Disney And LGBTQ Representation In Animation
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This article features the history of the representation of
lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
,
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...
,
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
,
transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
and
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
(
LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
) characters in animated productions under
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
, including films from the studios
Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that produces animated feature films and short films for the Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a s ...
and
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
, and programming from the
Disney Branded Television Disney Branded Television is a unit of Disney General Entertainment Content which oversees development, production and acquisition of content geared towards children, teenagers and families for Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney Jr. and Disney XD. ...
channels as well as the streaming service
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
. From 1983 onward, Disney struggled with LGBTQ representation in their animated series, and their content often included
LGBTQ stereotypes LGBTQ stereotypes are stereotypes about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people based on their sexual orientations, gender identities, or gender expressions. Stereotypical perceptions may be acquired through interactions wi ...
or the content was censored in series which aired on
Toon Disney Toon Disney was an American multinational pay television channel owned by Disney Branded Television, a subsidiary of Disney-ABC Television Group. The channel's target audience was children aged 7–11, and older children and adolescents aged 8 ...
such as ''
Blazing Dragons ''Blazing Dragons'' is an animated television series created by Terry Jones and Gavin Scott, and co-produced by Nelvana, Ellipse Animation, & Carlton Television. A coinciding graphic adventure video game was released for the original PlayStati ...
''. Some creators have also criticized Disney studio executives of cutting LGBTQ scenes from their shows in the past, or criticized that their shows were not seen as part of the "Disney brand", like ''
The Owl House ''The Owl House'' is an American animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace that aired on Disney Channel from January 10, 2020, to April 8, 2023. The series features the voices of Sarah-Nicole Robles, Wendie Malick, Alex Hi ...
''.


Representation


Queer coding

Gender has always been a component of animation, with scholars Harry Benshoff and
Sean Griffin Sean Griffin is a critical queer film theory scholar and professor at the Meadows School of the Arts. His work includes ''Tinker Belles and Evil Queens: The Walt Disney Company from the Inside Out'', which was adapted from his dissertation. ''Ti ...
writing that
animation Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
has always "hint dat the performative nature of gender." Some argued that the
Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
played with gender stereotypes in the past, featuring
effeminate Effeminacy or male femininity is the embodiment of feminine traits in boys or men, particularly those considered untypical of men or masculinity. These traits include roles, stereotypes, behaviors, and appearances that are socially associated wi ...
or
sissy ''Sissy'' (derived from ''sister''), also ''sissy baby'', ''sissy boy'', ''sissy man'', ''sissy pants'', etc., is a pejorative term for a boy or man who does not demonstrate masculine traits, and shows possible signs of fragility. Generally, ''s ...
characters, or those coded as gay, which occurred while the characters were comedic and kept at arms length. Continuing from the late 1980s, villains in Disney films which were queer coded began to appear.
Gaston Gaston is a masculine given name of French origin and a surname. The name "Gaston" may refer to: People First name *Gaston I, Count of Foix (1287–1315) * Gaston II, Count of Foix (1308–1343) *Gaston III, Count of Foix (1331–1391) *Gaston ...
and LeFou in the 1991 film ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' and Jafar from the 1992 film ''
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
'' were created by an openly gay animator named
Andreas Deja Andreas Deja (born 1 April 1957) is a Polish-born German-American character animator most noted for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Deja's work includes serving as supervising animator on characters in several Disney animated films, in ...
, and sang music by
Howard Ashman Howard Elliott Ashman (May 17, 1950 – March 14, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director. He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan M ...
, who was also openly gay. Deja supervised animation for those characters, with some noting the
campy Camp is an aesthetic and sensibility that regards something as appealing or amusing because of its heightened level of artifice, affectation and exaggeration, especially when there is also a playful or ironic element. ''Camp'' is historically ...
value of these characters. The fact that Deja had also worked on
Scar A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrosis, fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other Organ (anatomy), organs, and biological tissue, t ...
in ''
The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical coming-of-age drama film directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Don Hahn, and written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. Produced by Walt Disney ...
'' and the titular character in ''
Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...
'', for example, has been discussed as an influence on the development of some Disney characters. In a June 1994 article in
The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * The Advocate (magazine), ''The Advocate'' (magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States * ''The Harvard Advocate' ...
, an executive producer of ''The Lion King'',
Thomas Schumacher Thomas Schumacher (born December 5, 1957) is a film and theatrical producer. He is the current president of Disney Theatrical Group, the theatrical production arm of The Walt Disney Company. Life and career Schumacher studied theatre at UCLA. I ...
