Why There Are So Many “First” Gay Disney Characters

Contents:

• DISNEY'S 8 'FIRST OPENLY GAY' CHARACTERS, RANKED (BY HOW EMBARRASSED DISNEY SHOULD FEEL)
• HOW MANY TIM IS DISNEY GOG TO INTRODUCE ITS ‘FIRST’ GAY CHARACTER?
• WHY THERE ARE SO MANY “FIRST” GAY DISNEY CHARACTERS
• EVERY SGLE “FIRST GAY CHARACTER” IN A DISNEY FILM
• WHO IS DISNEY'S REAL 'FIRST GAY CHARACTER?' IT'S COMPLITED
• POP QUIZ: WHO IS DISNEY'S REAL 'FIRST GAY CHARACTER?' IT'S COMPLITED
• DISNEY JT CAST ITS FIRST OPENLY GAY MOVIE CHARACTER, BUT THERE’S A CATCH
• IS LU PIXAR’S FIRST GAY MOVIE? MAYBE
• ALL 10 TIM DISNEY INTRODUCED ITS FIRST OPENLY GAY CHARACTER (AND GAVE US NOTHG)
• PIXAR SHORT FILM ‘OUT’ FEATUR STUD’S FIRST GAY MA CHARACTER
• CONGRATULATNS TO DISNEY’S 7TH FIRST OPENLY GAY CHARACTER
• ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ TO FEATURE DISNEY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY CHARACTER
• JUNGLE CISE: DISNEY’S FIRST GAY MA CHARACTER (AND COMG OUT SCENE) EXPLAED
• WHAT DAYS ARE GAY DAYS AT DISNEY WORLD? EVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT THE RED SHIRT TRADN.
• WHAT’S GOG ON WH DISNEY’S “FIRST” GAY CHARACTER?
• IS FROZEN 2 THE FIRST DISNEY MOVIE WH AN OPENLY GAY LEAD?
• ONWARD’S OPENLY GAY CHARACTER STILL LEAV DISNEY BEHD S PETORS
• PIXAR’S “OUT” WILL FEATURE DISNEY’S FIRST ANIMATED GAY MA CHARACTER - INSI THE MAGIC
• JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY
• JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
• JAGUARS STRENGTH COACH KEV MAXEN COM OUT AS GAY
• JAGUARS ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR U.S.-BASED PRO LEAGU
• ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’: JOSH GAD PLAYS DISNEY’S FIRST-EVER GAY CHARACTER
• ARE WE READY FOR A GAY DISNEY PRCS? WE MAY BE CLOSER THAN YOU THK.

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

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.

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. It’s a faiar tone for the pany, as Disney has pneered their “first” gay character at least 7 tim, give or take; Onward, Bety and the Beast, Jungle Cise, The Rise of Skywalker, Zootopia, Toy Story 4, and Avengers: Endgame all feature mor characters who make exceedgly subtle referenc htg at same-sex attractn.

" 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.

HOW MANY TIM IS DISNEY GOG TO INTRODUCE ITS ‘FIRST’ GAY CHARACTER?

Up until this pot on our list, most of the gay Disney characters promoted as the "first" of their kd uld still be clearly labeled as a specific "first" (first Disney character, first Marvel character, first "Star Wars character, " etc. The six-year-old ballet dancer at the center of Moxie Peng's "The Ltle Prce(ss)" might or might not grow up to intify as gay, trans, or non-bary, but the fact that the story's them are all about directly challengg toxic enforcement of genr norms, homophobia, and transphobia is enough to make f fortably the Disney+ "Pri" sectn. Of urse, we n’t fet the honorable mentns om Marvel Studs and Star Wars, cludg Valkyrie, Phastos, Larma D’Acy and Wrobie Tyce (whose spl-send kiss spawned the “Live Slug Reactn” meme), and the famo Gay Joe Rso Avengers Endgame (2019), a man who talks for a few sends about his boyiend one scene.

