A Cartoon Network show has become the first on its network to confirm two of its lead characters are in a lesbian couple.

Steven Universe is the story of a boy that helps protect the universe with his gem powers alongside his three female sister/mother role models and superheroes Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl.

When we delve into the history of Garnet, we are told that they are actually a combined gem made out of two characters Ruby and Sapphire.

Both female-presenting, we are told they danced together to become one whole.

While fans were previously told they were just ‘gal pals’, fans were convinced their relationship was far more significant than that.

And then, the co-executive producer of Steven Universe Ian Jones-Quarterly has now confirmed they are in a romantic relationship.

‘R + S are in a romantic relationship and I don’t believe any different,’ he said on Twitter yesterday.

In a response to a fan of whether he would say, indefinitely, if they were non-binary femme presenting lesbians, he responded: ‘By human standards and terminology that would be a fair assessment!’

@xavfucker by human standards & terminology that would be a fair assessment! — ian jq (@ianjq) July 20, 2015

Steven Universe has been running on the Cartoon Network since 2013, and has been praised by critics for its portrayal of women, gender and sexual identity. It is the first ever show for the network created solely by a woman, Rebecca Sugar.

This is being seen as just the beginning for LGBTI representation in children’s TV.

Last December, Cartoon Network show Clarence showed one of its main characters, Jeff, has two moms voiced by Tig Notaro and Lea DeLaria. And then a few weeks later, Nickelodeon’s Legend of Korra ended with Korra and Asami walking off together hand-in-hand.