, a gay man, argued that there were "a lot of gay people at every level" of Disney, and called it a "very supportive environment". He noted that he brought his partner, Matt White, to an annual company beach party and long company retreats and that while some executives were uncomfortable with Schumacher bringing his partner, higher executives didn't give him any trouble. Schumacher also said that while he regretted handing over reins of the film to
Don Hahn Donald Paul Hahn (born November 26, 1955) is an American film producer. He served as a producer for the Disney films '' Beauty and the Beast'' (1991, the first out of three animated films to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture) ...
, he was proud of songs by
Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English songwriter. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ''Jesus C ...
, a lyricist, and
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
in the film. ''The Advocate'' noted that even if there aren't any openly gay or lesbian characters in the film, there is sensitivity to LGBTQ issues in the upper echelon of Disney. This queer coding had its disadvantages, with networks not wanting to show overt representation.
Rebecca Sugar Rebecca Rea Sugar (born July 9, 1987) is an American animator, screenwriter, producer, director, and musician. She is best known for being the creator of the Cartoon Network series ''Steven Universe'', making her the first non-binary person to in ...
argued that it is really heavy for a kid to only exist as a villain or a joke in an animated series. In 2011, Deja told
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Disney would have a "family that has two dads or two mums" if they find the "right kind of story with that kind of concept." However, other critics criticized such queer-coded villains as contributing to homophobic discourse and equating queerness with evil itself. Historian Peter C. Kunze argued that Ashman was recruited by Disney from
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
, saying that while working with
Alan Menken Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer and conductor. Over his career he has received List of awards and nominations received by Alan Menken, numerous accolades including winning eight Academy Awards, a Tony Awards, Tony ...
, he crafted songs in ''
The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...
'' (1989), ''Beauty and the Beast'' and ''Aladdin''. Kunze noted that Ashman and animators on ''The Little Mermaid'' were inspired by
gay culture LGBTQ culture is a culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals ( LGBTQ people). It is sometimes referred to as queer culture (indicating people who are queer), LGBT culture, and LGBTQIA culture, while the term ...
and gay icons. He also pointed out that Ashman was supported by
Jeffrey Katzenberg Jeffrey Katzenberg ( ; born December 21, 1950) is an American media proprietor and film producer. He served as chairman of Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios from 1984 to 1994, a position in which he oversaw production and busin ...
after coming out as
HIV-Positive The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
, with the company even creating a production unit near his home so he could receive treatment in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
rather than traveling to
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...
, with ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' dedicated to him. Kunze further noted that Albert Tavares, a gay man, oversaw casting on ''The Little Mermaid''. In 2006, '' Brother Bear II,'' explored themes of diversity and personal transformation. The film portrays Nita's transformation into a bear, which is met with unconditional support from her father, who affirms, “I will love you no matter what you choose,” highlighting the importance of acceptance and love across differences.
Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her Melissa Etheridge (album), eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the Billbo ...
, inspired by the film, wrote three original songs for the soundtrack. In May 2020, Amber Vucinich, a story revisionist for '' Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure'', revealed that Cassandra "Cass" was gay coded, with "sapphic looks" toward the story's protagonist,
Rapunzel "Rapunzel" ( ; ; or ) is a German fairy tale most notably recorded by the Brothers Grimm and it was published in 1812 as part of '' Children's and Household Tales'' (KHM 12). The Grimms' story was developed from the French literary fairy tale ...
. She also said that there were many "queer women who boarded scenes fCassandra," and that women-love-women vibes were ingrained in every drawing she did of the character. In March 2021, Kelly Marie Tran, the voice actress of Raya in the film ''
Raya and the Last Dragon ''Raya and the Last Dragon'' ( ) is a 2021 American animated fantasy action adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, co-directed by ...
'', argued that Raya is queer, stating that she believed there were "some romantic feelings" between Raya and Namaari in the story. She later made clear that this isn't the official Disney position and hoped for a Disney warrior that is "openly in the LGBTQ community" in the future, perhaps even a person who is
disabled Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physica ...
. In June 2021, ''
Luca Luca or LUCA may refer to: People * Luca (masculine given name), including a list of people * Luca (feminine given name), including a list of people * Luca (surname), including a list of people Places * The ancient name of Lucca, an Etruscan ...
'' was released on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
. Some argued that the film felt "gay" even if not "explicitly queer," and more ambiguous, comparing it to the 2017 live-action film '' Call Me by Your Name'' and the 2020 animated film '' Wolfwalkers''. Others said that Luca and Alberto hiding their true sea monster identities was an allegory for people who are members of the
LGBTQ+ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group i ...
community, feeling as though they need to hide their true selves in order to be accepted. The film's director,
Enrico Casarosa Enrico Casarosa (born 20 November 1971) is an Italian director, screenwriter and storyboard artist. Best known for his work at Pixar, he has directed the short film ''La Luna (2011 film), La Luna'' (2011) and the feature film ''Luca (2021 film), ...
, said this was unintentional and that his original vision for the film was to explore the time in a child's life before romance, but he has since welcomed the interpretation after the film's release, also stating: "While I identify with pronouns he/him and I am a straight man, the themes of diversity, acceptance and inclusion in our movie are dear to my heart".


