It's not just Disney doing it. Miley Cyrus has referred to her own gender and sexuality as fluid, calling herself "pansexual" and "gender-neutral" in interviews. It’s something everyone wants, to feel understood," she wrote. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Liv and Maddie are Members of the LGBTQ+ Community, Lili Reinhart Opens Up About Being Bisexual, The Best Pride Gear From LGBTQ-Friendly Companies, The Ultimate Pride Playlist From LGBTQ Artists, LGBTQ Shows on Netflix That are Perfect to Binge, NikkieTutorials Slams Trolls Who Call Her “Boy”, Social Stategy Manager, Hearst Digital Media. We may earn commission from the links on this page. Disney characters were about hope, optimism and, above all else, making sure children were able to enjoy their innocence for as long as the outside world would permit. Instead, it saw itself as a conduit to social change. The removal of this character meant the removal of a complex love interest with an LGBTQ theme that fit so naturally into the story of Mulan, and it was a huge missed opportunity for Disney to up its representation game. In 2017, a Mississippi attorney who identifies as a homosexual objected to the "gay" content in Disney's live remake of "Beauty and the Beast," saying children should not be exposed to adult topics that seek to destroy their innocence. "I also never really understood it. Here are 7 other times Disney stars said shocking things about sex, sexuality, and sexual preference. 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Another Teen Beach Movie star, Mollee Gray says she kept her sexuality hidden because she was worried it would impact her career. The star of 'That's So Raven,' a Disney Channel staple, officially came out when gay marriage was legalized across the United States by tweeting "I can finally get married!" "I can love people of every gender identity and expression," the former Disney Channel star wrote in an essay for Teen Vogue. Many LGBTQ Disney fans consider Li Shang a bisexual icon. Demi Lovato doesn't owe anyone an exact label for her sexuality, but she said in her documentary, 'Simply Complicated,' that she's interested in dating men and women. "What It Was Like to Fall In Love With a Woman. Disney Channel’s Andi Mack is making history with the network’s first story line about a gay character coming out.. From DCOMs to 5-minute shows, the channel had everything a kid could want, including lovable actors that brought their hit series to life. Actress Sofia Wylie, who plays the character Gina, told the newspaper she thinks the goal is for teen homosexual relationships to become more normalized. In true Disney fashion, the cast member who invited the other fellow shows up alone at the dance. In an episode titled, "Just Friends," Star, Jackie, and Marco attend a concert by the band Love Sentence. Disney has made history with its first bisexual lead character in a kids’ show, according to reports. And my name is Josie Totah.” Totah began her career as a child actor on the Disney Channel show Jessie . Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. Diversity is making its way onto the Disney Channel. #celebratepride Pollari said the role was especially meaningful to him because it was similar to his own experience as a gay man. The upcoming Disney film Jungle Cruise will reportedly feature the first openly gay character in a full-length Disney live-action feature film. Last year, Disney cast its first openly gay lead character in its upcoming film "Jungle Cruise" which will appear in theaters next summer. God is everywhere—even in the news. Stoner shared that she identifies as a queer woman in a personal essay called "What It Was Like to Fall In Love With a Woman.". The PBS animated children's television series "Arthur" featured a beloved character who married his male partner in a same-sex wedding. HOLLYWOOD -- Disney has taken a big step toward LGBTQ+ representation by having a bisexual lead character in the Disney Channel series, "The … She previously starred in the Disney Channel hit show Jessie and opposite Mindy Kaling in the series Champions. "It is the soul that captivates me." Some of your favorite Disney Channel stars are also proud members of the beautiful LGBTQIA+ community. Actress Josie Totah shared that she was transgender in a personal essay for TIME in August 2018. ", "Maybe 13 years ago it wasn't, even then, the time to embrace that fully," Federle said. Who is transgender Princess Alexis? I was like, attracted to girls but not all girls, so I was battling what that meant.”. ", In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, actor Frankie Rodriguez said: "I think we kind of forget where we were 13 years ago. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. Disney uses LGBTQ representation to drum up interest, but ultimately forces its audiences to draw its own conclusions. In 2017, the Disney Channel’s animated action series Star vs. the Forces of Evil featured a same-sex kiss in the background. Disney has the right to make their cartoons, it's a free country. Now, a lot of stars from our favorite Disney Channel franchises have shared that they're part of the LGBTQ community! Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. Derived from deconstructing texts from the s traight way of life, queer theory allows audiences to see their favorite characters in a slightly different way, with Disney movies a perfect example of such readings. Here are 11 familiar Disney faces who identify on the queer spectrum... You probably recognize Garrett from the DCOMs Teen Beach Movie and Teen Beach 2, but he's since taken on new projects like the movie Reach. The Forces Of Evil. Perhaps the most famous example of a direct tie to the LGBT community, Disney created the iconic villain Ursula the Sea Witch using the likeness and personality of drag queen Divine. Disney Channel's "Andi Mack" will feature its first LGBT storyline by having one of the main characters, 13-year-old Cyrus Goodman, discover his sexuality in season two. In an Orlando Sentinel op-ed, Joseph R. Murray said the company is straying away from Walt Disney's original vision to "entertain children" and is now pushing a political agenda. Seventeen participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. That’s not to say there isn’t hope for Disney entertainment—in 2017, the live–action Disney channel show Andi Mack had a celebrated coming out storyline for one of its main protagonists. People Outraged After Disney Casts First Openly Gay Lead Character – But Not for the Reason You'd Think, An LGBTQ Mary Poppins? Disney features gay scene in AndiMack Season 3 finale, published on Jul 26, 2019 | Screenshot: YouTube/DisneyChannelUS. Disney has also received backlash from its fans over the last few years about its progressive agenda. As a result, evangelist Franklin Graham and other conservatives called on parents to boycott Disney's "LGBT agenda.". Dove Cameron Says … On February 15, 2016, series finale of Gravity Falls, aired on the Disney Channel featured Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland confirmed as a gay couple. And 2017 was also the year Disney made headlines when it aired a cartoon showing gay men kissing. In fact, Disney is so open to LGBT audiences, that a number of queer theorists have used the Disney canon as a way of queer reading characters. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. Stay informed with the latest from CBN News delivered to your inbox. LGBT kids deserve to grow up with queer Disney characters they can look up to and emulate, no matter what some theater in Alabama thinks. Zendaya’s former co-star is hardly the first Disney star to be outspoken about her sexuality. 11 Disney Channel Hotties Who Made Our Hearts Throb. Disney featured a lesbian character on Doc McStuffins for pre-schoolers two years ago. ", let people in on the fact that she's bisexual on Twitter, Most Iconic Disney Channel Reunions of All Time, Alyson Stoner Comes Out as LGBT With New Single. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. "I have an opportunity now on Disney+, which is, in its own way, trying to announce itself as being a ... streaming channel where they're going to surprise viewers.". She stayed connected to her Disney roots, though, and a bunch of the stars crashed her album release party. The event called "Magical Pride" and took place on June 1 at Disneyland Paris. In January, the company that Walt built announced it was bringing LGBTQ pride to one of its theme parks for the first time in its history. Here is a look back at how Walt Disney Television has helped make LGBTQ history on TV: "That Certain Summer" (ABC Movie of the Week, 1972) The … Disney featured a lesbian character on Doc McStuffins for pre-schoolers two years ago. Alexis is the first of apparently many transgender or gender non-specific Disney protagonists in a line up of productions starting mid 2019. October 09 2020 12:32 AM. Clayton shared some special info on Instagram ahead of the movie's release in 2018, opening up that he and his longterm partner have dealt with suicide and other tough topics the film covered. First, it was the Disney Channel that introduced a teen gay romance in its now-canceled series "Andi Mack." In the Disney production titled Alex Is, the story revolves around the main … Now, that trend is continuing as Disney+'s "High School Musical: The Series" has gone progressive, highlighting a teen gay romance. Another DCOM star, Kiyoko first hit the small screens with her starring role in 'Lemonade Mouth' before she became the "queen of lesbians" (according to some fans) with her hit single, 'Girls Like Girls.' You may know her from 'Mike's Super-Short Show,' her many cameos on 'The Suite Life,' or her starring role in 'Camp Rock.' That’s why we view every news story through the lens of faith. Lesbian fangirl probably reading a book in the woods or watching highlights from RuPaul's Drag Race right now. In a recent episode of “Star Vs.The Forces Of Evil,” the first animated series created by a woman, Daron Nefcy, for the Disney XD channel, one of the lead characters, Marco Diaz, assumes the identity of “Princess Turdina” to help save St. Olga’s Reform School for Wayward Princesses from the evil grip of the schoolmaster, Ms. Heinous. It sponsored its very own LGBTQ diversity parade. "The vision for Walt's world was clear: Entertain children. An Andi Mack character has made history by seemingly being the first character on a Disney show to say “I’m gay.”. The "High School Musical" made-for-tv franchise began in 2006 on the Disney Channel. New Disney CEO refuses demand to remove ‘LGBT ideology ... Disney Channel shows have also explored LGBT+ themes for the first time – ending a decades-long informal ban on gay content. "Somewhere along the line, Disney went off course," he continued. 1 This 'Girl Meets World' star has become an LGBTQ icon for her activism and visibility outside of the show. The Walt Disney Company is bringing bisexuality to its Disney Channel children’s cartoons with the recent revelation that the lead character in the animated series “The Owl House” is a 14-year-old Dominican-American girl who is attracted to both women and men, according to CNN. 