Disney Announc 'Prc,' First Film wh Openly Gay Characters. |

Contents:

• DISNEY FILM FEATURG GAY MA CHARACTER BOMBS AT BOX OFFICE
• “POLILLY CORRECT” SNOW WHE PHOTOS SPARK BACKLASHPHOTOS POSTED BY THE DAILY MAIL STIRRED UP IRE ONLE FRIDAY.BY SAVANNAH WALSHJULY 14, 2023AXELLE/BER-GRIFFSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEONCE UPON A TIME, A DISNEY LIVE-ACTN REMAKE SPARKED BACKLASH. NO, THIS WASN’T THE RACIST DISURSE AROUND THE LTLE MERMAID, OR BATE OVER POTENTIALLY QUEER BETY AND THE BEAST CHARACTERS, BUT NEWFOUND OUTRAGE ABOUT THE UPG REIMAGG OF SNOW WHE STARRG RACHEL ZEGLER.IT ALL STARTED WH A RECENT DAILY MAIL ARTICLE FEATURG WHAT THE PUBLITN SAID WERE SET PHOTOS OM THE FILM PUBLISHED UNR THE HEADLE, “EXCLUSIVE: SNOW WHE AND THE SEVEN... POLILLY-CORRECT COMPANNS? FIRST PICTUR OF NEW LIVE-ACTN REMAKE OF DISNEY CLASSIC SHOWS STAND- PRCS WALKG WH DIVERSE BAND OF MERRY MEN AND WOMEN AFTER ROW OVER G DWARF ACTORS.”THE OUTLET PUBLISHED SHOTS PURPORTEDLY PTURED ON THURSDAY OM THE MOVIE’S UK SET. THEY SHOW MULTIPLE ACTORS, SEEMGLY SNOW WHE’S WHIMSILLY NAMED NFIDANTS, AS DIFFERENT “GENRS, ETHNICI, AND HEIGHTS,” WHICH UPSET CERTA RNERS OF THE TER. THE SNOW WHE THE PHOTOS IS NOTABLY NOT ZEGLER OF WT SI STORY AND THE UPG HUNGER GAM PREQUEL, WHO ANNOUNCED, PER COLLIR, THAT SHE HAD PLETED FILMG ON THE PROJECT JULY 2022.A DISNEY SOURCE TOLD VF THAT WHILE THE ARE NOT OFFICIAL PHOTOS, THEY ARE OM THE PRODUCTN, WH STAND-S FOR SOME ST MEMBERS. THE DAILY MAIL TOLD VF STANDS BY S STORY.THE SNOW WHE REMAKE IS DIRECTED BY MARC WEBB, AND STARS GAL GADOT AS THE EVIL QUEEN AND TONY WNER ANDREW BURNAP. IT WILL REPORTEDLY CLU SONGS OM THE ORIGAL 1937 FILM, AS WELL AS NEW ON PENNED BY BENJ PASEK AND JT PL, BT KNOWN FOR THE MILS DEAR EVAN HANSEN, AND THE GREATT SHOWMAN.SCE PRODUCTN ON THE PROJECT WAS ANNOUNCED, HAS WEATHERED NTROVERSY. PETER DKLAGE PREVLY LLED THE STORY “FUCKG BACKWARD” FOR S POTENTIAL PICTN OF DWARFISM. IN A STATEMENT TO DEADLE, A DISNEY SPOKPERSON REPLIED WH THE FOLLOWG: “TO AVOID RERCG STEREOTYP OM THE ORIGAL ANIMATED FILM, WE ARE TAKG A DIFFERENT APPROACH WH THE SEVEN CHARACTERS AND HAVE BEEN NSULTG WH MEMBERS OF THE DWARFISM MUNY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARG MORE AS THE FILM HEADS TO PRODUCTN AFTER A LENGTHY VELOPMENT PERD.”ZEGLER HERSELF TOLD VANY FAIR LAST OCTOBER: “PEOPLE ARE MAKG THE JOK ABOUT OURS BEG THE PC SNOW WHE, WHERE ’S LIKE, YEAH, IS—BEE NEED THAT. IT’S AN 85-YEAR-OLD RTOON, AND OUR VERSN IS A REHG STORY ABOUT A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAS A FUNCTN BEYOND ‘SOMEDAY MY PRCE WILL COME.’”THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRPHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE ON HER “SURREAL” JOURNEY FROM FLEABAG TO INDIANA JONTHE ACTORS STRIKE IS ON, THROWG HOLLYWOOD INTO TURMOILWHY A SEND TMP ADMISTRATN WOULD BE MUCH WORSEIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERIS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?THE BIGGT SNUBS AND SURPRIS OF THIS YEAR’S EMMY NOMATNSWHERE TO WATCH THE 2023 EMMY NOMEFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYESTE AND OPPENHEIMER’S REAL RELATNSHIP WAS CORDIAL AND COMPLITEDBY HILLARY BISSAVANNAH WALSH
• LIST: 'STRANGE WORLD' REVIEWS ABOUT DISNEY'S FIRST OUT GAY, CHARACTER, BIRACIAL QUEER TEEN
• FLORIDA TEACHER UNR VTIGATN FOR SHOWG DISNEY MOVIE WH GAY CHARACTER SAYS SHE DIDN’T KNOW LGBTQ RTRICTN APPLIED TO HER CLASS
• DISNEY CENSORS GAY CONTENT, ACRDG TO DISNEY EMPLOYEIN A STATEMENT, PIXAR EMPLOYE ALLEGE THAT THEIR ATTEMPTS AT CLUDG “OVERTLY GAY AFFECTN” THEIR FILMS HAVE BEEN THWARTED BY RPORATE EXECUTIV AT DISNEY. BY CHRIS MURPHYMARCH 10, 2022© 2022 DISNEY/PIXARSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEPIXAR EMPLOYE ARE SPEAKG OUT ABOUT ALLEGED CENSORSHIP THEY FACED WHEN ATTEMPTG TO CLU MOMENTS OF SAME-SEX SENTIMENT THEIR FILMS. IN A STATEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO “THE LGBTQIA+ EMPLOYE OF PIXAR, AND THEIR ALLI” OBTAED BY VARIETY, THE EMPLOYE ALLEGE THAT RPORATE EXECUTIV AT DISNEY, PIXAR’S PARENT PANY, HAVE AXED “NEARLY EVERY MOMENT OF OVERTLY GAY AFFECTN” THEY’VE TRIED TO SERT TO THEIR WORK, “REGARDLS OF WHEN THERE IS PROTT OM BOTH THE CREATIVE TEAMS AND EXECUTIVE LEARSHIP AT PIXAR.”DISNEY IS CURRENTLY RECEIVG HARSH BACKLASH OM THE LGBTQIA+ MUNY FOR S IAL RPONSE TO FLORIDA’S NTROVERSIAL “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL, AS WELL AS THE STUD’S REPORTED FANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ALL OF THE BILL’S SPONSORS AND SPONSORS. THE STATEMENT OM THE PIXAR EMPLOYE IS A RPONSE TO A PANY-WI MEMO SENT BY DISNEY CEO BOB CHAPEK, WHICH CHAPEK SAID THAT THE “BIGGT IMPACT WE N HAVE CREATG A MORE CLIVE WORLD IS THROUGH THE SPIRG NTENT WE PRODUCE.”BUT THE PIXAR EMPLOYE BEHD THE LETTER SAY THEY’VE FELT STIFLED AND STYMIED THEIR ATTEMPTS TO CLU MORE CLIVE NTENT THEIR FILMS. “WE AT PIXAR HAVE PERSONALLY WNSED BETIFUL STORI, FULL OF DIVERSE CHARACTERS, E BACK OM DISNEY RPORATE REVIEWS SHAVED DOWN TO CMBS OF WHAT THEY ONCE WERE,” THE LETTER STAT. “EVEN IF CREATG LGBTQIA+ NTENT WAS THE ANSWER TO FIXG THE DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATN THE WORLD, WE ARE BEG BARRED OM CREATG .”PIXAR MA HEADL 2020 FOR TRODUCG S FIRST OPENLY GAY CHARACTER, SPECTER—A CYCLOPS POLICE OFFICER VOICED BY LENA WAHE— THE FILM ONWARD. AS VARIETY NOT, SPECTER’S QUEER INTY, HOWEVER, WAS ONLY ADDRSED PASSG, WH THE LE: “IT’S NOT EASY BEG A NEW PARENT—MY GIRLIEND’S DGHTER GOT ME PULLG MY HAIR OUT, OKAY?” ONWARD WAS BANNED KUWA, OMAN, QATAR, AND SDI ARABIA DUE TO THE SCENE, AND THE WORD “GIRLIEND” WAS CHANGED TO “PARTNER” THE RSIAN RELEASE OF THE FILM, ACRDG TO VARIETY. DISNEY ALSO RELEASED OUT, A SHORT FILM ABOUT A GAY MAN WHO STGGL WH G OUT TO HIS PARENTS, ON DISNEY+ THAT SAME YEAR.THE PIXAR EMPLOYEE LETTER MANDS THAT DISNEY WHDRAW FANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ALL LEGISLATORS WHO SUPPORTED THE “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL AND “TAKE A CISIVE PUBLIC STAND” AGAST ALL SUCH LEGISLATN. AT A SHAREHOLR’S MEETG ON WEDNDAY, CHAPEK SAID THAT DISNEY WOULD PLEDGE $5 LN TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN AND OTHER LGBTQ RIGHTS ANIZATNS, AND SAID THAT HE LLED FLORIDA ERNOR RON DESANTIS TO DISCS DISNEY’S “NCERN” WH THE BILL. THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN LATER ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WOULD REFE DISNEY’S DONATN UNTIL “MEANGFUL ACTN IS TAKEN TO BAT” THE LEGISLATN. “WHILE SIGNG ON TO DONATE TO THE HRC IS A STEP THE RRECT DIRECTN, THE SHAREHOLR MEETG ON WEDNDAY MA CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT ENOUGH,” READS THE LETTER OM