Disney invites drag queen to “The Little Mermaid” premiere.

Disney Invites Drag Queen Nina West to The Little Mermaid Premiere

Disney continues to push LGBTQ representation in its entertainment for children, as evidenced by its recent invitation to drag queen Nina West to the world premiere of its live-action The Little Mermaid. During the blue-carpet festivities, West, whose real name is Andrew Levitt, was seen cavorting with actress Melissa McCarthy, who plays Ursula the Sea Witch and has stated her performance was inspired by drag queens.

A Disney Staple

West thanked Disney in an Instagram post, saying, “Thank you, @disney @disneystudios @disneyanimation @disneylittlemermaid for having me tonight and allowing me to share in such a magical celebration.” West is quickly becoming a Disney staple following his appearance in the Disney+ LGBTQ Pride concert in 2021, where he hosted the live-stream video that featured other drag queens plus performances of popular Disney songs re-imagined with LGBTQ themes.

Drag Culture in Disney

Drag culture is becoming a central component of Disney’s entertainment for children. In 2021, a division of Disney hosted a drag queen story hour event aimed at the children of employees, with the intention of celebrating the “gender fluidity of childhood” while providing kids with “unabashedly queer role models.”

As Breitbart News reported, Melissa McCarthy recently revealed her character in The Little Mermaid has drag queen roots, saying she “100 per cent” drew inspiration from drag queens for her turn as the voice-stealing villain.

The Little Mermaid Struggles

The Little Mermaid, which opens in cinemas May 26, is proving to be a tough sell for Disney. The movie’s first full trailer is massively unpopular, garnering more than 1 million “dislikes” on YouTube less than a week after its unveiling during the Oscars in March.

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