Disney Characters Who Did More For Gay Rights Than Canonically Gay Disney Characters
It is no great secret that Disney fears gay characters. Their main goal being preposterous movie sales, they’ve found that including notable queer characters is simply too controversial to be of interest. Then why is Disney SO gay? While there are seldom few canonically gay characters in the Disney collection, many have been coded gay. This is dedicated to those who truly make Disney magical.
Timon and Puumba
You saw this one coming from a mile away, so I’m featuring it front and center. These two lovable gluttons live beyond the Pride Lands (hehe), far from the rest of animal civilization. From the onset, we recognize them as outsiders, and can’t ignore the implications of two bachelors living so far from everyone else. Not only that, in a famous Disney moment, Timon offers to “dress in drag and do the hula” as a distraction for our other protagonists. Moreover, we cannot ignore that he is voiced by Broadway legend and gay icon, Nathan Lane, who notably played a queen in The Birdcage. For this, as well as their “alternative” lifestyle, Timon and Puumba from The Lion King stand out as some of our favorite gay adoptive dads.
Jumba and Pleakley
Speaking of icons in drag, let’s not forget these two comedic aliens from Lilo and Stitch who, when they needed disguises, immediately opted to pose as a romantic couple. Although Jumba’s outfit could certainly be mistaken for common vacationer garb, one can’t help but compare him to a gay man from Miami. In fact, he dresses an awful like Robin Williams in The Birdcage. Jumba’s total bear-on-vacation vibe is one thing, but Pleakley’s growing admiration for drag defines the gayness in this movie. In a notable moment, Jumba even forces Pleakley to let him try on a wig too and Pleakley retorts, “You’re just jealous cause I’m pretty!” If Timon and Puumba are Disney’s signature adoptive gay dads, then Jumba and Pleakley are the gay uncles.
Mulan
Although this movie has much more to do with exceeding the rigid expectations of gender roles, once more the drag in Mulan inherently elevates it to queer coding. Our fearless heroine navigates the weird and exciting world of gender performance in a noble effort to bring honor to her family. Mulan has always been a light in a dark tunnel for questioning trans youth, not to mention the joy this movie gave to a whole queer generation thinking of bisexual Shang falling in love with Mulan. This movie, like many of Disney’s greats, has gay written all over it. We salute you Mulan.
The Cast of Atlantis
This category may feel broad, but it’s for good reason. There is an interesting universal wlw vibe that Atlantis: The Lost Empire exudes. Frankly, I struggled to exactly pinpoint what it is about this movie’s characters that possess such a gay woman aura, until I reached out to a friend with an art degree. We came to the conclusion that Atlantis’s bold take is that animated women should look different from each other. The art direction of this movie produced such distinct and unique characters, with whom many young lesbians and non-binary individuals have identified. For proof of its effect, there is this thread on the wlw energy of Atlantis, full of responses like “Is this what I look like or who I love?” and the replies: “Yes.”
Kuzco
Perhaps this entry will surprise you, or maybe not as it once more features a character who utilizes drag in their story. Still, it’s one thing to wear a dress, but a whole other to ~perform~ and I believe Kuzco in drag, even as a llama. In The Emperor’s New Groove, this bratty tyrant is already teeming with the sassy backtalk that befits a flamboyant gay man, so he comes to the role prepared. And who could forget the opening scene where he ferociously drags each and every one of his potential brides. I’m sorry, but this doesn’t register for me as the act of a straight man.
Terk
I’ve scoured Disney’s repertoire and I gotta say that although it is rife with gay-coded men, that women are hard to find. When it comes to lesbians it seems we’re lacking, but we can all fall back on the rowdy and raucous tomboy that is Terk from Tarzan. She stands out for her protective streak, prankster quality, and “one of the boys” energy. We can’t ignore her butch qualities either, so the fact that she sports a mohawk and gets mad at Tarzan for having to wear a dress mark her. And of course, we must acknowledge that she is voiced by the iconic, albeit controversial, lesbian comedian, Rosie O’Donell. Thank you Rosie, for giving us Disney’s only butch.
Baloo and Bagheera
I saved my favorites for last, perhaps because they star in a Disney film that dates all the way back to 1967. I’ve talked plenty enough about drag already, so we’ll skip the fact that Baloo casually and excitedly dresses like a female orangutan. Instead, we’ll focus in on some of the frankly flirtatious dialogue between Baloo and Bagheera in The Jungle Book. When Bagheera tries to explain that Mowgli should live with humans he asks Baloo “You wouldn’t marry a panther, would you?” to which Baloo heartily responds “I don’t know. Come to think of it, no panther ever asked me!” Later, when Mowgli voices an interest in girls Baloo urges him “Forget about those, they’re nothing but trouble!” Even if we forget the fact that Baloo and Bagheera fight like an old married couple, Baloo is literally a bear.
Do Better, Disney
Disney’s collection has always had its stronghold in musicals and camp. Since well back into the 60s these are things they’ve imbued their movies with, and the gayness of it all comes with it. There is no musical theatre without queering and there cannot be campiness without queering either. And haven’t cartoons always been campy anyhow? Disney is happy to profit off of the coding, but never to offer notable representation where it’s due. Disney drops its main characters in drag at a moment’s notice, but shoves its canonical gays far into the corner. If you blink you’ll miss the gay shopkeeper in Frozen, the lesbian kiss in The Rise of Skywalker, or the grieving gay man in Avengers: Endgame.
Inserting a lesbian cop into their movie, Onward, wasn’t just another unremarkable bit of performative allyship, but a total affront to the queer community. The 20th century saw a surge in the push for gay and trans rights, spurred by the Stonewall riots in reaction to police brutality. Tacking in a queer cop feels like an insult to this legacy. This sort of representation isn’t merely fishing for meaningless brownie points, but demeaning and tactless as well.
Disney has always been gay. To not acknowledge that would be a slight to the many queer creators who put themselves into their art and even the allies who wanted to stand by the LGBTQIAP+ community. Let out the gay, full force.
Happy Pride Month and remember:
The first Pride was a riot; no cops at Pride.