PIXAR’S LGBTQIA+ EMPLOYE. “DISNEY DID NOT TAKE A HARD STANCE SUPPORT OF THE LGBTQIA+ MUNY, THEY STEAD ATTEMPTED TO PLATE ‘BOTH SIS’—AND DID NOT NMN HATEFUL MSAG SHARED DURG THE QUTN AND ANSWER PORTN OF THE MEETG.” DISNEY DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RPOND TO A REQUT FOR MENT.YOU N READ THE LETTER FULL BELOW:A STATEMENT TO LEARSHIP OM THE LGBTQIA+ EMPLOYE OF PIXAR & THEIR ALLIWE ARE WRG BEE WE ARE DISAPPOTED, HURT, AAID, AND ANGRY. IN REGARDS TO DISNEY’S FANCIAL VOLVEMENT WH LEGISLATORS BEHD THE “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL, WE HOPED THAT OUR PANY WOULD SHOW UP FOR . BUT DIDN’T.MONDAY’S EMAIL, “OUR UNWAVERG COMMMENT TO THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNY”, RANG HOLLOW. IT BEGAN WH THE CLAIM THAT DISNEY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF SUPPORTG THE LGBT MUNY, BUT DISNEY PARKS DID NOT OFFICIALLY HOST PRI UNTIL 2019, PARIS ALONE. DISNEY HAS A HISTORY OF SHUTTG DOWN FAN-CREATED PRI EVENTS THE PARKS, EVEN REMOVG SAME-SEX UPL FOR DANCG TOGETHER THE 1980’S. ADDNALLY, DISNEY BEGAN PALIZG ON PRI 2018 WH THE RABOW MICKEY COLLECTN, (WHILE -EMPHASIZG THE TERMS LIKE LGBTQ+ AND NOT EVEN FEATURG EXPLICLY LGBTQIA+ PIEC SUCH AS PRI FLAG PS UNTIL 2021). TO THIS END, FEELS TERRIBLE TO BE A PART OF A PANY THAT MAK MONEY OM PRI MERCH WHEN CHOOS TO “STEP BACK” TIM OF OUR GREATT NEED, WHEN OUR RIGHTS ARE AT RISK.THE SEND CLAIM STATED THAT “RPORATE STATEMENTS DO VERY LTLE TO CHANGE OUT OR MDS”. HOWEVER, THE VERY EMAIL MAKG THIS CLAIM OPENED WH A RPORATE STATEMENT REGARDG THE ONGOG SUATN UKRAE. EIGHT DAYS AFTER RSIA VAD UKRAE, DISNEY PSED THE RELEASE OF THEATRIL FILMS RSIA AND ANNOUNCED “WE WILL MAKE FUTURE BS CISNS BASED ON THE EVOLVG SUATN.” FOLLOWG THE SIEGE ON THE PAL 2021, DISNEY STOPPED ALL POLIL DONATNS TO MEMBERS OF CONGRS WHO HAD OBJECTED TO THE PRINTIAL ELECTN RULTS. IN 2016, DISNEY TOLD THE STATE OF GEIA: “WE WILL PLAN TO TAKE OUR BS ELSEWHERE SHOULD ANY LEGISLATN ALLOWG DISCRIMATORY PRACTIC BE SIGNED TO STATE LAW” RPONSE TO THE NTROVERSIAL RELIG LIBERTY BILL. BY TAKG A STAND, DISNEY DIRECTLY AFFECTED THE LEGISLATIVE OUTE GEIA. IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT DISNEY’S RPORATE STATEMENTS N AND DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.FALLY, WE E TO THE PH FOR CONTENT AS THE ANSWER. WE AT PIXAR HAVE PERSONALLY WNSED BETIFUL STORI, FULL OF DIVERSE CHARACTERS, E BACK OM DISNEY RPORATE REVIEWS SHAVED DOWN TO CMBS OF WHAT THEY ONCE WERE. NEARLY EVERY MOMENT OF OVERTLY GAY AFFECTN IS CUT AT DISNEY’S BEHT, REGARDLS OF WHEN THERE IS PROTT OM BOTH THE CREATIVE TEAMS AND EXECUTIVE LEARSHIP AT PIXAR. EVEN IF CREATG LGBTQIA+ NTENT WAS THE ANSWER TO FIXG THE DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATN THE WORLD, WE ARE BEG BARRED OM CREATG . BEYOND THE “SPIRG NTENT” THAT WE AREN’T EVEN ALLOWED TO CREATE, WE REQUIRE ACTN.WE ARE LLG ON DISNEY LEARSHIP TO IMMEDIATELY WHDRAW ALL FANCIAL SUPPORT OM THE LEGISLATORS BEHD THE “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL, TO FULLY NOUNCE THIS LEGISLATN PUBLICLY, AND TO MAKE AMENDS FOR THEIR FANCIAL VOLVEMENT. WHILE SIGNG ON TO DONATE TO THE HRC IS A STEP THE RRECT DIRECTN, THE SHAREHOLR MEETG ON WEDNDAY MA CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT ENOUGH. THROUGHOUT THE SHAREHOLR MEETG, DISNEY DID NOT TAKE A HARD STANCE SUPPORT OF THE LGBTQIA+ MUNY, THEY STEAD ATTEMPTED TO PLATE “BOTH SIS” – AND DID NOT NMN HATEFUL MSAG SHARED DURG THE QUTN AND ANSWER PORTN OF THE MEETG. THIS IS NOT WHAT MEANS TO “UNEQUIVOLLY STAND SUPPORT OF OUR LGBTQ+ EMPLOYE, THEIR FAI, AND THEIR MUNI.”DISNEY TAKG A STAND BY HONORG THEIR PANY VALU HAS CHANGED THE URSE OF LEGISLATN THE PAST. IF DISNEY IS TE S VALU, WILL TAKE A CISIVE PUBLIC STAND AGAST THE DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATN OCCURRG FLORIDA AND OFFER TANGIBLE SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQIA+ MUNI AFFECTED BY BIGOTED LEGISLATN SWEEPG THE UNTRY. STAND AGAST THIS BILL FLORIDA AND AGAST THE SIAR BILLS SOUTH CAROLA, ARIZONA, VIRGIA, AND TENNSEE. STAND AGAST THE TRANSPHOBIC LEGISLATN TEXAS, IOWA, UTAH, KANSAS, INDIANA, LOUISIANA, MISSOURI, AND ALABAMA. MANY HATEFUL GROUPS ARE ATTEMPTG TO ERADITE THROUGH LEGISLATN – WE NEED YOU TO STAND WH ENTIRELY, NOT EMPTY WORDS.THIS MATTER IS NOT SOMETHG THAT N WA UNTIL REIMAGE TOMORROW APRIL, OR PRI MONTH JUNE. THIS MATTER NEEDS TO BE ADDRSED NOW. THIS IS URGENT. 42% OF LGBTQIA+ YOUTH SERLY NSIRED SUICI 2021, CLUDG MORE THAN HALF OF TRANSGENR AND NONBARY YOUTH, WH A LARGE FACTOR BEG THE LACK OF SUPPORT THAT THE DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATNS ENABLE. DISNEY CLAIMS TO RE FOR THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN, BUT SUPPORTG POLICIANS LIKE THIS DIRECTLY HURTS ONE OF THEIR MOST VULNERABLE DIENC. THERE ARE LIV AT STAKE AND DISNEY’S SUPPORT ULD SAVE THOSE LIV. “WE STILL HAVE MORE WORK TO DO,” YOUR EMAIL SAID. THIS IS THAT WORK.SIGNED WH PRI,THE LGBTQIA+ EMPLOYE OF PIXAR, AND THEIR ALLIMORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— JERRY LEWIS’S COSTARS SPEAK OUT: “HE GRABBED ME. HE BEGAN TO FONDLE ME. I WAS DUMBSTCK”— INSI CHARLIZE THERON AND TOM HARDY’S MAD MAX WAR— INVENTG ANNA IS A “DANGERO” DISTORTN, SAYS RACHEL WILLIAMS— HOW THE GUN ALEC BALDW’S HANDS TURNED THE RT SET DEADLY— LOVE IS BLD SEASON TWO IS PEAK RED FLAG TELEVISN— PACHKO FIRST LOOK: AN EPIC TALE, AND A HISTORY-MAKG SHOW— VANY FAIR’S HOLLYWOOD ISSUE 2022: SEE THE FULL PORTFOL FEATURG NILE KIDMAN, KRISTEN STEWART, AND MORE— THE UGLY TTH OF HOW MOVIE SR ARE MA— KIRSTEN DUNST ON HER FIRST OSR NOMATN FOR THE POWER OF THE DOG— FROM THE ARCHIVE: WH FRIENDS LIKE THE— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYESTE AND OPPENHEIMER’S REAL RELATNSHIP WAS CORDIAL AND COMPLITEDBY HILLARY BISCHRIS MURPHY
• DISNEY'S 8 'FIRST OPENLY GAY' CHARACTERS, RANKED (BY HOW EMBARRASSED DISNEY SHOULD FEEL)
• IS LU PIXAR’S FIRST GAY MOVIE? MAYBE
• IT'S NOT JT FROZEN: MOST DISNEY MOVI ARE PRO-GAY
• DISNEY ACCED OF REMOVG GAY NTENT OM PIXAR FILMS
• DISNEY ANNOUNC 'PRC,' FIRST FILM WH OPENLY GAY CHARACTERS.
• DID DISNEY BURY STRANGE WORLD BEE OF GAY CHARACTER?
• FLORIDA SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS CLOSED VTIGATN TO TEACHER WHO SHOWED DISNEY MOVIE WH GAY CHARACTER
• PRO-GAY DISNEY FILM FLOPS AT BOX OFFICE: 'STOP MAKG EVERYTHG SEXUAL'
• DISNEY EXEC PS TO ADVANCG ‘GAY AGENDA’ BY ‘ADDG QUEERNS’ TO SHOWS
• ONWARD’S OPENLY GAY CHARACTER STILL LEAV DISNEY BEHD S PETORS
• SAME-SEX KISS RTORED PIXAR’S ‘LIGHTYEAR’ FOLLOWG STAFF UPROAR OVER ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL (EXCLUSIVE)
• REPORT: DISNEY TO INCLU GAY RELATNSHIP IN LIGHTYEAR MOVIE