Positive representation

In the 2010s, the series finale of ''
Gravity Falls ''Gravity Falls'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery television comedy, comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines (Jason Ritter) and his twi ...
'', aired on the
Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
, and featured Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland confirmed to be a gay couple. In 2016,
Jared Bush Jared Bush (born June 12, 1974) is an American filmmaker, who has served as the chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios since 2024. He is best known for co-writing and co-directing the company's animated films '' Zootopia'' (201 ...
, writer and co-director of the film ''Zootopia,'' stated that the film features a gay couple, Bucky and Pronk Oryx-Antlerson. In March 2017, ''
Star vs. the Forces of Evil ''Star vs. the Forces of Evil'' is an American animated magical girl television series created by Daron Nefcy and developed by Jordana Arkin and Dave Wasson, which aired on Disney Channel and Disney XD. It is the first Disney XD series created b ...
'' would make headlines with an episode entitled "Just Friends". The episode featured characters attending a concert and later concert-goers starting to kiss, including same-sex couples. On September 30, 2018, '' Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors'' aired on the
Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
and
Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Entertainment units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years old ...
. The team included
America Chavez America Chavez is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Joe Casey and artist Nick Dragotta, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Vengeance'' #1 (September 2011). Chavez is a List ...
, a Latina lesbian superhero. GLAAD expressed hope that the film would allow Chavez to be represented accurately, and "serve as an introduction of America and further queer characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe." The film was later described as "a superhero tale with diversity oozing out of every animated frame," with note of Chavez having two mothers. On May 22, 2020, an animated short film titled ''
Out Out or OUT may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films *Out (1957 film), ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 *Out (1982 film), ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander *O ...
'' premiered on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
. This short Pixar film revolves around Greg attempting to hide a framed photo of him and his boyfriend, Manuel, from his parents, out of fear for their disapproval. The seventh short film in the ''
SparkShorts ''SparkShorts'' is a series of American independent animated short films produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It consists of a program in which Pixar's employees are given six months and limited budgets to develop animated short films that were o ...
'' series, it is both Disney's and Pixar's first short to feature a
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...
main character and storyline, including an on-screen same-sex kiss. In the 2020s, ''
The Owl House ''The Owl House'' is an American animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace that aired on Disney Channel from January 10, 2020, to April 8, 2023. The series features the voices of Sarah-Nicole Robles, Wendie Malick, Alex Hi ...
'' featured a bisexual protagonist, Luz Noceda, and various other LGBTQ characters.
GLAAD GLAAD () is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization. Originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals in the media and entertainment industries, it has since ...
praised it as a "noteworthy" series which "introduced new queer women characters". Previously, series creator Dana Terrace confirmed Luz Noceda as bisexual and
Amity Blight Amity Blight is a fictional character in the Disney Channel series ''The Owl House''. She is voiced by Mae Whitman. She has been well received by both critics and fans of the show, who praised her character development and Whitman's performan ...
as a lesbian in a Reddit AMA in September 2020. Amity and Luz represent Disney's first animated LGBT+ female
regular character In fiction, a character is a person or being in a narrative (such as a novel, Play (theatre), play, Radio series, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, in ...
s. The series also featured Raine Whispers, who goes by they/them pronouns and is voiced by transgender and non-binary actor Avi Roque, and is Disney's first non-binary character. On September 29, 2020, Samantha "Sam" King, a writer for the Season 3 episode of ''
DuckTales DuckTales refers to: Film and television * ''DuckTales'' (1987 TV series), original TV series ** '' DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp'' * ''DuckTales'' (2017 TV series), reboot TV series Video games * ''DuckTales'' (video game) ...
'', "They Put a Moonlander On the Earth!", confirmed that Lieutenant Penumbra is a lesbian character. However, King wished it had been more overt and said that people should continue to ask for better representation. In 2020, she participated in a DuckTales zine where she confirmed that Launchpad is bisexual, saying "LP just has so much love in him, that of course he's not only romantically attracted to one gender." In March 2022, leaked clips from a
Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
meeting showed the president of
Disney General Entertainment Disney General Entertainment Content (DGEC), formerly ABC Group, Disney–ABC Television Group and the second incarnation of Walt Disney Television, is a division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company that ove ...
, Karey Burke, explain to staff that she is a parent of "two queer children," and the production coordinator at
Disney Television Animation Disney Television Animation (DTVA; also shortened to Disney TVA), formerly known as Walt Disney Pictures Television Animation Group and Walt Disney Television Animation, is an American animation production company that serves as the television a ...
, Allen Martsch, note that his team is trying to include "more trans and gender non-conforming characters" in Disney animations. Also, in the meeting, Layota Raveneau, series director of '' The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'' and ''Rise Up, Sing Out'', said that she was adding queerness wherever she could in the projects she worked on for Disney. Elsewhere, Burke promised that 50% of the characters in content created by the Disney General Entertainment would be "from minority groups." On May 21, 2022, Luz and Amity kissed each other on the lips in ''
The Owl House ''The Owl House'' is an American animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace that aired on Disney Channel from January 10, 2020, to April 8, 2023. The series features the voices of Sarah-Nicole Robles, Wendie Malick, Alex Hi ...
'' episode " Clouds on the Horizon". It is the first same-sex kiss between the main characters in a Disney animated series. '' Strange World'', which was released on November 23, 2022, features Ethan Clade, who is the first gay lead character in a Disney animated film. Ethan Clade is voiced by gay comedian Jaboukie Young-White. ''
Elemental An elemental is a mythic supernatural being that is described in occult and alchemy, alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsu ...
'' which was released on June 16, 2023, features Lake Ripple who is the first non-binary character in a
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
film, and their girlfriend Ghibli. Lake uses they/them and she/her pronouns. Lake Ripple is voiced by non-binary actor Kai Ava Hauser.


