Disney’s 17 “first” gay characters

Disney’s “first” gay character? I think I've seen this film before …

Transcript

00:00Disney's newest film is set to feature the first openly gay animated lead, but we need to talk

00:04about the 16 other times the company was celebrated for including its quote first LGBT character.

00:10Earlier this year, Disney came under scrutiny when it was revealed they were donating money

00:13to legislators in Florida backing the state's Don't Say Gay Bill. Shortly after, a group of

00:17LGBTQ plus Pixar employees alleged that Disney corporate executives regularly censor same-sex

00:23affection in films. However, Disney has aimed to rewrite their history of queer representation by

00:27regularly pioneering their quote first gay character. Starting in 2016, Disney began

00:31featuring minor characters who make subtle references to same-sex attraction. However,

00:35these brief moments of representation are often irrelevant to the plot of the film

00:39and leave a minor impression on audiences. Thus, with each new or more prominently featured

00:43character, they're often heralded as the first. So when it comes to Disney's newest film,

00:47Strange World, which features a biracial gay teenager as its lead, audiences are hopeful

00:51for the long-standing representation it could bring. The character is voiced by openly gay

00:55actor Jaboukie Young-White, who said it's quote a normal reflection of reality.