Groomer-Gate: 15 Times Disney Promoted LGBTQAI2S+ in Children's Programing

David NgApril 6, 2022

Anyone who has been paying attention to the Walt Disney Co. in recent years knows that the studio has made no secret about incorporating gay and transgender messaging into its content aimed at children.

From Pixar to Marvel to Star Wars, Disney properties have fully embraced the LGBTQAI2S+ movement and are only ramping up their efforts, especially with the Disney+ streaming service providing another pathway into the minds of young children.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently vowed to continue fighting Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, as well as similar legislation in other states. The Florida law prohibits the teaching of sexuality and gender ideology to kids in kindergarten through third grade.

Bob Chapek of Disney talks during the Opening Ceremony of the Invictus Games Orlando 2016 at ESPN Wide World of Sports on May 8, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Invictus)

Recently leaked internal videos show Disney creatives openly discussing their plans for more gay and transgender characters.

But this is not exactly a new development. Here are 15 times Disney has promoted the gay and transgender agenda in movies, TV shows, and other programming aimed primarily at kids.

1. Disney+ hosts LGBTQ Pride concert with drag and gender non-binary performers

Last year, Disney+ hosted This Is Me: Pride Celebration Spectacular, a musical special on YouTube starring drag queen Nina West, with performances of popular Disney songs re-imagined with LGBTQ themes. Among the performers were gender-fluid singer Alex Newell and gender non-binary performer Jesse James Keitel.

[embedded content]

2. Pixar’s Out (2020)

This animated Pixar short tells the story of a young man named Greg who doesn’t want his parents to discover his relationship with his boyfriend, Manuel. The movie culminates with a gay kiss. “I’d never seen two guys kissing in a Disney movie,” said writer-director Steven Hunter in an interview.

Out was released last year on Disney+ and on YouTube to celebrate Pride Month.

[embedded content]

3. Pixar looking for minors to cast as “14-year-old transgender girl”

In a casting notice that surfaced last year, Pixar is looking to cast the role of a “14-year-old transgender girl” in an upcoming animated project. The studio is looking for minors age 12 to 17 who “can authentically portray” the character “Jess,” who is described as “compassionate, funny, and always has your back.”

We have confirmed this is legit, so share away! pic.twitter.com/oKLFzyjXIL

— Trans March (@transmarch) April 20, 2021

4. Disney+’s Ironheart series casting a “transgender woman” of color

The upcoming Marvel superhero series reportedly announced it is looking to cast a “Black, Latina, or Afro-Latina transgender woman” who is around 18 to 22 years old. The casting call describes the character as “smart, confident, and with a mystical bent and unique sense of humor.”

#MarvelStudios is reportedly casting an actress to play a Black, Latina or Afro-Latina transgender character in the #Ironheart Disney+ series! Full details: https://t.co/ZKX75FQjtF pic.twitter.com/MtgVQL2A8s

— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) March 30, 2022

5. Disney+’s Loki series embraces gender fluidity

The new Marvel series on Disney+ revealed that Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is gender fluid in a trailer that dropped last year. A brief glimpse of the Time Variance Authority’s official file on Loki shows that his sex is marked “Fluid.”

Marv! CONFIRMED!!! LOKI IS GENDER FLUID 😆😆😆 pic.twitter.com/HmpGo1kLEY

— ❗SPOILER SERIES PAKE WARNING, FANART PAKE CREDIT❗ (@Marvfess) June 7, 2021

6. Disney Channel’s The Owl House introduces gender non-binary character who uses “they / them” pronouns

Last year, the childrens animated series unveiled the character Raine Whispers, the gender non-binary Head Witch of the Bard Coven. Whispers is voiced by non-binary actor Avi Roque, who revealed that both the actor and the character use “they / them” pronouns.