DISNEY FILM FEATURG GAY MA CHARACTER BOMBS AT BOX OFFICE

(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. Updated on June 7th, 2022 by Danielle Bnti: In the wake of Florida's extremely ntroversial "Don't Say Gay" bill and the strong cricism that me om wh The Walt Disney Company for not speakg up, seems like Disney is fally unrstandg out important LGBTQ+ reprentatn is for s fans and s st members.

Artie is able to be his thentic self and actor John McCrea is happy wh his portrayal of Artie and believ him to be a gay character, but Disney yet aga ma the mistake of not fully lvg to Artie beg an openly gay character. Certa groups are upset at the ia of a children's movie reprentg the LGBTQ+ muny while progrsiv are upset at Jack Whehall's stg, believg a gay actor should be st, and the ia that might be a stereotypil, harmful reprentatn.

“POLILLY CORRECT” SNOW WHE PHOTOS SPARK BACKLASHPHOTOS POSTED BY THE DAILY MAIL STIRRED UP IRE ONLE FRIDAY.BY SAVANNAH WALSHJULY 14, 2023AXELLE/BER-GRIFFSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEONCE UPON A TIME, A DISNEY LIVE-ACTN REMAKE SPARKED BACKLASH. NO, THIS WASN’T THE RACIST DISURSE AROUND THE LTLE MERMAID, OR BATE OVER POTENTIALLY QUEER BETY AND THE BEAST CHARACTERS, BUT NEWFOUND OUTRAGE ABOUT THE UPG REIMAGG OF SNOW WHE STARRG RACHEL ZEGLER.IT ALL STARTED WH A RECENT DAILY MAIL ARTICLE FEATURG WHAT THE PUBLITN SAID WERE SET PHOTOS OM THE FILM PUBLISHED UNR THE HEADLE, “EXCLUSIVE: SNOW WHE AND THE SEVEN... POLILLY-CORRECT COMPANNS? FIRST PICTUR OF NEW LIVE-ACTN REMAKE OF DISNEY CLASSIC SHOWS STAND- PRCS WALKG WH DIVERSE BAND OF MERRY MEN AND WOMEN AFTER ROW OVER G DWARF ACTORS.”THE OUTLET PUBLISHED SHOTS PURPORTEDLY PTURED ON THURSDAY OM THE MOVIE’S UK SET. THEY SHOW MULTIPLE ACTORS, SEEMGLY SNOW WHE’S WHIMSILLY NAMED NFIDANTS, AS DIFFERENT “GENRS, ETHNICI, AND HEIGHTS,” WHICH UPSET CERTA RNERS OF THE TER. THE SNOW WHE THE PHOTOS IS NOTABLY NOT ZEGLER OF WT SI STORY AND THE UPG HUNGER GAM PREQUEL, WHO ANNOUNCED, PER COLLIR, THAT SHE HAD PLETED FILMG ON THE PROJECT JULY 2022.A DISNEY SOURCE TOLD VF THAT WHILE THE ARE NOT OFFICIAL PHOTOS, THEY ARE OM THE PRODUCTN, WH STAND-S FOR SOME ST MEMBERS. THE DAILY MAIL TOLD VF STANDS BY S STORY.THE SNOW WHE REMAKE IS DIRECTED BY MARC WEBB, AND STARS GAL GADOT AS THE EVIL QUEEN AND TONY WNER ANDREW BURNAP. IT WILL REPORTEDLY CLU SONGS OM THE ORIGAL 1937 FILM, AS WELL AS NEW ON PENNED BY BENJ PASEK AND JT PL, BT KNOWN FOR THE MILS DEAR EVAN HANSEN, AND THE GREATT SHOWMAN.SCE PRODUCTN ON THE PROJECT WAS ANNOUNCED, HAS WEATHERED NTROVERSY. PETER DKLAGE PREVLY LLED THE STORY “FUCKG BACKWARD” FOR S POTENTIAL PICTN OF DWARFISM. IN A STATEMENT TO DEADLE, A DISNEY SPOKPERSON REPLIED WH THE FOLLOWG: “TO AVOID RERCG STEREOTYP OM THE ORIGAL ANIMATED FILM, WE ARE TAKG A DIFFERENT APPROACH WH THE SEVEN CHARACTERS AND HAVE BEEN NSULTG WH MEMBERS OF THE DWARFISM MUNY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARG MORE AS THE FILM HEADS TO PRODUCTN AFTER A LENGTHY VELOPMENT PERD.”ZEGLER HERSELF TOLD VANY FAIR LAST OCTOBER: “PEOPLE ARE MAKG THE JOK ABOUT OURS BEG THE PC SNOW WHE, WHERE ’S LIKE, YEAH, IS—BEE NEED THAT. IT’S AN 85-YEAR-OLD RTOON, AND OUR VERSN IS A REHG STORY ABOUT A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAS A FUNCTN BEYOND ‘SOMEDAY MY PRCE WILL COME.’”THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRPHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE ON HER “SURREAL” JOURNEY FROM FLEABAG TO INDIANA JONTHE ACTORS STRIKE IS ON, THROWG HOLLYWOOD INTO TURMOILWHY A SEND TMP ADMISTRATN WOULD BE MUCH WORSEIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERIS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?THE BIGGT SNUBS AND SURPRIS OF THIS YEAR’S EMMY NOMATNSWHERE TO WATCH THE 2023 EMMY NOMEFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYESTE AND OPPENHEIMER’S REAL RELATNSHIP WAS CORDIAL AND COMPLITEDBY HILLARY BISSAVANNAH WALSH

"Andi Mack" was the first seri on Disney Channel to feature a gay ma characterValkyrie, played by Tsa Thompson, appears two "Thor" films and two "Avengers" filmsWhen asked if Loki romanced would-be prcs or another prce, the god of mischief rpond wh, "A b of both"Is "Strange World" the first Disney movie that featur a gay character? " It's the first Disney movie wh an out, gay November at the Los Angel premiere of "Strange World, " star Jake Gyllenhaal said Disney's animated fay adventure normaliz a "queer kid" character as part of s storyle about young people fdg their own inty. In 2017, "Andi Mack" ma s but on Disney Channel, and was the first seri on that work to feature a gay ma Elizabeth Lee played the tle character, and her world is turned upsi-down (jt before her 13th birthday) when she learns her olr sister is actually her mother, and her mother is actually her grandmother.