Criticism

Shang Li was not included in the 2020 live-action remake of ''Mulan''. One of the film's producers said that Shang was dropped in response to the
MeToo movement #MeToo is a social movement and Consciousness raising, awareness campaign against sexual abuse, sexual harassment and rape culture, in which women publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was init ...
, arguing that "having a commanding officer that is also the sexual love interest was very uncomfortable and we didn't think it was appropriate". This was met with social media backlash from fans of the original film and members of the
LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
community, with Reed initially surprised by criticism of Shang's removal, but acknowledged that the character had become an LGBTQ icon. He added that Shang's role would be served by two new characters, Commander Tung and Chen Honghui. Even so, some reviewers called the interactions between Honghui and Mulan to be more homoerotic than Li Shang's in the animated version and can be read as bisexual while others criticized the reasoning of Reed as incorrect. Mulan was described, by one scholar as having a character, Mulan herself, who could successfully pass as the opposite sex and as subverting her traditionally assigned gender signifiers, while having an unusually masculine body. It was further stated that as a result, Mulan was the "perfect embodiment of a
drag king Drag kings have historically been mostly female performance artists who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes as part of an individual or group routine. As documented in the 2003 ''Journal of Homosexuality,'' in more r ...
" even though she maintains her
heterosexuality Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or ...
as she is attracted to Li Sheng, comparing Mulan's interpretation of her sexuality to that of
Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally Leon Schlesinger, Leon Schlesinger Productions) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his featured roles in the ' ...
. Furthermore, gay playwright
Harvey Fierstein Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter, known for his distinctive gravelly voice. He gained notice for his theater work in '' Torch Song Trilogy'', winning both the Tony Award for Best ...
voiced a character in Mulan, and only accepted the part after confirming that the rest of the cast was Asian so he would not take work away from an Asian actor. A few
homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
conservative Christian commentators decried what they considered to be implicit
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
in the 2013 film '' Frozen'', considering Elsa's being different from others, her ostracism from society, and her independence and rejection of male suitors, as metaphors for
lesbianism A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homo ...
. Elsa's song "Let it Go" has been compared to the phenomenon of
coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
of the closet. In August 2017, ''
Doc McStuffins ''Doc McStuffins'' is an animated children's television series created by Chris Nee and produced by Brown Bag Films. It aired for five seasons on Disney Jr. from March 23, 2012, to April 18, 2020. The series centers on a girl who fixes toys, w ...
'' featured a lesbian (and interracial) married couple, Thea and Edie, voiced by lesbian actresses
Wanda Sykes Wanda Yvette Sykes (born March 7, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. She was first recognized for her work as a writer on ''The Chris Rock Show'', for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999. In 2004, ''Entertainme ...
and
Portia de Rossi Portia Lee James DeGeneres (born Amanda Lee Rogers; 31 January 1973), known professionally as Portia de Rossi, is an Australian-American former actress. She played Nelle Porter on the American drama series ''Ally McBeal'' (1998–2002), for wh ...
respectively. These two characters would be the first same-sex couple featured in a
Disney Junior Disney Jr. (formerly Disney Junior) is an American pay television network owned by the Disney Branded Television sub-division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company. Aimed mainly at children two to seven year ...
pre-school series. Some argued that this episode would be a turning point for executives who fears boycotts from conservative groups like the
Family Research Council The Family Research Council (FRC) is an American evangelical 501(c)(3) non-profit activist group and think-tank with an affiliated lobbying organization. FRC promotes what it considers to be family values. It opposes and lobbies against access ...
and One Million Moms, calling the episode a "major win for both Disney and preschool series," showing that LGBTQ characters could appears in shows aimed at younger viewers without retaliation or crisis. ''
Star Wars Resistance ''Star Wars Resistance'' is an American 3D animated comic science fiction television series produced by Lucasfilm Animation. It follows Kazuda Xiono, a New Republic pilot who is recruited by the Resistance to spy on the growing threat of ...
'', which aired from October 2018 to January 2020 on the
Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
and
Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Entertainment units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years old ...
, featured LGBTQ characters. In this animation, Orka and Flix run the Office of Acquisitions on the ''Colossus'', with Orka doing the negotiations. Justin Ridge, an executive producer, said that it is safe to call them a couple, adding "they're absolutely a gay couple and we're proud of that" on the ''Coffee With Kenobi'' podcast. Some said that they didn't see themselves in the show because they were only confirmed outside of the show's universe by the show's creators. Flix is voiced by queer actor
Jim Rash James Rash (born July 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He played Dean Craig Pelton on the NBC sitcom ''Community'' (2009–2015), for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best ...
. In 2019, the animated series ''
Milo Murphy's Law ''Milo Murphy's Law'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series premiered on October 3, 2016, on Disney XD. It revolves around the title charact ...
'' aired the episode "Lady Krillers" which has been heavily criticised by the trans community for its
derogatory A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility ...
depictions of
trans women A trans woman or transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity and may experience gender dysphoria (distress brought upon by the discrepancy between a person's gender identity and their ...
. The episode would be banned in countries such as Germany and Ukraine. In early June 2021, in celebration of
Pride Month Pride Month, sometimes specified as LGBTQ Pride Month, is a List of month-long observances, month-long observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ pride, commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender a ...
, Disney unveiled new merchandise and tweeted an illustration. In response, Alex Hirsch, the creator of the Disney series ''
Gravity Falls ''Gravity Falls'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery television comedy, comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines (Jason Ritter) and his twi ...
'', criticized Disney studio executives for cutting LGBTQ scenes from their shows. In his tweet, which was retweeted thousands of times, he urged people to "mercilessly" spam the executives by saying there is "room for everyone under the rainbow" if the executives claim LGBTQ+ characters are not "Disney appropriate." ''
The Owl House ''The Owl House'' is an American animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace that aired on Disney Channel from January 10, 2020, to April 8, 2023. The series features the voices of Sarah-Nicole Robles, Wendie Malick, Alex Hi ...
'' Latin American dub in September 2021 was met with criticism by both viewers and Roque for portraying Raine as a cisgender male instead of non-binary. The character has also been portrayed as a cisgender male in other dubs. In April 2022, Peter C. Kunze, a historian at
Tulane University The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...
argued that there is a "long history of LGBTQ audiences and employees supporting, even saving, the company from veritable demise." He also said that Disney relied on LGBTQ people to "revamp its animated films", taking the example of
Howard Ashman Howard Elliott Ashman (May 17, 1950 – March 14, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director. He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan M ...
, an openly gay man who was the lyricist for ''
The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...
'' and ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
''. Kunze argued that Disney CEO
Bob Chapek Robert Alan Chapek (born 1959) is an American businessman and former media executive who was the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Walt Disney Company from 2020 to 2022. He joined Masimo's board of directors in 2024. Before becoming CEO, Ch ...
should remember the company's history and "understand the invaluable contributions LGBTQ communities have made to the company he leads." In May 2025,
Disney Experiences Disney Experiences, commonly known as Disney Parks, is one of the three major divisions of the Walt Disney Company. It was founded on April 1, 1971, exactly six months before the opening of the Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort. Led ...
announced that they will team up with Miral, Abu Dhabi's leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences to create a landmark Disney theme park resort in
Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
. The announcement was met with mixed reception among the public as well the LGTBQ+ community as the country is known for many laws that target the LGTBQ+ community.


