By Edie Bellingham
The battle for positive queer representation in popular media platforms like Disney has been a continuous battle. Executives argue that what LGBTQ+ media promotes is “inappropriate”, such as the case with creator Alex Hirsch, and the first form of queer representation merely being queer-coding villains, such as Ursula from The Little Mermaid. This lack of not just LGBTQ+ representation itself, but positive and healthy LGBTQ+ representation, has exacerbated the need for media corporations like Disney to be more inclusive. Being queer is a part of someone’s identity, and to dismiss someone’s right to representation means to dismiss their right to express who they are.
Although there have been some improvements in Disney’s form of queer representation, it is important to discuss the errors and misrepresentations of the past so we know what not to do when moving forward.
The Struggle for Presentation
Despite creators having fought for inclusivity in their shows, a notable example of them being forced to erase LGBTQ+ representation is that of Alex Hirsch and his children TV series Gravity Falls on Disney Channel. This show is centered around twin siblings Mabel and Dipper Pines and their summer holiday in the mysterious, yet exciting, supernatural town of Gravity Falls.
Photo: Alex Hirsch – creator of Gravity Falls
Like Rebecca Sugar, creator of the Cartoon Network Steven Universe series, Hirsch has been vocal about imposed restrictions from Disney producers and executives on LGBTQ+ representation. Hirsch has confirmed that two of the extra characters, Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Darland, were in a canon romantic relationship, even featuring them getting married in one of the Gravity Falls colouring book merchandise. However, it was never actually confirmed in the show, with only a few hints that could be taken as having romantic undertones. Hirsch revealed that: “Back when I made [Gravity Falls] Disney FORBADE me from any explicit LGBTQ+ rep. Apparently ‘happiest place on earth’ meant ‘straightest.’” They made sure that Hirsch was unable to include an explicitly gay romance, in reference to the characters of Blubs and Darland.
Harmful Representation in The Media
However, just because a show, novel or movie features LGBTQ+ characters (or at least queer-coded characters), it does not necessarily mean that it is a positive and good form of representation, as queer-baiting and perpetuation of harmful stereotypes are still especially prominent in today’s age.
For example, before LGBTQ+ awareness became increasingly significant, the first and only form of “representation” came in the form of infamously queer-coding villains, effectively demonising and vilifying the LGBTQ+ community. This is evident in Ursula’s character from The Little Mermaid (1989), where Rob Minkoff, one of the animators, stated: “I did a design based on Divine {drag queen} … {and} when Howard Ashman came in to look at the designs he zeroed in on that one”. Divine was a real-life, widely known drag queen that had starred in Hairspray (1988) as Edna Turnblad, and the creators implemented certain notable elements of hers and the collective drag queen community into Ursela’s final character. Examples of this range from her appearance to her vocal elements (e.g. low growls).
Queer-coding villains is also apparent in Scar from The Lion King and even Jafar from Aladdin, where they purposefully embody harmful stereotypes of queer people, such as extremely high pitched voices and flashiness in men, and low pitched voices and predatory behaviour in women. This only highlights the need for genuinely good and accurate representations of LGBTQ+ people. Otherwise, audience members will in turn learn to also associate queer people — those that are said to display these ‘villanous’ characteristics — with wickedness and sin. However, although some audience members absolutely love these villains despite the fact that they are evil — with some even arguing that it has helped them to discover and embrace their own sexuality and gender identity — the issue is still apparent of how the first form of LGBTQ+ representation was not based on acceptance or love, but rather on malevolence and for entertainment-purposes.
It also does not help with the issue of adult and especially children’s media being influenced by hate-groups and homophobic or heteronormative individuals who view LGBTQ+ representation as “gay propaganda” and “impure”. For even the smallest form of queer representation, there are those that say it is harmful for it can “convert” someone’s sexuality and make a once straight person queer-identifying. However, as most of you will already know by now, this is all misinformation spread throughout as a way of riling up hate for the LGBTQ+ community. The reason why it is so important to fight for LGBTQ+ representation, and fix the errors of the media in the past, is because someone’s sexuality and gender identity is NOT malleable or changeable, or influenced by one’s environment, but rather something that you are BORN with. Being queer is not a choice, so instead people can choose to create media that is more inclusive towards the LGBTQ+ community; it is their basic right as a human being to be respected and well-represented.
Hence, the need for positive representation still stands.