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. Notably, much of that backlash me om wh the pany self: employe held a walkout and anized open letters to CEO Bob Chapek, and many proment staffers have been vol on social media - fundraisg for LGBTQ-supportg velopments signal a signifint shift how Disney gets volved polics and social issu, and that’s a pretty big al nsirg s long and plited relatnship wh the LGBTQ muny unrstand that relatnship more, we’re gonna take a Disney ep dive, wh the latt stallment of Pop you know who the FIRST openly gay Disney character is? This led to a rise “queer-d” characters, where the subtext impli a character may be Griff is a profsor of film and media arts at Southern Methodist Universy and the thor of "Tker Bell and Evil Queens: The Walt Disney Company om the Insi Out" — the first book to addrs the teractn between the Walt Disney Company and the gay muny.

You may be able to fd the same ntent another format, or you may be able to fd more rmatn, at their web exced about this huge moment for the LGBTQ+ fay, and @jackwhehall is amazg BUT when so many gay actor iends of me are turned down for straight rol bee there’s a “whiff of gay”, ’s tratg to st NonGay people gay rol— Jam Barrbie (@imjambarr) Augt 13, 2018"Super exced about this huge moment for the LGBTQ+ fay, and @jackwhehall is amazg … BUT when so many gay actor iends of me are turned down for straight rol bee there’s a 'whiff of gay, ' ’s tratg to st NonGay people gay rol. (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.

WHY THERE ARE SO MANY “FIRST” GAY DISNEY CHARACTERS

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. 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.

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe animated film follows a gay man’s journey to acceptance as he prepar to move to a cy wh his May 24, 2020Updated May 27, 2020The man nervoly practic ont of his dog how he is gog to tell his parents he is gay. “Jt look them the ey and say, ‘Mom, Dad, I’m — this is my boyiend, Manuel, ’” Greg says, holdg a amed photo of himself wh his boyiend ’s a scene om “Out, ” the new short film om Pixar Animatn Studs that troduc the stud’s first gay ma character.

EVERY SGLE “FIRST GAY CHARACTER” IN A DISNEY FILM

In the 2019 Marvel movie “Avengers: Endgame, ” there was a brief appearance by a gay the 2017 live-actn remake of “Bety and the Beast, ” LeFou, Gaston’s sikick played by Josh Gad, was prented as Diaz is a general assignment reporter verg breakg news.

First Out Gay Character In Disney History Reportedly In ‘Cella’ #ComgOut #cella #DisneyFans #EmmaStone #GayCharacters — Instct Magaze (@stctmag) May 22, 2021 This should be e for celebratn, but as you n see om that rat, Twter didn’t take too kdly to that headle bee, ankly, we’ve seen headl like this many tim before. Take the last picture of a character your mera roll and ptn them wh “Disney’s First Openly Gay Character” Go — Skapokon ?️‍⚧️? (@Skapokon) May 23, 2021 Openly gay actor John McCrea plays the character, Artie, the fashn-obssed iend of Cella.

And hontly, maybe Artie IS a fabuloly gay character, but by buildg up our expectatns after years of, well, buildg up our expectatns, you’re dog a great disservice to the character, their story, and remdg everyone of the number of tim we’ve been set up for failure wh the preemptive outgs. In the se of Cella, seems to be a batn of McCrea beg gay, his Attu terview, and what’s been said by reviewers onle, but as noted this article by Dani Di Placido’s for Forb, Disney self has done this “first gay” promise the past: It’s a faiar tone for the pany, as Disney has pneered their “first” gay character at least 7 tim, give or take; Onward, Bety and the Beast, Jungle Cise, The Rise of Skywalker, Zootopia, Toy Story 4, and Avengers: Endgame all feature mor characters who make exceedgly subtle referenc htg at same-sex attractn. After so many years of shallow promis and refal for queerns, even when actors were all for , I’m filled wh excement bee I wanna see the lik of Young Avengers (which is SO unapologetilly gay) on the big screen, but I’m also terrified about them rcg to another unnoticeable FIRST moment that’ll be champned as somethg monumental.

WHO IS DISNEY'S REAL 'FIRST GAY CHARACTER?' IT'S COMPLITED

It has sce ballooned to an annual, multiday event, which draws upwards of 180, 000 people to the Orlando area om across the Fai:LGBTQ people need of stand- parents at weddgs, holidays fd 'fay' Facebook groupWhen are Gay Days 2023?