Censorship

Disney executives did not always receive LGBTQ characters and relationships positively. They, for instance, axed a proposed lesbian relationship in ''
Gravity Falls ''Gravity Falls'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery television comedy, comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines (Jason Ritter) and his twi ...
'', at the same time that ''
The Amazing World of Gumball ''The Amazing World of Gumball'' (also known simply as ''Gumball'' or by its abbreviation ''TAWOG''; retitled ''The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball'' beginning with its The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball, seventh season) is an animated si ...
'', a series on Disney's competitor
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
, was censored for supposed "homosexual overtones" by various countries. The former National Expert Commission of Ukraine on the Protection of Public Morality advised in 2012 the banning of
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
on the grounds that it promoted homosexuality. In June 2021, David Levine, a former Disney executive who oversaw kids programming for 16 years, said that "a lot of conservative opinion" driving depictions of characters of the
Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
,
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
, and
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
, with no hope for LGBTQ representation, saying he still has similar conversations to this day. A show created by
Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh actor, comedian, director, historian, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones a ...
and
Gavin Scott Gavin Duncan Scott (born 1950) is an English novelist, broadcaster and writer of the Emmy-winning mini-series ''The Mists of Avalon'', '' Small Soldiers'', '' The Borrowers'' and '' Legend of Earthsea''. He spent ten years making films for Briti ...
, ''
Blazing Dragons ''Blazing Dragons'' is an animated television series created by Terry Jones and Gavin Scott, and co-produced by Nelvana, Ellipse Animation, & Carlton Television. A coinciding graphic adventure video game was released for the original PlayStati ...
'', aired on
Teletoon Cartoon Network (formerly Teletoon) is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts animated series aimed at children and teenagers. It was launched on October 17 ...
in Canada,
Spacetoon Spacetoon ( or ) is a pan-Arab free-to-air television channel that specializes in animation and children programs. It began broadcasting on 15 March 2000 in Bahrain TV, and it is currently headquartered in Dubai. The channel targets children ...
in
Arab countries The Arab world ( '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, comprises a large group of countries, mainly located in West Asia and North Africa. While the majority of people in ...
, and
Canal+ Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...
in France from 1996 to 1998. In the series, Sir Blaze is a member of the Square Table, and is flamboyant and effeminate. Throughout the series, he is implied to be gay. His implicit homosexuality was censored when the series aired on
Toon Disney Toon Disney was an American multinational pay television channel owned by Disney Branded Television, a subsidiary of Disney-ABC Television Group. The channel's target audience was children aged 7–11, and older children and adolescents aged 8 ...
in the United States. The episode from the original '' Proud Family'' series " Who You Calling a Sissy" was pulled from the network after its initial airing on August 12, 2005, as a result of regarding Michael's sexual orientation while frequently being called a "sissy" at the time. The ban was lifted in 2020 as the episode is available to stream on Disney+. In February 2021,
Ralph Farquhar Ralph Farquhar (born September 19, 1951) is an American film and television producer and screenwriter. Biography Farquhar attended the United States Military Academy at West Point before receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications ...
revealed that in ''
The Proud Family ''The Proud Family'' is an American animated sitcom created by Bruce W. Smith that aired on Disney Channel for two seasons from September 15, 2001, to August 19, 2005. The series centers on the life of the titular family, including the show’s ...
'', which aired on the
Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
from 2001 to 2005, they had to use "code to talk about if Michael was gay, to talk about sexuality" and to be "sort of underhanded about it." He said this changed with '' The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'' with the biggest changes to the show were "gender identity, obviously racial identity and quote-unquote wokeness," and said that sexuality can be "sort of in your face with it a lot more," manifesting itself in the storytelling.
Bruce W. Smith Bruce Wayne Smith (born September 6, 1961) is an American film and television producer, animator, character designer and film director. He is best known as the creator of Disney Channel's ''The Proud Family'' (2001–2005) and Disney+'s '' The Pr ...
also said that the show has more than "just one gay person...representing the entire LGBTQ+ spectrum" and said that it is "not fair" to only have one LGBTQ character in the series. Barry and Randell kiss in the episode "Father Figures". It is the first Disney series to feature a same-sex kiss between a married couple.
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
argued that the revival broke down barriers through inclusion of multicultural families and characters belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. On March 10, 2022,
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
employees argued that "nearly every moment" of openly gay affection was cut due to demands from Disney executives, even if creative teams and Pixar executives objected, arguing that these employees are being barred from creating queer content in animated films. Some critics countered that Pixar also downplayed queer moments in films like ''
Turning Red ''Turning Red'' is a 2022 American animated coming-of-age fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Domee Shi and produced by Lindsey Collins, from a screenplay written by S ...
'' with the character Priya Mangal. In March 2022, amid the controversy of Disney's involvement in Florida's
Parental Rights in Education Act The Parental Rights in Education Act (HB 1557), commonly referred to as the ''Don't Say Gay'' law, is a Florida statute passed in 2022 that regulates public schools in Florida. The law is most notable for prohibiting public schools from hav ...
and lack of criticism from CEO
Bob Chapek Robert Alan Chapek (born 1959) is an American businessman and former media executive who was the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Walt Disney Company from 2020 to 2022. He joined Masimo's board of directors in 2024. Before becoming CEO, Ch ...
