It's Not Just 'Frozen': Most Disney Films Are Subtly Pro-Gay

[FarCenter]

The culture warriors have decided: Disney’s Frozen is queer. Elsa hiding her ice-powers could be read as a metaphor for the closet, the Oscar-winning “Let it Go” plays like a coming-out anthem, and a character in the film evokes the question of whether homosexuality is a choice by inquiring of Elsa’s powers, “born with it or cursed?” Some liberals have praised the film for its subtext; some conservatives have denounced it.

But the most remarkable thing about queer readings of the film may be how unremarkable they really are. Through both its corporate practices and the content of its films, Disney for decades has implemented the so-called "gay agenda"—which is to say, helping make the world a more accepting place.

To start in the most obvious place: As a business, Disney has long held a progressive attitude toward LGBT people. Gay pride events have been hosted at Disney World since 1991, and the company started offered its gay employees health insurance benefits for their partners since 1995, a decision that wasn’t entirely popular back then.

One of the most poignant examples of the company’s tolerant atmosphere is the case of lyricist Howard Ashman, who was openly gay and died of AIDS in 1991. Not only did Ashman write songs for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, he was also closely involved in those films’ productions, casting actors and holding story meetings with animators. At the end of Beauty and the Beast, Disney acknowledged his contributions with this tribute: “To our friend Howard Ashman who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful.”



Read more: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/04/its-not-just-frozen-disney-has-always-been-subtly-pro-gay/361060/

[2naSalit]

1. Huh.

I always thought they were overtly sexist...

[The Straight Story]

6. Pretty sure just about everyone could find an axe to grind with them on something

From worker pay to family portrayal, lack of religion, Bambi's mom getting shot, etc and so on.

Pretty much the same as any issue - depends on the lens you are viewing it through and what you are looking for.

[upaloopa]

2. I was at Disneyland in the 80's where two girls got up to dance

when the parade of lights was going by and two security guards chased them off the patio where they were dancing. I can still see the fear on the girls faces as the security guards went after them. They went from spontaneous joy to fear in a matter
of seconds.
I was really shaken by that and remember it well.

[SomethingFishy]

3. There was no fucking agenda in Frozen..

pro or anti-gay. Jesus you really have to dig deep to come up with that. I saw the movie, and I saw it after I heard about the "gay agenda". I tried really really hard to find the "pro-gay" message. There wasn't one. There wasn't an anti-gay message either. Just some decent animation and a few crappy songs. The only message I got from it was "you can't hide from your problems".

You want a cartoon with a subversive message see the Lego Movie. That movie was all about "breaking the rules".

[LuvLoogie]

11. Watching Frozen again with my daughters.

The songs are great. It's a great movie. And you're right about there not being any agenda other than the general overcoming of obstacles through independence, self-acceptance and love.

[gollygee]

4. There's a same-sex parent family in Frozen too

http://www.policymic.com/articles/79455/7-moments-that-made-frozen-the-most-progressive-disney-movie-ever

5. Oaken's gay family
Hey, did you notice the gay character? I didn't either, until I went to see the film a second time. It turns out that giant man in "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna" is probably gay. When he throws in the sauna package for Kristoff, he turns to say "Hello, family!" and BAM! there they are.

[LuvLoogie]

12. Nope. The older female is the wife.

It is "a" family, not necessarily his family.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. I find this article to be annoying at least. Disney does not 'host' any 'gay pride'

events at all, there is a 'Gay Day' at Disney but they don't fucking host it, it is just people showing up on the same day. The whole thing started as protest of Disney's oppressive anti gay policies in their parks. They were brutal. They were terrible. They were faced down by brave and mostly very young men and women until mass turn out 'Gay Day' as organized to face them down more strongly.
I refuse to read the rest of this half baked revisionism.

[Wounded Bear]

7. Disney has a pretty blatant pro-money agenda...

LGBT need not apply. This sounds like more projection from the RW, Atlantic source notwithstanding.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

8. Funny, someone at Disney showed me a letter accusing them of being...

"hetero-normative propagandists" among other things.

[Tikki]

9. WOW, I got something totally different from the story.

I saw it as a family dealing with mental illness. And love's true kiss as the overcoming of the
prejudice of those with mental illness by showing real concern and love by both sisters to each other.


Tikki

[Baitball Blogger]

10. I remember Howard Ashman's work.

What a brutal loss.