The House of Mouse has decided to take a stand against Florida and its officials. It is against “Don’t Say Gay,” happily employs members of the LGBTQ+ community, and makes it very clear in its literature that everyone is accepted in their parks.

But what about in their movies? For Disney, it seems tokenism is the name of the game. Yet there is hope for the much-beloved juggernaut.

Acceptance First

Pixabay

The fact that Disney is prepared to stand up against very real governmental threats in support of their LGBTQ+ employees and patrons is admirable. They have stepped their foot in a culture war where one side is for unity and a live-and-let-live mentality while the other is shutting libraries and seemingly banning actual people.
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One thing to remember is that Walt Disney himself was not the most progressive individual. He was on the record as associating with known antisemitic individuals when founding the Motion Picture Alliance. Disney was also anti-black, green-lighting films such as Song of the South (famously vaulted by the company) and using racist slurs.

Therefore, it is fascinating to chart the journey from the man to the corporation he spawned. Regardless of whether you enjoy their films, parks, or any of their properties, you are very much aware that they have stood by the LGBTQ+ community and plan to do so into the future.

Where They Falter

Disney

In the past ten or so years, Disney has created a fascinating new phenomenon. The “first” gay character. It is something of a dog whistle for the LGBTQ+ community as it has been touted in so many Disney properties that it is getting a bit tiring.

Consider the fact that these were noticed by fans and often actual Disney announcements: Lefou in Beauty and the Beast (he is shown briefly dancing with another man), MacGregor in Jungle Cruise (his “interests lie elsewhere”), and Ethan Clade in Strange World (he admits to a crush on a boy).

Related: All 10 Times Disney Introduced Its First Openly Gay Character (and Gave Us Nothing)

These are all from the main Disney universe—the straight-from-Disney (no pun intended) properties. Granted, there are quite a number of characters that audiences identify as LGBTQ+, but Disney has never acknowledged them.

Does Acquisition Make It Better?

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The good thing is that some of the Disney acquisitions have been a bit more forthright about their LGBTQ+ characters, most notably the MCU. Though they faltered with Endgame’s gay mourner (also touted as a first), they have since presented us with Valkyrie (Thor: Love and Thunder), America Chavez (Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness), and Phastos (Eternals).

Pixar has had a few of its own moments in movies such as Onward, Finding Dory, and Toy Story 4. No, you didn’t miss them. They were just very, very quick. However, Pixar’s big moment was Lightyear, where a character was featured in an actual relationship.

Related: Disney Severs Ties with Pixar’s Lightyear Director and the Producer Instrumental to Toy Story 2’s Success

But let’s talk about these properties. Disney can clap all they want about how great they are and how representative these acquisitions make their company, but it doesn’t stop a very real fact: Disney cuts scenes. They cut them in foreign markets where they know they will not be accepted, cancel shows (See: Disney+’s Owl House) with LGBTQ+ content, and still stand up and say they are a representative company.

So the question is: are they? Is Disney a company that genuinely believes in LGBTQ+ representation, or are they doing the bare minimum and allowing their other properties to do the heavy lifting?

Disney has acquired a sizable number of properties to present their version of LGBTQ+ content. However, it is once again tokenism. It is not a true representation. Disney wants people to see them as accepting, but acceptance is not the same as presenting representative content. They appear to be happy to take people’s money but scared to give them true screen time.

How to Make It Right

Disney

Disney has an opportunity. Because they have taken sides and supported the LGBTQ+ community, they have already angered a number of people. Why not double down? If these people are lost to them, why not ignore them? Disney could take this opportunity to weather the storm, hold fast, and develop a movie (animated or live-action) that features a main character who explicitly identifies as LBGTQ+ in a way that cannot be cut or worked around in different markets.

One of the most backed theories is that Elsa from the Frozen franchise is queer, with fans assuming she would come out in the sequel. However, that never happened. Now, with Frozen 3 in the works, this could be Disney’s opportunity to show her in a loving, normal relationship with a partner of her choosing. It would empower so many people, and Disney would go down in history as finally admitting (albeit a bit late) that these people exist and want to grow up seeing films they can relate to.

This brings us to the final straw. Disney+ currently has its Pride Collection featured on its main page. It is not a hug but rather a handshake for the LGBTQ+ community. The shows and movies are either not Disney-original content or have a few token gay characters. It is a blueprint of the first step in what should be a wonderfully representative catalog from a company that people desperately love.

Disney can make it better. They can hug the LGBTQ+ community and understand they will receive only love in return. Representation leads to acceptance, and when a company as massive as Disney tells children that things are okay, they might grow up feeling even more empowered.