until after the bill had passed, three former Blue Sky staff members stated the ''
Nimona ''Nimona'' is a science fantasy graphic novel by American cartoonist ND Stevenson. The story follows the title character, a shapeshifter who joins the disgraced knight Ballister Blackheart in his plans to destroy the over-controlling Institut ...
'' film received pushback from Disney leadership, centered around the film's LGBT themes and a same-sex kiss. While staffers said that the kiss scene was taken out of presentations to Disney executives, they said still held out hope that it would be included in the final film. It was also reported in mid-March 2022 that a same-sex kiss in ''
Lightyear A light-year, alternatively spelled light year (ly or lyr), is a unit of length used to express astronomical distance, astronomical distances and is equal to exactly , which is approximately 9.46 trillion km or 5.88 trillion mi. As defined by t ...
'', which was released on June 17, was reinstated, with the film featuring the studio's "first-ever on-screen kiss between two characters of the same gender" between Alisha Hawthorne and her wife Kiko. After ''Lightyear'' performed poorly at the box office, Pixar was alleged to have attributed the financial failure to the same-sex kiss. This resulted in modifications being enforced during production of ''
Inside Out 2 ''Inside Out 2'' is a 2024 American animated coming-of-age film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The sequel to '' Inside Out'' (2015), it was directed by Kelsey Mann and was produced by Mark Nielsen, from a screen ...
'' to make the character of Riley seem "less gay", to the point of making modifications to lighting in scenes in which she is seen interacting with her friend Val, despite Riley having not been intended to be gay in the first place. An anonymous source stated to IGN that many Pixar staff members "accepted the fact that we may never see a major gay character in a Pixar movie". In November 2024,
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
reported that the ''
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur ''Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'' (or simply ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'') is an American animated superhero television series developed by Steve Loter, Jeffrey M. Howard, and Kate Kondell for Disney Channel. Based on '' Moon Girl A ...
'' season 2 episode "The Gatekeeper", about Brooklyn facing discrimination for being a transgender girl, was shelved by Disney before it aired. Several crew members, like storyboarder Derrick Malick Johnson, asserted on
social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
that Disney decided not to air the episode because of "which party that won the recent election" which likely referred to the victory of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
and the Republican Party in the
2024 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican Party (United States), Republican Party's Ticket (election), ticket—Donald Trump, who was the 45th president of ...
. Later reporting by
Collider A collider is a type of particle accelerator that brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Compared to other particle accelerators in which the moving particles collide with a stationary matter target, collid ...
asserted the episode has been on hold for over a year, which had nothing to do with the election results, but that it was unclear if it "will ever be officially released." They also reported that the episode was leaked on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
and noted criticism of the decision to not release the episode by storyboarder Emmy Cicirega, ''
Amphibia Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniotic, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all tetrapods, but excluding the amniotes (tetrapods with an amniotic ...
'' creator
Matt Braly Matthew Benjakarn Braly ( ; born November 8, 1988) is an American animator, storyboard artist, writer, and director. He is best known as the creator and executive producer of the Disney Channel animated series ''Amphibia''. He also worked as a d ...
, indie animation writer Dave Capdevielle, and ''
The Owl House ''The Owl House'' is an American animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace that aired on Disney Channel from January 10, 2020, to April 8, 2023. The series features the voices of Sarah-Nicole Robles, Wendie Malick, Alex Hi ...
'' creator Dana Terrace. James Whitbrook of ''
io9 ''io9'' is a sub-blog of the technology blog ''Gizmodo'' that focuses on science fiction and fantasy pop culture, with former focuses on science, technology and futurism. It was created as a standalone blog in 2008 by editor Annalee Newitz under ...
'', after reviewing the leaked footage, noted that "the episode is clearly not subtle" with its focus on Brooklyn and "the explicit prejudice she faces as a trans teen who wants to participate in school sports". Whitbrook reported that a Disney source claimed the intent of the hold was "to ensure material doesn't potentially push ahead discussions around social issues before families can have them themselves", however, Whitbrook also commented that "it would not be the first time Disney has capitulated to right-wing systems of power by censoring its own material". Despite being unreleased, the episode won a Velma Award, from the non-profit LGBT organization, The Rainbow Project, which was co-founded by
Chris Nee Christine Nee (born ) is an American children's television screenwriter and TV producer, producer. Nee is best known as the creator of ''Doc McStuffins'', which she conceived as ''Cheers'' for preschoolers. She has previously worked as an associat ...
, Kristi Reed, and Jeremy Blacklow. On December 17, 2024,
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
reported that Disney removed a storyline related to a transgender character in an episode within an upcoming Pixar television series '' Win or Lose'', with the company's spokesperson saying that "when it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline" while the character remains in the series, lines of dialogue that referenced
gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent and consistent with the in ...
were cut. It was also reported that the decision to cut this storyline had happened "several months ago". Chanel Stewart, the transgender actress who voices Kai, the character in question, criticized the decision, calling it "upsetting," disenheartening, and stated that "trans stories matter, and...deserve to be heard" and noted her character would be a "straight cis girl" instead. Following the announcement, a petition calling on Disney to reinstate the storyline garnered thousands of signatures. Another character that was censored was Hannah who used they/them pronouns in the original cut.


