Why Disney’s Next Character Needs to Be LGBT

Same-sex marriage has been legal since June 26, 2015. So what’s up with the under-representation of gay couples on some television networks? It’s clear that the LGBTQ community is looking for affirmation and representation after their victory, but many networks seem ambivalent.

There have definitely been a fair share of rumors about gay characters in Disney productions. When “Frozen” first premiered, a swarm of theories about Elsa being a lesbian arose. Disney fans rallied for the cause, promoting the tag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend. The woman who created the tag, Alexis Isabel Moncada, explained her take on the issue in an interview with MTV.

“The entertainment industry has given us girls who have fallen in love with beasts, ogres who fall for humans, and even grown women who love bees,” she points out. “But we’ve never been able to see the purity in a queer relationship.”

Rumors about gay couples in Disney films don’t stop there. When “Finding Dory” debuted, people whispered about the existence of a potential gay couple in the movie. The said couple appears with a baby stroller that an octopus flies into. The short haircut of one of the women and presence of a baby was apparently enough pretense for the gay suspicion to arise.

Despite the lack of representation in its films, Disney has tested the waters on one of its popular sitcoms, “Good Luck Charlie,” in which  two moms bring their daughter over for a playdate. Seemingly tame right? Well, Disney faced some pretty extreme backlash for it.

The conservative group One Million Moms claimed that Disney was pushing an agenda on their children. Incidents like these are perhaps why Disney is hesitant placing openly gay characters in their productions. But who needs inclusion when you’re getting views?

All in all, a gay character is long past due to appear in a Disney movie. Now that same-sex marriage is legal in the United States, we’re hoping that a plan is in the works to reflect this monumental change. The tides are changing, Disney. Grab a boogie board and go with the flow.