Share
Who was the first Lgbtq Disney character?
Question
Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email.
Answer ( 1 )
Disney characters are famous for being diverse and inclusive of different cultures, races, religions, and sexual orientations. And now, a new study shows that Disney movies have also become more accepting of the LGBTQ community.
According to a report published by GLAAD, Disney films released between 2010 and 2017 had a record number of LGBTQ characters compared to previous years. In fact, the company added more queer characters than ever before.
GLAAD analyzed 1,200 film credits and discovered that Disney introduced more LGBTQ characters than any other studio during that time period.
This year, Disney introduced four LGBTQ characters — Moana, Frozen 2′s Elsa, Aladdin’s Jasmine, and Beauty and the Beast’s LeFou. That’s double the amount of queer characters introduced last year.
And while the numbers aren’t huge, it’s still a significant increase. For example, in 2011, Disney introduced just one LGBTQ character — Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas.
It’s not clear why Disney is adding more LGBTQ characters to their movie roster. But it could be because the company wants to appeal to a wider audience.
Disney’s recent success has led to increased diversity within the entertainment industry. Last year, Marvel introduced Captain America: Civil War’s Black Panther and Doctor Strange’s Kamala Khan.
And earlier this month, Netflix announced that Luke Cage will debut next year.
The First Lgbtq Disney Character Was…
Disney created its first gay character in 1991 when it introduced two male penguins named Phil and Todd at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom park. The characters were intended to be a cute couple who would interact with guests.
However, the public didn’t take to the idea of gay penguins. They thought the characters looked too feminine and felt uncomfortable watching them kiss. So, Disney removed the characters from the park after only three months.
Disney later brought back the characters in 1999. This time, the company changed the name to Phillip and he became a female penguin. However, this change did not go over well either. Many people still found the characters’ appearance and behavior too effeminate.
Finally, in 2001, Disney decided to give the characters a gender neutral name, Diego. But, the public never warmed up to the new names. People complained that the characters looked too masculine.
Today, there are no gay or lesbian characters in any Disney theme parks.
A Mouse
Disney created its first gay character in 1991 when Walt Disney World introduced Scrooge McDuck as a playable character in the video game Mickey Mania. The character was later featured in the 1992 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Scrooge McDuck was the first openly gay cartoon character in mainstream media. He was voiced by actor Don Knotts.
An Elephant
Disney characters are some of our favorite things. They’re cute, funny, and memorable. And they’ve been entertaining us since 1955 when Walt Disney introduced Mickey Mouse. But did you know there were gay Disney characters too?
There are two openly gay Disney characters: Goofy and Donald Duck. Both were created by Carl Barks, who wrote many classic Disney stories including the comic strip “Donald Duck”. He was known for his use of puns and double entendres.
Goofy was originally named Mortimer Snerd, after a popular radio show at the time. The name was changed to Goofy because he reminded Barks of Mortimer Snerd.
Barks’ original story idea for Donald Duck was inspired by a real duck he saw on a train platform. He called him Daffy Duck, but decided to change the name to Donald Duck because he thought it sounded funnier.
While we may not be able to meet them in person, these two gay Disney characters are still very important to me. They represent acceptance, tolerance, and diversity.
A Lion
Disney created its first gay character in 1992 when it introduced Simba, who was born male but later changed his gender to female. He became the first gay Disney prince.
Simba was followed by another gay Disney prince, Mufasa, who appeared in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride. Mufasa was the father of Simba and Nala, who were raised together as brothers.
Mufasa was killed by Scar, who usurped the throne after killing Mufasa. Scar ruled over the kingdom until he was overthrown by Simba.
Scar’s evil nephew, Zazu, voiced the role of Mufasa’s friend and advisor.
Zazu was the only non-princess character to appear in every film. He was voiced by Jim Cummings.
Other characters included Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki, Shenzi, Ed, Kion, Kovu, Hakuna Matata, and Sarabi.
The Lion King II: Simbas Pride was released in theaters on July 19, 1995.