Inside the inevitability of queer Disney
Since The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923, the country has changed drastically. The company has been around to witness events like the start and end of World War II, the beginnings of America’s civil rights movement, the end of segregation, and the federal legalization of gay marriage.
Through all that change, the brand has adjusted its content and participated in society’s embracing of new eras, and it’s time for the next: Real, honest portrayals of LGBTQIA+ characters and stories.Though it’s certainly tried to reflect the queer community in media, many of the characters Disney has depicted in the last few years are microscopic, half-hearted attempts at true representation.
Getting this company to fully embrace queerness is like getting Nemo to not touch the butt of the boat. And while some may argue Disney has to start small and work their way up to true representation, these queer appearances have mostly remained as small as they started.
It’s only recently that Disney’s queer representation has gained proper footing, though, which means that the next era of the company’s family friendly content is finally going to start including LGBTQIA+ families, too.