✨DREAM COME TRUE✨

I guest star as Raine Whispers (pronouns: they/them), the sharp and hardworking Head Witch of the Bard Coven, in the new episode of #TheOwlHouse
premiering July 24 at 10:00am ET/PT on #DisneyChannel and DisneyNOW. Make sure to check it out!! pic.twitter.com/zRkaGIDAgd

— Avi Roque (they/them) (@ok_roque) July 22, 2021

7. Disney parks go genderless by removing “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” from greetings

The decision to instate genderless greetings took effect last year, as Breitbart News reported. Newly leaked internal videos confirmed the choice to replace “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” with “Hello, everyone,” or “hello, friends.”

Disney removes ”Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls” from Happily Ever After pre show announcement.

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls FOREVER! pic.twitter.com/joWLcYBgMf

— Showcase of Wishes (@ShowcaseWishes) June 30, 2021

8. Disney’s Jungle Cruise (2021) features gay coming-out scene, sort of.

The studio’s live-action movie, based on the enduring theme park ride, featured a main character who is gay — MacGregor Houghton (Jack Whitehall), the brother of Emily Blunt’s protagonist. In one scene, he comes out of the closet — sort of — by explaining that he will never get married because his “interests lie elsewhere.”

Jack Whitehall opens up about playing a gay character in #JungleCruise, teasing a “significant scene in the movie” that was “thought about and talked about a lot” behind the scenes. pic.twitter.com/AL8RjJScsL

— Variety (@Variety) July 26, 2021

The brief exchange angered LGBTQ activists who felt Disney didn’t go far enough and that the studio should have cast a gay actor in the role.

9. Pixar’s Onward (2020) features lesbian character

The animated movie features a lesbian character — a Cyclops police officer named Officer Spector, voiced by openly gay actress Lena Waithe. “It just kind of happened,” the film’s producer, Kori Rae, told Yahoo Entertainment. “The scene, when we wrote it, was kind of fitting and it opens up the world a little bit, and that’s what we wanted.”

[embedded content]

10. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) climaxes with lesbian kiss

The final installment in Disney’s Star Wars trilogy culminated with a lesbian kiss between Commander Larma D’Acy (Amanda Lawrence) and pilot Wrobie Tyce (Vinette Robinson) after the Resistance defeated the First Order.

As Breitbart News reported, Disney censored the scene in Singapore in compliance with the country’s rules around LGBTQ content.

[embedded content]

11. Disney Channel’s Andi Mack series features gay teen kiss

The coming-of-age drama series featured the network’s first gay teenage couple in the series finale that aired in 2019. The episode saw 13-year-old Cyrus Goodman confess his feelings for his classmate, TJ Kippen, who appeared to feel the same way.

“Is there anything else you want to tell me?” Cyrus asks. “Yeah,” TJ says, before asking him the same question..

“Yes,” Cyrus responds, as TJ holds his hand before the camera pans away from the romantic fire-lit scene.

[embedded content]

12. Disney+’s Big Shots features lesbian teen kiss

The family drama series featured a lesbian kiss between teenagers in an episode that aired last year. In the episode, Carolyn — also known as “Mouse” in the series — plays a song that she wrote for her female friend Harper, leading the two teens to begin smooching.

13. Beauty and the Beast (2017) turned Le Fou (Josh Gad) gay

Disney’s live-action remake features actor Josh Gad in the role of Le Fou. In an interview, director Bill Condon revealed that Le Fou is gay, though the character never says so explicitly. (The character wasn’t gay in the original 1991 animated movie.) “I think it’s great. I think Disney has always been on the forefront there,” he said.

[embedded content]

14/15. Disney Channel’s Good Luck Charlie and Disney Junior’s Doc McStuffins feature lesbian moms

The two animated series for children have both featured lesbian couples. Good Luck Charlie aired an episode in 2014 in which one of the four children has a playdate with a kid who has two moms. Doc McStuffins had an episode in 2017 featuring lesbian moms voiced by openly gay actresses Wanda Sykes and Portia de Rossi.