Some events are adults-only, but most are open to all ag, cludg the Miss GayDays pageant, which this year will be hosted by CoCo Montre, who peted on "RuPl's Drag Race, " and Miss GayDays 2019 Twila actually par the event to a fay rnn, specifilly "the fay that gets along rnn.

Given the polil climate the state and last year's enactment of what crics ll Florida'sDon't Say Gay law rtrictg discsns of sexual orientatn and genr inty primary schools, Clark said some people have asked him if this year's event would still happen.

POP QUIZ: WHO IS DISNEY'S REAL 'FIRST GAY CHARACTER?' IT'S COMPLITED

One recent example is the much-hyped “exclively gay moment” the live-actn Bety and the Beast, where straight actor Josh Gad, playg LeFou, danc wh a woman and then danc for two sends wh a man a group shot of a lot of people dancg. ” Ever sce former CEO Bob Chapek cricized the ernor’s homophobic and transphobic Parental Rights Edutn Act — which forbids discsn of genr and sexual inty public schools — DeSantis and his supporters have repeatedly acced the entertament nglomerate of “echog Democrat propaganda, ” and engaged a vic legal battle over Disney World’s self-erng tax stat that’s proved a huge headache for the state. The public muty forced Disney to eventually reverse urse; first by rerporatg a cut gay kiss om the “Toy Story” spoff “Lightyear” ( lasted all of one send the end), and fally pullg fundg om anti-LGBTQ sponsors and cricizg DeSantis’ bill — which neverthels passed on March 28, 2022.

On one hand, queer subtext ns galore many of the films; gay Disney fans are a very real (and, let’s be hont, lucrative) phenomenon; and many of the most important creators the pany’s history are out and proud members of the LGBTQ muny. ” In 1994, “The Ln Kg” executive producer Thomas Schumacher — who still works at the pany as the print of s theatril wg — told The Advote that “a lot of gay people at every level” work at Disney, and that, while some executiv were unfortable seeg him wh his partner at a retreat, the environment at the pany was overall very supportive.

DISNEY JT CAST ITS FIRST OPENLY GAY MOVIE CHARACTER, BUT THERE’S A CATCH

That’s all well-and-good, but a) we’ve sce received more pennt prcs whout romanc like Moana and b) the yns stck many as Disney tryg to have s ke and eat too: mouldg Elsa to a gay in whout nng the risk of offendg people who wouldn’t take kdly to the ia of a gay Disney prcs.

In 2016, the seri fale of the beloved animated seri “Gravy Falls” nfirmed that the characters of Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland were a uple; a sweet moment, but one that felt out of step wh the tim after Cartoon Network’s “Steven Universe” had more explicly gay reprentatn baked om the begng.

Other “first” gay characters om Disney that have popped up clu: an unnamed man played by Joe Rso, who briefly mentns datg another man a scene om “Avengers: Endgame”; the lbians “Rise of Skywalker, ” who advertently birthed an inic meme; the background lbian moms “Toy Story 4”; a cyclops p “Onward”; supportg characters “Cella” and “Jungle Cise, ” who don’t actually say they’re gay; and Brian Tyree Henry’s superhero “Eternals. While Disney has already nfirmed the movie will not label the character as gay on-screen, Jungle Cise may be where Disney n, at last, show a non-cyclops, signifint LGBT+ character, and the receptn of this portrayal will be pivotal termg LGBT+ reprentatn for years to e. Ron DeSantis said durg a prs nference that he uld build a state prison next to Orlando's Walt Disney World tweeted on Monday afternoon that "Disneyland After Dark: Pri Ne" would be g to Disneyland Anaheim, California, durg Pri two-night event, which will be held on June 13 and 15 si the amement park, will celebrate the LGBTQ muni and alli, Disneyland said a move was seemgly the latt velopment a public spat between Disney and DeSantis, which began early 2022 when Disney said would work to repeal Florida's Parental Rights Edutn Act, which crics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law.