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Whether they identify as gay, bisexual, transgender… She's also done a great deal of work for the LGBTQ community; Cyrus founded the Happy Hippie Foundation, which helps homeless queer youth. But wait, the guy he invited to the dance shows up after all and they share a slow dance together. As Newsbusters reports, the Dec. 6 episode of the series titled "Homecoming" features the high school's homecoming dance in which one male cast member invites another male cast member to the dance. Start streaming today. (Side note: Coming out is more about letting people in — it's not your job or responsibility to define yourself for other people and tell them ANYTHING about your personal life, but if you want to spread the word and provide more visibility for a vibrant and beautiful group of humans, then go on with your bad self!). But there is yet to be an openly gay main Disney character. Pride means strength, selfless, friends, family, and YOU! Trending: Disney Channel just made a huge leap forward in LGBT representation. Walt Disney became Harvey Milk.". Disney has confirmed its first bisexual lead character. Disney’s first openly gay character was introduced in the 2017 live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. Gay marriage wasn't legal, so even though it seems like that was 50 years away, it really wasn't. By the time the third High School Musical movie appeared in 2008, it was so popular that Disney released it in theaters first before airing it on their channel. He told The Advocate that he came out at 18. Also available on most smart TVs and streaming services. Disney+ is the exclusive home for your favorite movies and TV shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. In the latest blatant example of children's media producers pushing an LGBTQ agenda on children, Disney has introduced the first teen gay romance to their "High School Musical" franchise. "They're trying to push the LGBT agenda into the hearts and minds of your children—watch out! Thu Aug 1, 2019 - 5:49 pm EST LGBT representation on Disney Channel. "I was never really taught to love a gender," Gray told The Advocate. For the first time in Disney's history, a LGBTQ character is playing a lead role in an animated series appearing on the Disney Channel. I identify as female, specifically as a transgender female. ", In the same interview, series creator Tim Federle appears to denounce the original High School Musical for not showing the gay side of teenage life and plans on taking the "opportunity" to "surprise viewers. Disney Channel series “Andi Mack” has made history by depicting the network's first teenage gay couple.. The Disney Channel animated series The Owl House has taken a major step in making the LGBTQ+ fan-shipping of protagonist Luz and Amity, aka Lumity, officially canon. Zendaya's co-star in 'Shake It Up' has been in the spotlight for years, and recently let people in on the fact that she's bisexual on Twitter. Unless you were living under a rock from the years 1990 to 2010, you know what the Disney Channel is. Seventeen picks products that we think you'll love the most. But as Christians, we also have the right not to support their company. Newsbusters writer Lindsay Kornick says it best, noting: "The only thing worse than the horribly dull and pandering plot is the media glorifying it. #TV. Some of this backlash has come from unlikely sources. But, when the So You Think You Can Dance finalist was preparing to get married, she felt it was time to go public about her 4-year relationship with Jeka Jane. Hirsch confirms that though he attempted to push for LGBT+ characters in Gravity Falls, Disney executives prevented him from including explicitly gay characters. Related: Disney’s Token LGBT Scenes Don’t Help Avengers Or Star Wars Pass Visibility Test In a recent Twitter thread, Hirsch compares his experience running Gravity Falls to that of Owl House showrunner Dana Terrace. She's said in multiple interviews that she identifies as "queer" because she's open to dating any gender. Last March, Rob Marshall, the openly gay director of Mary Poppins Returns, said the next installment of the classic film should promote LGBTQ rights. Get it, girl! And Disney understood that part of its mission was to provide a buffer for as long as possible," he wrote. Retrieved from "https://lgbt.wikia.org/wiki/Category:Disney_Characters?oldid=45748" We knew him as Miles in Avalon High before he hit the big screens as a potential interest for Simon, the title character in the viral movie Love, Simon. Disney Channel and Nickelodeon once limited their celebration of LGBT Pride Month to social media platforms, but are now broadcasting commercials placing the issue in front of America’s children. Disney Channel ramps up its LGBTQ agenda in ‘Andi Mack’ show for kids The network's first teen homosexual couple was revealed on the season's last episode. "No longer did it see itself as a defender of children's innocence. "When my friends and family call me Josie, it feels like I’m being seen. The series is really shedding light as to what high school life is like right now and making sure that those kids that have never seen themselves onscreen have, finally, someone to connect to. And 2017 was also the year Disney made headlines when it aired a cartoon showing gay men kissing. I hope Christians everywhere will say no to Disney," he said in a Facebook post. © 2021 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. 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