How 'Strange World' troduc the first out gay teenager a Disney animated film

Contents:

• ‘STRANGE WORLD’ IS DISNEY’S FIRST ANIMATED MOVIE WH A GAY LEAD. WHY IS IT BEG BURIED?
• HERE'S HOW 'STRANGE WORLD' TRODUC THE FIRST OUT GAY TEENAGER A DISNEY ANIMATED FILM: 'IT WAS A BETIFUL THG TO BE A PART OF'
• DISNEY'S FIRST FILM FEATURG OPENLY GAY MA CHARACTER FLOPS AT BOX OFFICE
• PIXAR'S FIRST GAY MA CHARACTER ARRIV MOVG DISNEY+ SHORT FILM

‘STRANGE WORLD’ IS DISNEY’S FIRST ANIMATED MOVIE WH A GAY LEAD. WHY IS IT BEG BURIED?

(Image cred: Greg Gayne/Hulu). Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay) and Cta Kaz (Varada Sethu) Andor, (Image cred: Disney Pl)Jungle CiseJungle Cise was so, so, so close to almost havg a character say the words "I'm gay" on screen.

(Image cred: Disney+)CellaSure, we might have roasted Disney a ty b our Cella review for once aga pattg themselv on the back for their "first" out gay character (for the seventh time) and not even havg the cency to do anythg beyond an implic gay scriptn. And, fally, we do get a (slim) scene where there's at least an acknowledgement of a gay uple the film. Rodriguez) is the fabulo, flamboyant, gay choreographer at East High School.

While this character is fun and entertag to watch, some might argue that this is a fairly cliche terpretatn of what gay men are actually like. Bex puts a ser damper on Andi and her iends' fun which tak a toll on her first year as a Goodman, one of Andi's bt iends, ma history as the first Disney character to ever say the words "I'm gay, " out loud on televisn. Typilly, if gay characters were reprented at all, their sexual orientatn was merely implied and not voiced.

HERE'S HOW 'STRANGE WORLD' TRODUC THE FIRST OUT GAY TEENAGER A DISNEY ANIMATED FILM: 'IT WAS A BETIFUL THG TO BE A PART OF'

The dispirg explanatn uld be that Disney, fearg uproar om all matters of the right, has chewed any big promo s more homogeno films receive. Strange World was never sted to be a hot button issue wh anti-gay, racist, fossil fuel-lovg punds. Strange World's Ethan Cla (voiced by Jaboie Young-Whe) is among the first out gay characters a Disney animated film.

23, the movie also monstrat the Moe Hoe's renewed mment to LGBTQ reprentatn by showsg the first out gay teenager a Disney rtoon feature. That character is Ethan Cla, and he's voiced by out gay edian and actor Jaboie Young-Whe. "For her part, Unn not that her recent remake of Cheaper by the Dozen — which premiered on Disney+ March — featured one of Disney's first live actn gay teens (played by Caylee Blosensk), but says much of that storyle was downplayed the fished film.

DISNEY'S FIRST FILM FEATURG OPENLY GAY MA CHARACTER FLOPS AT BOX OFFICE

Both the 2020 animated feature, Onward, which featured Disney's first self-intified lbian character, and 2022's Lightyear, which featured the stud's first same-sex kiss, were banned Sdi Arabia and other Gulf natns where homosexual nduct is still illegal. Strange World was never sted to be a hot-button issue wh anti-gay, racist, fossil fuel-lovg punds. This marks Pixar's first attempt to feature an openly gay character a central role.

Related ntent: Could the heroe of Pixar's Brave be gay?

Disney’s latt major animatn fally livers on those reprentatn promis the pany’s been makg for years (Picture: Disney)Disney has fally done – after years of quick referenc, teasg and plenty of queer dg, the stud has s first gay lead character an animatn wh new film, Strange World. Dpe s stumble earlier this year when Disney had to be phed to speak out publicly agast Florida’s highly ntroversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law, as one of the world’s most powerful media pani has been an advote for LGBTQ+ rights and cln for many years via s msagg, polici and – of urse – merchandise. Everyone remembers the ial excement when was revealed Disney was gog to feature s first ‘openly gay’ character wh LeFou (Josh Gad) the 2017 live-actn remake of Bety and the Beast, before turned out was all to do wh Gad’s performance one scene and never tentnally baked to the script.

PIXAR'S FIRST GAY MA CHARACTER ARRIV MOVG DISNEY+ SHORT FILM

Sce 2020, feels like we’ve been chg towards this evable moment wh Strange World, after Onward featured a lbian character, live-actn film Jungle Cise ma explic reference to Jack Whehall’s character McGregor beg gay and Toy Story adjacent film Lightyear showed Disney’s first animated same-sex kiss 2022 (aga, sadly cut some untri, as well as almost the US). Fans were prevly upset to see Shang cut om the live-actn Mulan remake (Picture: Disney)However, is Strange World that is the Disney rtoon that is first to make one of s lead characters gay, balancg a way where is repeatedly referenced, forms part of a sub-plot and – ccially – allows for some lovely bondg moments between s supportive onscreen fay. Openly gay edian Jaboie Young-Whe stars as Ethan Cla, the grandson of legendary explorer Jaeger Cla (Dennis Quaid) and son of the more rerved explorer-turned-farmer Searcher Cla (Jake Gyllenhaal).

Ethan also mak an awome new iend Splat, FYI (Picture: Disney)Durg their geoly animated adventure, which ow a bt of gratu to pulp magaz, Jul Verne, Terry Pratchett and mythology, is ma clear early on that Ethan is gay and nursg a csh on one of his male iends. Strange World manag to balance a sual ‘not a big al’ approach to Ethan as Disney’s first gay lead character while also makg tegral to who he is and an element of his personaly that’s never bshed unr the rpet. TV Le has revealed the rults of GLAAD’s “We Are On TV” report, and while the fdgs show that the number of LGBTQ+ characters — specifilly, lbian, gay, transgenr, and queer characters — are at an all-time high for broadst and streamg media, also shows jt how far behd Disney+ is pared to other servic.