IS LU PIXAR’S FIRST GAY MOVIE? MAYBE

Even LeFou's subtle queerns was enough to prompt backlash, cludg a boytt movement and some theaters refg to screen the May, Pixar released an animated short tled Out on Disney+ wh a gay male lead, but Nimona would have been the first feature-length film wh queer lead characters.

But was later rtored light of Disney's "Don't Say Gay" ntroversy, when was revealed the pany had donated roughly $200, 000 to Republin policians who supported the bill, which forbids discsns of sexual orient elementary school classrooms. "Other live-actn Disney films have relegated queer characters to the background, like a blk-and-you'll-miss- kiss between two women "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, " or the "exclively gay moment" of Josh Gad's LeFou dancg wh another man "Bety and the Beast.

ALL 10 TIM DISNEY INTRODUCED ITS FIRST OPENLY GAY CHARACTER (AND GAVE US NOTHG)

-- Jaguars assistant strength and ndng ach Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach major Amerin men's profsnal sports to publicly e out as gay, tellg he ma the cisn bee he didn't want to hi who he is any longer and to possibly spire others siar 's a cisn and move that drew praise and support om owner Shad Khan, who was a vol and emphatic supporter of a cy ordance that expand protectns on the grounds of sexual orientatn, genr inty and genr exprsn.

DeSantis isn’t a party the state urt judge didn’t say when she would make a cisn, but asked attorneys for both sis to prepare orrs for her as if she had renred a lg each of their favor by next fight between DeSantis and Disney began last year after the pany, facg signifint prsure ternally and externally, publicly opposed a state law, tled Parental Rights Edutn, banng classroom lsons on sexual orientatn and genr inty early gras, a policy crics ll “Don’t Say Gay. Per Outsports, Maxen is the “first publicly out male ach a major Amerin men’s pro sports league, ” wh WNBA ach Curt Miller, who publicly me out to the media as gay 2015, also a publicly out male ach an Amerin profsnal sports league. District Court for the Northern District of Florida this past sprg, Disney acc DeSantis of retaliatn and vlatg the pany’s ee speech rights after spoke out last year agast the Parental Rights Edutn Act, dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by crics, which rtricts stctn on sexual orientatn or genr inty lawsu extensively ced DeSantis' own statements, cludg the book, as evince of s claim.

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.

PIXAR SHORT FILM ‘OUT’ FEATUR STUD’S FIRST GAY MA CHARACTER

(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.

In terms of the LGBTQ+ muny, though, Disney’s relatnship go far eper, and has veloped ways the pany self n never have Disney was never a rd-rryg homophobe but he was a steadfast nservative, and long after his ath 1966, Disney’s output ntued to promote “tradnal” and “fay” valu.

That didn’t disunt “dg” Disney characters (ually villas) as queer, that they exhibed stereotypilly gay attribut such as effemate behavur or distert the oppose sex: Jafar Aladd, for example, or Sr The Ln Kg, or even Shere Khan the tiger The Jungle Book. There is no end of rabow-loured Disney merchandise on sale, and Disney acmodat and facilat the Gay Day schle of events, cludg a week-long ftival takg place across the cy, wh club nights, drag shows, pool parti, and special hotel his first Florida Gay Day 1998, Shapiro found a sister Gay Day Anaheim at the Los Angel Disneyland. Even if s “openly gay character” proclamatns rarely live up to the billg, there have been fleetg referenc to same-sex relatnships movi cludg Toy Story 4 (two women drop off their dghter at krgarten); Onward (Lena Wahe’s p refers to her girliend); the live-actn Bety and the Beast remake (the character LeFou, played by Josh Gad, is telegraphed as gay and danc wh another man, although not even Gad was particularly proud of that one; “I don’t thk we did jtice to what a real gay character a Disney film should be, ” he admted).