'In the 1991 animated feature "Bety and the Beast, " 's clear LeFou worships Gaston − as his bt the 2017 live-actn film "Bety and the Beast, " starrg Emma Watson (the "Harry Potter" films) as Belle, Le Evans (the "Hobb" films) as Gaston and Dan Stevens as the Beast, LeFou worships Gaston − and, who was straight the animated classic, was gay this versn. However, those figur were rapidly, and signifintly, revised downwards when was unrstood how poorly the movie was performg wh wh other recent Disney animated movi cludg Lightyear (another disappotg box office flop), Strange World sought to crowbar progrsive to the film, cludg for the first time Disney’s history an openly gay ma character. ”Disney sued DeSantis April, claimg that the ernor’s cisn to strip the pany of ntrol of the special district ntag s signature theme park was retaliatn for s opposn to Florida’s “don’t say gay” bill, which forbids stctn on sexual orientatn and genr inty krgarten through third gra.

LIST: 'STRANGE WORLD' REVIEWS ABOUT DISNEY'S FIRST OUT GAY, CHARACTER, BIRACIAL QUEER TEEN

Photos of 8 Disney, Marvel characters who are gay, lbian or bisexualUSA TODAY lls 'Strange World' 'extremely morn'"Fans of pulpy 1930s and ’40s hero such as Doc Savage and Flash Gordon will dig the over-the-top actn vibe, yet “Strange World” is extremely morn s them. It taps to real-world issu of nservatn and staabily of natural rourc, and there’s a strong sense of cln – Ethan’s a biracial gay teen, Legend mak up for a missg leg wh boundls energy – and the most wele aspect is that 's all pretty normal.

FLORIDA TEACHER UNR VTIGATN FOR SHOWG DISNEY MOVIE WH GAY CHARACTER SAYS SHE DIDN’T KNOW LGBTQ RTRICTN APPLIED TO HER CLASS

Feels timid'"Ethan is the stud’s bajillnth 'first ever gay character' (and his fay is one of a few terracial fai all of Disney), but as progrsive as is, even that feels timid: His csh appears one scene at the begng of the movie, and apart om a short nversatn is not mentned aga — easily cut to appease the ternatnal censors that provi Disney wh so much of s revenue.