Cancellations

In February 2021, Deadline reported that the
film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of ''
Nimona ''Nimona'' is a science fantasy graphic novel by American cartoonist ND Stevenson. The story follows the title character, a shapeshifter who joins the disgraced knight Ballister Blackheart in his plans to destroy the over-controlling Institut ...
'' was cancelled due to the shutdown of
Blue Sky Studios Blue Sky Studios, Inc. was an American visual effects and computer animation animation studio, studio, which was active from 1987 to 2021. It was based in Greenwich, Connecticut, and was founded on February 22, 1987, by Chris Wedge, Michael F ...
. Webcomics commenter Gary Tyrrell criticized the decision, saying, " isney''could'' have allowed a very different kind of young heroine... I mourn for those who would have found a vision of themselves in an animated version". Sources told CBR that the film was "75% complete". Anonymous staffers at Blue Sky interviewed by
Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...
bemoaned the cancellation of the film, calling it "heartbreaking," arguing that the film "didn't look like anything else in the animated world," and saying that they believe it will never "be completed and released." A few staffers confirmed to
BuzzFeed News ''BuzzFeed News'' was an American news website published by BuzzFeed beginning in 2011. It ceased posting new hard news content in May 2023. It published a number of high-profile scoops, including the Steele dossier, for which it was strong ...
that the film had an "I love you" scene between Blackheart and Goldenloin. In June 2021, Mey Rude, a writer for ''
Out Out or OUT may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films *Out (1957 film), ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 *Out (1982 film), ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander *O ...
'', said she still held out "hope that this film...will find its way back to life somehow." In July 2021, Meggie Gates in
Bitch Bitch may refer to: * Bitch (slang), a vulgar derogatory term used primarily referring to women, but is often directed towards men as well * A female dog or other canine Bitch or bitches may also refer to: Arts and media Film and television ...
, said the film would have been Disney's first "legitimately queer film" and could have been a turning point "for how the corporation handles queerness" but that the Disney chose to "bury its gays" by cancelling the film, a blow to queer Disney fans.
Annapurna Pictures Annapurna Pictures is an American independent media company founded by Megan Ellison on April 2, 2011, and based in Los Angeles, California. It is active in film, television theatrical production and video game publishing. History Annapurna P ...
revived the film with the animation being finished by
DNEG Animation The DNEG Group, or DNEG (formerly known as Double Negative and stylized as D N E G), is a British-Indian visual effects, computer animation and stereo conversion studio that was founded in 1998 in London, and rebranded as DNEG in 2014 after ...
, and released it on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
in 2023. On October 5, 2021, in an AMA on
Reddit Reddit ( ) is an American Proprietary software, proprietary social news news aggregator, aggregation and Internet forum, forum Social media, social media platform. Registered users (commonly referred to as "redditors") submit content to the ...
, Dana Terrace, the creator of ''
The Owl House ''The Owl House'' is an American animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace that aired on Disney Channel from January 10, 2020, to April 8, 2023. The series features the voices of Sarah-Nicole Robles, Wendie Malick, Alex Hi ...
'', explained the show was cancelled not because of ratings or the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, but rather because business people at Disney believed it did not fit "into the Disney brand." She stated that this was the case due to the serialized nature of the show and an audience which "skews older," rather than due to its LGBTQ+ representation, saying she wouldn't "assume bad faith" against those she works within
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. She also noted that due to the pandemic, budgets were constrained, episodes were cut, and noted that she wasn't allowed to present a case for a fourth season, and said she believed there was a future for the show if
Disney Television Studios Disney Television Studios is the television studios arm of the Disney Entertainment division of the Walt Disney Company established on May 15, 2019 to succeed Walt Disney Television, the first and Disney General Entertainment Content#Walt Disney ...
had "different people in charge." On December 11, 2020, a project by Molly Ostertag, for
Disney Television Animation Disney Television Animation (DTVA; also shortened to Disney TVA), formerly known as Walt Disney Pictures Television Animation Group and Walt Disney Television Animation, is an American animation production company that serves as the television a ...
under the name ''Neon Galaxy'', was registered. In September 2024, Ostertag announced that ''Neon Galaxy'', a series set "in the distant future," was not moving forward at Disney, noting that it had been cancelled a few months prior despite production work for four and a half years and positive response from "kids who saw materials in early demographic testing" and songs by
Betty Who Jessica Anne Newham (born 5 October 1991), known by her stage name Betty Who, is an Australian musician and singer. After independently releasing her debut single, "Somebody Loves You (Betty Who song), Somebody Loves You" (2012), and her debut ...
. She also noted that it is a "weird, bad time" in the U.S. animation industry, with difficulty in getting series approved, and hoped The Animation Guild can win gains from the
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is a trade association based in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, that represents over 350 American television and film production companies in collective bargaining negotia ...
during negotiations for a new contract, and said that "for now, this is a farewell" for ''Neon Galaxy'' while adding "maybe one day I’ll be back." In November 2024, following the leak of the shelved ''
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur ''Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'' (or simply ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'') is an American animated superhero television series developed by Steve Loter, Jeffrey M. Howard, and Kate Kondell for Disney Channel. Based on '' Moon Girl A ...
'' episode "The Gatekeeper", Ostertag speculated that ''Neon Galaxy'' was "killed" because two members of the main cast were openly
transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
.


