[Adventures] with Punky Brewster

[Adventure 67]

My children grew up watching Punky Brewster. We'd watch it when it was streaming online or get the dvds from Netflix every once in a while. Now Punky and Cheri are back in a new series on Peacock. My thirteen year old non-binary demisexual panromantic child is loving it - and exclaiming things like "that's pan flag colors!" and "she's a lesbian!" as they watch it.  

Without spoiling too much, Punky has a son who tries out wearing eyeliner and enjoys painting his nails. Cheri and Punky are talking about first kisses and Cheri mentions hers was with a person named Rebecca. In one episode, Punky is wearing the shirt pictured above. There's an episode in which one of the boys wears a skirt to school. Punky wears the shirt pictured above in one of the episodes. 

All of this and more are presented as what they are - as just a matter of fact part of life; with a mixture of acceptance and questioning in certain circumstances; or with the  realization of the need for learning and conversation as appropriate. 

There is acknowledgement that homophobia informed Cheri's experiences in the eighties and is still an issue today; that parents don't always have the answers and don't always deal with things in the best way; that we need to be who we are and not knowing everything about who we are is ok at any age. 

I love that a favorite from my childhood that gave me what little courage I had (Punky Power, as it were) to express myself and appreciate my uniqueness is back as a show that is affirming to my LGBTQIA+ children.