CONGRATULATNS TO DISNEY’S 7TH FIRST OPENLY GAY CHARACTER

But potentially more harmful than the attacks on Disney is the “Don’t say gay” bill self, which is likely to e long-lastg harm to Florida’s young LGBTQ+ people and their wh prev ocsns when nservativ have “gone after Mickey Moe”, this latt attack is likely to blow over. The answer, available to sharp-eyed movie fans, the closg creds: Bucky and Pronk share a last name, gay and lbian characters are standard players movi and TV shows for adults, they rema a fleetg or barely acknowledged prence children’s week, a mpaign to change this ught fire on Twter, unr the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirliend — a plea to Disney to make one half of s beloved prcs duo a lbian the forthg sequel to s 2013 animated blockbter “Frozen. But advot note that almost every gdy prcs film or actn-packed superhero rtoon, there are relatnships — moms and dads, nts and uncl, prc and prcs — that, th far, have quietly rerced a very tradnal standard for romantic of "Frozen 2, " many fans are hopg creators give Elsa a girliend, makg her the first gay Disney prcs.

‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ TO FEATURE DISNEY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY CHARACTER

Some Disney fans argued on Twter that would have been a huge help for them to see gay characters movi when they were young — that they might have bee more sensive and acceptg towards gay peers, or better able to grapple wh their own sexualy. “There is no doubt that kids seeg posively portrayed gay characters uld have a signifint effect that would ntribute to such children’s learng about the world and who is , ” said Edward Schiappa, a profsor of parative media studi at the Massachetts Instute of dog so is a risk for children’s entertament pani, who have a fancial centive to make movi as wily accsible — and therefore as non-ntroversial — as possible. ”When asked if Disney might clu an explicly gay character a kids’ film, the pany rpond that s brand “has always been clive, wh stori that reflect acceptance and tolerance and celebrate the differenc that make our characters uniquely wonrful their own way....

JUNGLE CISE: DISNEY’S FIRST GAY MA CHARACTER (AND COMG OUT SCENE) EXPLAED

” Butler drew cricism om some nservative viewers that he had sentially tricked the dience to likg Mch before revealg he was says his tentn was to have every character the film subvert stereotyp: The bully turns out to be weak, the mean cheerlear be lovg, the jock is revealed as proudly gay. The Summ is takg place after Disney’s bacle wh Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who took over the Reedy Creek district and regaed ntrol of the pany’s self-erned powers as retaliatn for Disney’s disagreement wh the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Opponents of the law say the vague wordg unfairly targets books and classroom materials wh gay and transgenr characters and 's cricism of the law has sparked a year-long fd wh DeSantis, who has tried to punish the entertament giant ahead of an immently announced printial movi wh LGBTQ characters:Strange World, ' 'Lightyear, ' 'Andi Mack, ' 'Thor, ' 'Loki'Column:Ron DeSantis says he's fightg 'woke' pani like Disney.

'Don't Say GayFlorida LGBTQ advot: Expandg parents right law says 'quiet part out loud'Hernando County's school district nfirmed a fifth-gra teacher is beg vtigated for showg "Strange World, " and that a parent plaed to the prcipal about the movie not beg appropriate for stunts. DeSantis and his targets:Ron DeSantis’ Florida power play fuelg a printial n: Who's benefed, who's targetedMovie crics weigh :'Strange World' reviews about Disney's first out gay, character, biracial queer teenDisney reaed om showg “Strange World” the Middle East, Cha, Indonia, Turkey, Nigeria, Uganda and other untri bee of the LGBTQ storyle.

WHAT DAYS ARE GAY DAYS AT DISNEY WORLD? EVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT THE RED SHIRT TRADN.

WHAT’S GOG ON WH DISNEY’S “FIRST” GAY CHARACTER?

IS FROZEN 2 THE FIRST DISNEY MOVIE WH AN OPENLY GAY LEAD?

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

PIXAR’S “OUT” WILL FEATURE DISNEY’S FIRST ANIMATED GAY MA CHARACTER - INSI THE MAGIC

JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

JAGUARS STRENGTH COACH KEV MAXEN COM OUT AS GAY

JAGUARS ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR U.S.-BASED PRO LEAGU

‘BETY AND THE BEAST’: JOSH GAD PLAYS DISNEY’S FIRST-EVER GAY CHARACTER

ARE WE READY FOR A GAY DISNEY PRCS? WE MAY BE CLOSER THAN YOU THK.