Awards

Some Disney animated series, with LGBTQ representation, have been nominated for awards. From 2018 to 2025, ten animated series were nominated for the
GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming The GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming is an annual award that honors children's and family programming for excellence in the treatment of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) characters and themes. It is on ...
: ''
Doc McStuffins ''Doc McStuffins'' is an animated children's television series created by Chris Nee and produced by Brown Bag Films. It aired for five seasons on Disney Jr. from March 23, 2012, to April 18, 2020. The series centers on a girl who fixes toys, w ...
'' for the episode "The Emergency Plan" (2018), ''
The Owl House ''The Owl House'' is an American animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace that aired on Disney Channel from January 10, 2020, to April 8, 2023. The series features the voices of Sarah-Nicole Robles, Wendie Malick, Alex Hi ...
'' (2021, 2022, 2023), ''
Amphibia Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniotic, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all tetrapods, but excluding the amniotes (tetrapods with an amniotic ...
'' (2022, 2023), '' The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'' (2023, 2024), ''
Firebuds ''Firebuds'' is an American animated children's comedy television series created by Craig Gerber, produced by Electric Emu Productions and Disney Television Animation. The series premiered on Disney Jr. on September 21, 2022. In January 2023, ...
'' (2024, 2025), ''
The Ghost and Molly McGee , creator = Bill Motz and Bob Roth , showrunner = Bill Motz and Bob Roth , voices = {{Plainlist, * Ashly Burch * Dana Snyder * Jordan Klepper * Sumalee Montano * Michaela Dietz * Lara Jill Miller , the ...
'' (2024), ''
Hailey's On It! ''Hailey's On It!'' is an American animated science fiction action television series created by Devin Bunje and Nick Stanton and produced by Disney Television Animation that aired on Disney Channel from June 8, 2023 to May 18, 2024. On October ...
'' (2024, 2025), ''
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur ''Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'' (or simply ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'') is an American animated superhero television series developed by Steve Loter, Jeffrey M. Howard, and Kate Kondell for Disney Channel. Based on '' Moon Girl A ...
'' (2024, 2025)., '' Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures'' (2025), '' Kiff'' (2025), ''
Monsters at Work ''Monsters at Work'' is an American animated sitcom developed by Bobs Gannaway that premiered on Disney+ on July 7, 2021, as part of Pixar's ''Monsters, Inc. (franchise), Monsters, Inc.'' franchise. Based on and a direct continuation of ''Monst ...
'' (2025) and ''
Primos PRIMOS is a discontinued operating system developed during the 1970s by Prime Computer for its minicomputer systems. It rapidly gained popularity and by the mid-1980s was a serious contender as a mainline minicomputer operating system. With t ...
'' (2025). In 2024, ''
Hailey's On It! ''Hailey's On It!'' is an American animated science fiction action television series created by Devin Bunje and Nick Stanton and produced by Disney Television Animation that aired on Disney Channel from June 8, 2023 to May 18, 2024. On October ...
'' became the first Disney animated series to win the award. In 2022, ''The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'' was nominated for the Outstanding Animated Series category at the ''
1st Children's and Family Emmy Awards The 1st Children's and Family Emmy Awards were presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) to honor the best in American children's and family-oriented Broadcast programming, television programming in 2021 and 2022. ...
'', while the voice directors of ''Amphibia'' and ''The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'' were nominated for the Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series category. The previous year ''The Owl House'' was listed among the "Children's & Youth honorees" of the
Peabody Awards The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
. In 2023, at the 2nd Children's and Family Emmy Awards, the ''
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur ''Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'' (or simply ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'') is an American animated superhero television series developed by Steve Loter, Jeffrey M. Howard, and Kate Kondell for Disney Channel. Based on '' Moon Girl A ...
'' series premiere won the award for Outstanding Animated Special, with the series also nominated for the "Outstanding Children's or Young Teen Animated Series" category along with ''
Big City Greens ''Big City Greens'' is an American animated sitcom created by the Houghton Brothers that premiered on Disney Channel on June 18, 2018. The series follows the Green family—siblings Cricket and Tilly, their father Bill, and their Gramma Alice—a ...
''. In addition, ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'' writers Lisa Muse Bryant, Jeffrey M. Howard, Kate Kondell, Liz Hara, Halima Lucas, Maggie Rose, and Taylor Vaughn Lasley were nominated for the "Outstanding Writing for an Animated Program" category. Sam Riegel was awarded the "Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series" award for ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'', while
Eden Riegel Eden Sonja Jane Riegel (born January 1, 1981) is an American actress. She portrayed Bianca Montgomery in the daytime drama ''All My Children'', and propelled the character into a gay icon, as well as a popular figure within the medium. Nominat ...
was only nominated for ''
The Ghost and Molly McGee , creator = Bill Motz and Bob Roth , showrunner = Bill Motz and Bob Roth , voices = {{Plainlist, * Ashly Burch * Dana Snyder * Jordan Klepper * Sumalee Montano * Michaela Dietz * Lara Jill Miller , the ...
''. Kaz Aiwaza was awarded for Individual Achievement in Animation in ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'' and Tatiana Bull, Aaron Drown, and Jennifer Trujillo were awarded the Outstanding Casting for an Animated Program award for ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'', with Tatiana Bull and Aaron Drown of ''The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'' as a competitor, which was nominated. Sandra Powers, Ryan Burkhard, and Phil Lomboy were nominated for Outstanding Editing for an Animated Program for ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur''. Also, in 2023, '' Strange World'' and ''
Lightyear A light-year, alternatively spelled light year (ly or lyr), is a unit of length used to express astronomical distance, astronomical distances and is equal to exactly , which is approximately 9.46 trillion km or 5.88 trillion mi. As defined by t ...
'' were nominated for the
GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Wide Release GLAAD () is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization. Originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals in the media and entertainment industries, it has since ...
. Previously, in 2022, Tim Evatt was nominated for the Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design for an Animated Film for his art direction on the film ''Lightyear''.


See also

* Netflix and LGBT representation in animation * Nickelodeon and LGBT representation * Cartoon Network and LGBT representation *
LGBTQ themes in Western animation In Western animation, LGBTQ themes means plotlines and characters which are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or otherwise queer in series, produced in Western countries, and not in Japan (i.e. anime), which can also LGBTQ themes in anime and m ...
*
Cross-dressing in film and television Cross-dressing and drag in film and television has followed a long history of cross-dressing and drag on the English stage, and made its appearance in the early days of the silent films. Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel brought the traditi ...
* Independent animation#Representations *
List of animated films with LGBT characters A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, bu ...
*
List of bisexual characters in animation This is a list of characters in animation that either self-identify as bisexual or have been identified by outside parties to be bisexual. Listed characters are either recurring characters, cameos, guest stars, or one-off characters. This articl ...
*
List of cross-dressing characters in animated series A list is a Set (mathematics), set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of t ...
*
List of fictional asexual characters This is a list of asexual characters in fiction, i.e. fictional characters that either self-identify as asexual or have been identified by outside parties to be asexual. Listed characters may also be aromantic. Not listed are celibate but not ...
*
List of fictional intersex characters This is a list of intersex characters in fiction, i.e. fictional characters that either self-identify as intersex or have been identified by outside parties to be intersex. Listed characters are either recurring characters, Cameo appearance, came ...
*
List of fictional non-binary characters This is a list of fictional non-binary gender, non-binary characters (i.e. genderqueer) identified as such in anime, animation, print media, feature films, live-action television, theatre, video games, webcomics, and other mediums. Queer identifi ...
*
List of fictional pansexual characters A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*
List of fictional trans characters This is a list of transgender characters in fiction, i.e. characters that either self-identify as transgender (often shortened to "trans") or have been identified by outside parties to be trans. Listed characters are either recurring characters, ...
*
List of gay characters in animation This is a list of fictional characters that either self-identify as Gay men, gay or have been identified by outside parties Terminology of homosexuality, to be gay, becoming part of gay media. Listed characters are either recurring characters ...
* List of lesbian characters in animation *
List of LGBT-related films by year A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{LGBTQ fiction 2000s animated television series 2010s animated television series Animated television series Disney animation Discrimination against LGBTQ people LGBTQ portrayals in mass media LGBTQ-related animation LGBTQ-related controversies in animation # 2020s anti-LGBTQ movement in the United States