If I’d grown up with a queer Disney princess, I wonder if I’d have come out sooner. When I was young, it wouldn’t have been safe for me to come out—if I had, I probably wouldn’t be here today. But as a child, a queer Disney icon would have helped me to feel less alone. With such a role model, perhaps I’d have come out about my sexual identity in my twenties—and what a different life I’d have lived.
This week, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Disney took a step that my partner and I believed it never would. Before now, we’d been heartened by the short-lived appearance of a queer character in “Onward“, who refers, conversationally, to her wife. And we’ve always been fans of Squishy from “Monsters University” who is fey, sweet, and well-meaning. Also, what’s not to love about Disney’s delightfully inclusive “Zootopia“? But neither of us was prepared for one of Disney’s central characters to actually say, “I’m queer. Yes, me.” Because owning it is the riskiest part, right? [Read the full article here]