DISNEY CENSORS GAY CONTENT, ACRDG TO DISNEY EMPLOYEIN A STATEMENT, PIXAR EMPLOYE ALLEGE THAT THEIR ATTEMPTS AT CLUDG “OVERTLY GAY AFFECTN” THEIR FILMS HAVE BEEN THWARTED BY RPORATE EXECUTIV AT DISNEY. BY CHRIS MURPHYMARCH 10, 2022© 2022 DISNEY/PIXARSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEPIXAR EMPLOYE ARE SPEAKG OUT ABOUT ALLEGED CENSORSHIP THEY FACED WHEN ATTEMPTG TO CLU MOMENTS OF SAME-SEX SENTIMENT THEIR FILMS. IN A STATEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO “THE LGBTQIA+ EMPLOYE OF PIXAR, AND THEIR ALLI” OBTAED BY VARIETY, THE EMPLOYE ALLEGE THAT RPORATE EXECUTIV AT DISNEY, PIXAR’S PARENT PANY, HAVE AXED “NEARLY EVERY MOMENT OF OVERTLY GAY AFFECTN” THEY’VE TRIED TO SERT TO THEIR WORK, “REGARDLS OF WHEN THERE IS PROTT OM BOTH THE CREATIVE TEAMS AND EXECUTIVE LEARSHIP AT PIXAR.”DISNEY IS CURRENTLY RECEIVG HARSH BACKLASH OM THE LGBTQIA+ MUNY FOR S IAL RPONSE TO FLORIDA’S NTROVERSIAL “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL, AS WELL AS THE STUD’S REPORTED FANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ALL OF THE BILL’S SPONSORS AND SPONSORS. THE STATEMENT OM THE PIXAR EMPLOYE IS A RPONSE TO A PANY-WI MEMO SENT BY DISNEY CEO BOB CHAPEK, WHICH CHAPEK SAID THAT THE “BIGGT IMPACT WE N HAVE CREATG A MORE CLIVE WORLD IS THROUGH THE SPIRG NTENT WE PRODUCE.”BUT THE PIXAR EMPLOYE BEHD THE LETTER SAY THEY’VE FELT STIFLED AND STYMIED THEIR ATTEMPTS TO CLU MORE CLIVE NTENT THEIR FILMS. “WE AT PIXAR HAVE PERSONALLY WNSED BETIFUL STORI, FULL OF DIVERSE CHARACTERS, E BACK OM DISNEY RPORATE REVIEWS SHAVED DOWN TO CMBS OF WHAT THEY ONCE WERE,” THE LETTER STAT. “EVEN IF CREATG LGBTQIA+ NTENT WAS THE ANSWER TO FIXG THE DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATN THE WORLD, WE ARE BEG BARRED OM CREATG .”PIXAR MA HEADL 2020 FOR TRODUCG S FIRST OPENLY GAY CHARACTER, SPECTER—A CYCLOPS POLICE OFFICER VOICED BY LENA WAHE— THE FILM ONWARD. AS VARIETY NOT, SPECTER’S QUEER INTY, HOWEVER, WAS ONLY ADDRSED PASSG, WH THE LE: “IT’S NOT EASY BEG A NEW PARENT—MY GIRLIEND’S DGHTER GOT ME PULLG MY HAIR OUT, OKAY?” ONWARD WAS BANNED KUWA, OMAN, QATAR, AND SDI ARABIA DUE TO THE SCENE, AND THE WORD “GIRLIEND” WAS CHANGED TO “PARTNER” THE RSIAN RELEASE OF THE FILM, ACRDG TO VARIETY. DISNEY ALSO RELEASED OUT, A SHORT FILM ABOUT A GAY MAN WHO STGGL WH G OUT TO HIS PARENTS, ON DISNEY+ THAT SAME YEAR.THE PIXAR EMPLOYEE LETTER MANDS THAT DISNEY WHDRAW FANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ALL LEGISLATORS WHO SUPPORTED THE “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL AND “TAKE A CISIVE PUBLIC STAND” AGAST ALL SUCH LEGISLATN. AT A SHAREHOLR’S MEETG ON WEDNDAY, CHAPEK SAID THAT DISNEY WOULD PLEDGE $5 LN TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN AND OTHER LGBTQ RIGHTS ANIZATNS, AND SAID THAT HE LLED FLORIDA ERNOR RON DESANTIS TO DISCS DISNEY’S “NCERN” WH THE BILL. THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN LATER ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WOULD REFE DISNEY’S DONATN UNTIL “MEANGFUL ACTN IS TAKEN TO BAT” THE LEGISLATN. “WHILE SIGNG ON TO DONATE TO THE HRC IS A STEP THE RRECT DIRECTN, THE SHAREHOLR MEETG ON WEDNDAY MA CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT ENOUGH,” READS THE LETTER OM PIXAR’S LGBTQIA+ EMPLOYE. “DISNEY DID NOT TAKE A HARD STANCE SUPPORT OF THE LGBTQIA+ MUNY, THEY STEAD ATTEMPTED TO PLATE ‘BOTH SIS’—AND DID NOT NMN HATEFUL MSAG SHARED DURG THE QUTN AND ANSWER PORTN OF THE MEETG.” DISNEY DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RPOND TO A REQUT FOR MENT.YOU N READ THE LETTER FULL BELOW:A STATEMENT TO LEARSHIP OM THE LGBTQIA+ EMPLOYE OF PIXAR & THEIR ALLIWE ARE WRG BEE WE ARE DISAPPOTED, HURT, AAID, AND ANGRY. IN REGARDS TO DISNEY’S FANCIAL VOLVEMENT WH LEGISLATORS BEHD THE “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL, WE HOPED THAT OUR PANY WOULD SHOW UP FOR . BUT DIDN’T.MONDAY’S EMAIL, “OUR UNWAVERG COMMMENT TO THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNY”, RANG HOLLOW. IT BEGAN WH THE CLAIM THAT DISNEY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF SUPPORTG THE LGBT MUNY, BUT DISNEY PARKS DID NOT OFFICIALLY HOST PRI UNTIL 2019, PARIS ALONE. DISNEY HAS A HISTORY OF SHUTTG DOWN FAN-CREATED PRI EVENTS THE PARKS, EVEN REMOVG SAME-SEX UPL FOR DANCG TOGETHER THE 1980’S. ADDNALLY, DISNEY BEGAN PALIZG ON PRI 2018 WH THE RABOW MICKEY COLLECTN, (WHILE -EMPHASIZG THE TERMS LIKE LGBTQ+ AND NOT EVEN FEATURG EXPLICLY LGBTQIA+ PIEC SUCH AS PRI FLAG PS UNTIL 2021). TO THIS END, FEELS