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Credit: DisneyDisney has certainly been moving in a more diverse direction when it comes to their films, not only in story telling, but through casting as well. While this has been controversial in some regards, it has also been a step forward for The Walt Disney Company through their mission of inclusivity. Now, there are rumblings that a leading character, a Disney princess, may be next on the docket to fit into the LGBTQ+.
Harvey Guillén, the voice behind Gabo in Disney’s Wish, is sharing his perspective on the studio’s endeavors toward inclusivity in their animated films.
“I think they’re making strides in the right direction,” Guillén told ComicBook in an interview. “I think it’s hard to rebuild a wheel that’s already been in motion for a while, and it’s hard to think of a new direction, especially in where we’re at with the world, but they’re putting their best foot forward, I think. And sometimes, those things take time, and I’m optimistic. And like you said, if a queer princess comes along, that’d be fantastic.” Guillén, who identifies as queer, certainly sees hope for further representation in the future when it comes to Disney.
“And I think that we are in the lifespan of that potentially happening,” he continued. “And that could be a reality. It’s just, like I said, it takes time with stuff like that. Representation has taken so long just in film in general, with every studio and every company. And so it’s taken us this far to come this far, but look how far we’ve gotten.”
While there has yet to be a leading character, and certainly not a princess that identifies as queer, Disney does have many characters that they have been introducing in the LGBTQ+ community.
Related: Disney Officially Removes Pronouns, Inclusivity Mission Underway
The first gay married couple depicted in a Disney film was Bucky and Pronk Oryx-Antlerson in Zootopia (2016). Their presence went unnoticed by fans for years until it was realized that Judy Hopps had two loud neighbors in her apartment, credited as Bucky and Pronk Oryx-Antlerson, marking a “groundbreaking” moment.
Following that, the first lesbian couple appeared briefly in Pixar’s Finding Dory (2016), with the characters seen on screen for less than three seconds.
In the live-action Beauty and the Beast, LeFou, portrayed by Josh Gad, was presented as Disney’s first gay character. However, the depiction of his sexuality as an “exclusively gay moment” received mixed reactions from fans, leading to further exploration being planned in a Disney+ prequel series that is currently on hold.
Marvel’s first bisexual superhero, Valkyrie, portrayed by Tessa Thompson, had her sexuality confirmed off-screen by the actress herself. Her queerness was explored slightly more in the film Thor: Love and Thunder, with speculation of a past relationship hinted at between her and Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel in the recently released The Marvels.
MacGregor, played by Jack Whitehall, was initially promoted as Disney’s “first major gay character” in Jungle Cruise. However, the film’s release was delayed due to the pandemic. In the film, MacGregor hints at his sexual orientation during a conversation with Frank, played by Dwayne Johnson.
After facing criticism for cutting queer content from its movies, Pixar decided to restore a scene in the film Lightyear featuring a female character named Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba, kissing her female partner.
Strange World is one of the first Disney movies to feature an openly gay character named Ethan Clade, portrayed by comedian Jaboukie Young-White. Clade’s storyline revolves around his crush on another male character named Diazo.
In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the franchise featured its first same-sex kiss between two Resistance fighters, Larma D’Acy and Wrobie Tyce, after a victorious battle, signaling the representation of LGBTQ+ individuals in the Star Wars universe after nine films.
In September 2021, Disney launched the Reimagine Tomorrow initiate, stating that “We haven’t always got it right.” Their intentions for the initiative are:
- To make progress that ensures our workforce reflects the market.
- To establish inclusion standards across all Disney General Entertainment content. By 2022, 50% of regular and recurring characters across Disney General Entertainment scripted content will come from underrepresented groups.
- Over $100M in Charitable Giving to programs serving underrepresented communities (Fiscal Year 2020). To ensure we direct more than 50% of our annual charitable giving to programs serving underrepresented communities.
- To put the responsibility for an inclusive culture in the hands of our leaders and employees through comprehensive education and engagement efforts.
As for a queer Disney princess, some fans have theorized that Elsa may not be the typical “straight” princess/queen /ethereal being that we are used to; however, that is purely speculative as the Frozen character has never been with or shown interest towards a man, and in that case a woman.
Would you like to see Disney introduce a queer princess to their next blockbuster?