what they knew about his sexuality.

In 2010, he revealed: “I walked off set one day during the middle of lunch – I had made a decision, I had been thinking about it for a good week, and the reason I walked off was that I was called f****t one too many times.”

 

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