TERRIBLE TO BE A PART OF A PANY THAT MAK MONEY OM PRI MERCH WHEN CHOOS TO “STEP BACK” TIM OF OUR GREATT NEED, WHEN OUR RIGHTS ARE AT RISK.THE SEND CLAIM STATED THAT “RPORATE STATEMENTS DO VERY LTLE TO CHANGE OUT OR MDS”. HOWEVER, THE VERY EMAIL MAKG THIS CLAIM OPENED WH A RPORATE STATEMENT REGARDG THE ONGOG SUATN UKRAE. EIGHT DAYS AFTER RSIA VAD UKRAE, DISNEY PSED THE RELEASE OF THEATRIL FILMS RSIA AND ANNOUNCED “WE WILL MAKE FUTURE BS CISNS BASED ON THE EVOLVG SUATN.” FOLLOWG THE SIEGE ON THE PAL 2021, DISNEY STOPPED ALL POLIL DONATNS TO MEMBERS OF CONGRS WHO HAD OBJECTED TO THE PRINTIAL ELECTN RULTS. IN 2016, DISNEY TOLD THE STATE OF GEIA: “WE WILL PLAN TO TAKE OUR BS ELSEWHERE SHOULD ANY LEGISLATN ALLOWG DISCRIMATORY PRACTIC BE SIGNED TO STATE LAW” RPONSE TO THE NTROVERSIAL RELIG LIBERTY BILL. BY TAKG A STAND, DISNEY DIRECTLY AFFECTED THE LEGISLATIVE OUTE GEIA. IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT DISNEY’S RPORATE STATEMENTS N AND DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.FALLY, WE E TO THE PH FOR CONTENT AS THE ANSWER. WE AT PIXAR HAVE PERSONALLY WNSED BETIFUL STORI, FULL OF DIVERSE CHARACTERS, E BACK OM DISNEY RPORATE REVIEWS SHAVED DOWN TO CMBS OF WHAT THEY ONCE WERE. NEARLY EVERY MOMENT OF OVERTLY GAY AFFECTN IS CUT AT DISNEY’S BEHT, REGARDLS OF WHEN THERE IS PROTT OM BOTH THE CREATIVE TEAMS AND EXECUTIVE LEARSHIP AT PIXAR. EVEN IF CREATG LGBTQIA+ NTENT WAS THE ANSWER TO FIXG THE DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATN THE WORLD, WE ARE BEG BARRED OM CREATG . BEYOND THE “SPIRG NTENT” THAT WE AREN’T EVEN ALLOWED TO CREATE, WE REQUIRE ACTN.WE ARE LLG ON DISNEY LEARSHIP TO IMMEDIATELY WHDRAW ALL FANCIAL SUPPORT OM THE LEGISLATORS BEHD THE “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL, TO FULLY NOUNCE THIS LEGISLATN PUBLICLY, AND TO MAKE AMENDS FOR THEIR FANCIAL VOLVEMENT. WHILE SIGNG ON TO DONATE TO THE HRC IS A STEP THE RRECT DIRECTN, THE SHAREHOLR MEETG ON WEDNDAY MA CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT ENOUGH. THROUGHOUT THE SHAREHOLR MEETG, DISNEY DID NOT TAKE A HARD STANCE SUPPORT OF THE LGBTQIA+ MUNY, THEY STEAD ATTEMPTED TO PLATE “BOTH SIS” – AND DID NOT NMN HATEFUL MSAG SHARED DURG THE QUTN AND ANSWER PORTN OF THE MEETG. THIS IS NOT WHAT MEANS TO “UNEQUIVOLLY STAND SUPPORT OF OUR LGBTQ+ EMPLOYE, THEIR FAI, AND THEIR MUNI.”DISNEY TAKG A STAND BY HONORG THEIR PANY VALU HAS CHANGED THE URSE OF LEGISLATN THE PAST. IF DISNEY IS TE S VALU, WILL TAKE A CISIVE PUBLIC STAND AGAST THE DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATN OCCURRG FLORIDA AND OFFER TANGIBLE SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQIA+ MUNI AFFECTED BY BIGOTED LEGISLATN SWEEPG THE UNTRY. STAND AGAST THIS BILL FLORIDA AND AGAST THE SIAR BILLS SOUTH CAROLA, ARIZONA, VIRGIA, AND TENNSEE. STAND AGAST THE TRANSPHOBIC LEGISLATN TEXAS, IOWA, UTAH, KANSAS, INDIANA, LOUISIANA, MISSOURI, AND ALABAMA. MANY HATEFUL GROUPS ARE ATTEMPTG TO ERADITE THROUGH LEGISLATN – WE NEED YOU TO STAND WH ENTIRELY, NOT EMPTY WORDS.THIS MATTER IS NOT SOMETHG THAT N WA UNTIL REIMAGE TOMORROW APRIL, OR PRI MONTH JUNE. THIS MATTER NEEDS TO BE ADDRSED NOW. THIS IS URGENT. 42% OF LGBTQIA+ YOUTH SERLY NSIRED SUICI 2021, CLUDG MORE THAN HALF OF TRANSGENR AND NONBARY YOUTH, WH A LARGE FACTOR BEG THE LACK OF SUPPORT THAT THE DISCRIMATORY LEGISLATNS ENABLE. DISNEY CLAIMS TO RE FOR THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN, BUT SUPPORTG POLICIANS LIKE THIS DIRECTLY HURTS ONE OF THEIR MOST VULNERABLE DIENC. THERE ARE LIV AT STAKE AND DISNEY’S SUPPORT ULD SAVE THOSE LIV. “WE STILL HAVE MORE WORK TO DO,” YOUR EMAIL SAID. THIS IS THAT WORK.SIGNED WH PRI,THE LGBTQIA+ EMPLOYE OF PIXAR, AND THEIR ALLIMORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— JERRY LEWIS’S COSTARS SPEAK OUT: “HE GRABBED ME. HE BEGAN TO FONDLE ME. I WAS DUMBSTCK”— INSI CHARLIZE THERON AND TOM HARDY’S MAD MAX WAR— INVENTG ANNA IS A “DANGERO” DISTORTN, SAYS RACHEL WILLIAMS— HOW THE GUN ALEC BALDW’S HANDS TURNED THE RT SET DEADLY— LOVE IS BLD SEASON TWO IS PEAK RED FLAG TELEVISN— PACHKO FIRST LOOK: AN EPIC TALE, AND A HISTORY-MAKG SHOW— VANY FAIR’S HOLLYWOOD ISSUE 2022: SEE THE FULL PORTFOL FEATURG NILE KIDMAN, KRISTEN STEWART, AND MORE— THE UGLY TTH OF HOW MOVIE SR ARE MA— KIRSTEN DUNST ON HER FIRST OSR NOMATN FOR THE POWER OF THE DOG— FROM THE ARCHIVE: WH FRIENDS LIKE THE— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYESTE AND OPPENHEIMER’S REAL RELATNSHIP WAS CORDIAL AND COMPLITEDBY HILLARY BISCHRIS MURPHY

)"Vulture: 'Ethan is Black and unmistakably queer'"That Strange World’s sendary hero, Ethan, is Black and unmistakably queer (no “exclively gay moments” here — he do some sweetly awkward flirtg wh his csh one of his earlier scen) is noteworthy.

In rponse, the last few years have seen the stud attempt to tout var first “gay moments” and queer characters that for the most part were ’s a pleasant surprise that Ethan and his obv csh on his iend Diazo arrive wh mimal fanfare (pecially pared wh “Lightyear” and some Marvel stallments).

DISNEY'S 8 'FIRST OPENLY GAY' CHARACTERS, RANKED (BY HOW EMBARRASSED DISNEY SHOULD FEEL)

That’s a b of a stretch, bee this buddg romance is a si plot, referred to by a number of characters, but by no means a major topic of maybe that’s the pot — if ’s not a major plot pot, nor is a sneeze-and-you-miss moment like, for example, that quick glance “Bety and the Beast” 2017 that was herald as the first Disney “gay moment.

"Hollywood Reporter: 'Strange World' character's sexualy is a fact of life"A particularly tenr sequence which Searcher meets Ethan’s csh, Diazo (Jonathan Melo), sets up, wh ltle fanfare, a historic moment for the nservative stud: Ethan is the first out gay teenager a Disney animated and Nguyen treat Ethan’s sexualy as a fact of life stead of a battleground on which he mt seek faial acceptance, a move that reliev Ethan of the banaly of beg an avatar.

"Deadle lists among 'Biggt Bombs' of 2022"Some might say Disney’s embrace of a gay character the film turned off red-state dienc, while crics found the fantasy pic to be clunky and prehensible, and the animatn retro and stale.

IS LU PIXAR’S FIRST GAY MOVIE? MAYBE

A Florida teacher unr a state vtigatn for showg a Disney movie featurg a gay character said she wasn’t aware the state’s ntroversial law banng stctn about certa LGBTQ topics had been recently expand to apply to her gra level.

IT'S NOT JT FROZEN: MOST DISNEY MOVI ARE PRO-GAY

When DeSantis signed the ban to law last year, he and other Florida Republins touted as a protectn of parents’ rights, while opponents slammed as yet another effort by GOP lawmakers the state to erase and opprs LGBTQ people schools, llg the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. In a statement attributed to “the LGBTQIA+ employe of Pixar, and their alli” obtaed by Variety, the employe allege that rporate executiv at Disney, Pixar’s parent pany, have axed “nearly every moment of overtly gay affectn” they’ve tried to sert to their work, “regardls of when there is prott om both the creative teams and executive learship at Pixar. ”Disney is currently receivg harsh backlash om the LGBTQIA+ muny for s ial rponse to Florida’s ntroversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, as well as the stud’s reported fancial support for all of the bill’s sponsors and sponsors.

DISNEY ACCED OF REMOVG GAY NTENT OM PIXAR FILMS

Disney also released Out, a short film about a gay man who stggl wh g out to his parents, on Disney+ that same Pixar employee letter mands that Disney whdraw fancial support for all legislators who supported the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and “take a cisive public stand” agast all such legislatn. Beyond the “spirg ntent” that we aren’t even allowed to create, we require are llg on Disney learship to immediately whdraw all fancial support om the legislators behd the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, to fully nounce this legislatn publicly, and to make amends for their fancial volvement.

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.

DISNEY ANNOUNC 'PRC,' FIRST FILM WH OPENLY GAY CHARACTERS.

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. 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.

DID DISNEY BURY STRANGE WORLD BEE OF GAY CHARACTER?

The pany has never been known for s great LGBTQ+ reprentatn or polics, but 's e unr even more scty than ual after fans learned that the pany was donatg money to legislators Florida backg that state's ntroversial "Don't Say Gay" bill. Disney and Marvel Studs proudly announced that 2019 they had troduced their first gay character the Marvel Cematic Universe, only to have fans fd out that was an unnamed character one scene played by the movie's straight -director. After news broke that Disney not only donated to legislators backg anti-gay bills, but also repeatedly cut queer ntent om their movi, Pixar cid to rtore a scene the Lightyear film where a female character named Hawthorne (voiced by Uzo Aduba) kiss her female partner.

FLORIDA SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS CLOSED VTIGATN TO TEACHER WHO SHOWED DISNEY MOVIE WH GAY CHARACTER

Comedian Jaboie Young-Whe will be voicg a new character the upg animated film Strange World who is volved "the first openly gay teen romance a Disney feature" acrdg to Twter er Matthiew Saghezchi, who saw a clip om the film at the Annecy 2022 ftival. That and the fact took three trailers for him to get a le of dialogue, but Whehall’s McGregor at least gettg a scene that humanized his relatnship wh his sister bee of the fact she didn’t abandon him for beg queer like the rt of his fay—even if the scene did dance around sayg the word “gay”—was actually pretty solid, if fleetg.

PRO-GAY DISNEY FILM FLOPS AT BOX OFFICE: 'STOP MAKG EVERYTHG SEXUAL'

That outle holds an obv potential for queer allegory, and ed many Pixar fans trackg the film’s velopment quickly labeled Lu as the stud’s “gay movie”—a g-out story to be placed on Pixar’s mantle alongsi s medatns on grief, artistic exprsn, lonels, Ayn Rand-ian objectivism, and parentg.

DISNEY EXEC PS TO ADVANCG ‘GAY AGENDA’ BY ‘ADDG QUEERNS’ TO SHOWS

That character, played tartly but briefly by John McCrea, is slightly ls of a scrap than the embarrassgly ballyhooed “exclively gay moment” 2017’s Bety and the Beast—but Artie still barely registered amid Cella’s cynil clamor.

Last year, Disney punted Love, Victor—a seri spoff of the feature film Love, Simon, the first stud film about a gay kid g out—om Disney+ to Hulu, clarg the young adult show a better f for that more grownup streamg service. Love, Victor season two admirably exam life post-g out, as Victor (Michael Cimo) navigat his nascent relatnship wh barista Benji (Gee Sear) and tri to get his mother, Isabel (Ana Ortiz, queen of playg TV moms of gay kids), to fully accept his inty. But today s reputatn for clivy and tolerance is unr scty – as are s ep ti to the polil tablishment and the lack of LGBTQ reprentatn s ’s workers have been stagg walkouts prott at chief executive Bob Chapek’s lackltre rponse to Florida legislatn dubbed “don’t say gay”.

But their prejudic were laid bare by a tweet om Christa Phaw, prs secretary for Florida’s ernor, Ron DeSantis, that said: “The bill that liberals accurately ll ‘don’t say gay’ would be more accurately scribed as an anti-groomg bill. It has been nmned as “hateful” by Joe Bin and other Democrats who argue that monis LGBTQ, prs secretary of the LGBTQ rights anisatn Equaly Florida and a survivor of the Pulse nightclub shootg 2016, says: “The ‘don’t say gay bill’ was dubbed that by the muny bee is a bigoted, very specifilly anti-LGBTQ piece of legislatn signed to censor classroom speech about our muny. The Human Rights Campaign has said will stop acceptg money om Disney “until we see them build on their public mment and work wh LGBTQ+ advot to ensure that dangero proposals, like Florida’s ‘don’t say gay or trans’ bill, don’t bee dangero laws” Whehall and Ey Blunt Jungle Cise.

ONWARD’S OPENLY GAY CHARACTER STILL LEAV DISNEY BEHD S PETORS

Eric Marc, creator and host of the Makg Gay History podst, says: “Disney has cultivated an LGBTQ-iendly image, both through their cln of LGBTQ characters recent years and wh their employe, so ’s shockg but not shockg that the CEO would have been so flat-footed.

Photograph: APFor s the stud’s output was steadfastly heterosexual even though s creative talents clud gay people such as Howard Ashman, an Osr wner who wrote the lyrics for The Ltle Mermaid and Bety and the Beast before his ath om Aids has been some progrs sce then wh a growg LGBTQ portrayals films and TV shows and the sellg of LGBTQ pri-themed merchandise at Disney stor. The at least had the benef of beg characters who were the center of the ame and liverg dialogue, though they were also mor characters who viewers were likely to fet about Stud’s “first gay character” appeared Avengers: Endgame, and was played by one of the move's directors, Joe Rso. (Image cred: Disney)2021 - The Year Of Actual Gay Characters In Disney Movi Disney still has a long way to go when to LGBTQ+ reprentatn s films, but 2021 was at least a signifint step forward as we saw three films where signifint characters who were important to the stori beg told were queer.

SAME-SEX KISS RTORED PIXAR’S ‘LIGHTYEAR’ FOLLOWG STAFF UPROAR OVER ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL (EXCLUSIVE)

When news outlets reported that The Walt Disney Company donated money to legislators who supported Florida’s ntroversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Disney CEO Bob Chapek sent an ternal memo to the pany sayg Disney would still “unequivolly” support s LGBTQ employe. Elsa hidg her ice-powers uld be read as a metaphor for the closet, the Osr-wng “Let Go” plays like a g-out anthem, and a character the film evok the qutn of whether homosexualy is a choice by quirg of Elsa’s powers, “born wh or cursed? Through both s rporate practic and the ntent of s films, Disney for s has implemented the so-lled "gay agenda"—which is to say, helpg make the world a more acceptg start the most obv place: As a bs, Disney has long held a progrsive attu toward LGBT people.

Gay pri events have been hosted at Disney World sce 1991, and the pany started offered s gay employe health surance benefs for their partners sce 1995, a cisn that wasn’t entirely popular back of the most poignant exampl of the pany’s tolerant atmosphere is the se of lyricist Howard Ashman, who was openly gay and died of AIDS 1991. In this way, even though Disney films ually offer a tradnal happy endg wh a heterosexual marriage, the journey always volv rejectg parental and societal expectatns, and exercisg a “eedom to marry whomever you love” spir that is enmic to gay, many Disney romanc are exampl of “impossible sire, ” a trope that is ccial to the queer experience, as genr-studi theorist Heather Love argued Feelg Backward.

A letter om a group of employe of Pixar – the stud behd Toy Story, The Incredibl and Insi Out – claimed Disney executiv have “barred” moments of gay affectn om films before they are by “the LGBTQIA+ employe of Pixar & their alli”, the letter says: “We at Pixar have personally wnsed betiful stori, full of diverse characters, e back om Disney rporate reviews shaved down to cmbs of what they once were. ”First reported by Judd Legum of Popular Informatn, the statement is the latt velopment a crisis for Disney prompted by the pany’s rponse to the ntroversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill which passed the Florida state legislature on Tuday.

REPORT: DISNEY TO INCLU GAY RELATNSHIP IN LIGHTYEAR MOVIE

Long before announcements about "Disney's first gay character" beme somethg of a meme, the first direct reference to a gay person a Disney movie om a somewhat surprisg source: "The Prcs Diari 2: Royal Engagement" 2004.

" Unnamed, non-speakg gay background characters alone, however, wouldn't qualify the show for this list — and while many queer viewers celebrated the genr nonnformy of male prcs Mar Diaz, Mar himself was never nfirmed to be queer. Followg "Avengers: Endgame" and "Star Wars: Episo IX — The Rise of Skywalker, " many LGBTQ+ viewers were creasgly cril of Disney's assorted "first gay characters" om s var studs beg hyped up, only to turn out beg so mor that all the reprentatn uld be easily censored jt by changg one le.