Does Disney Need An LGBT Princess?

We all know by now how much Disney means to me. As well as Disney being a big part of my life, I’m also a member of the LGBTQ+ community; something that I haven’t hesitated to be vocal about in recent years. As you can imagine, I feel strongly about the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters within Disney. A big subject that’s been debated for quite some time now is whether or not Disney needs an LGBTQ+ Princess.

So, does Disney need an LGBTQ+ Princess? Many people argue that just the inclusion of a character that’s LGBTQ+ is enough and that they don’t need to be the main character to be regarded as a Princess. This is true to a certain extent. Yes, any sort of representation – even if it’s not a main character, is important. Representation always matters no matter how big or small the role is. However, LGBTQ+ characters have had to face years upon years of being sidelined, erased or killed off; which is reflective of the way some people in society view those in the LGBTQ+ community. It’s time to let LGBT characters shine.

We’re now in 2019 and more and more people are realising that there is a serious lack of diversity and representation of different genders, sexualities, races, cultures etc within media. All you have to do is look at the recent Oscar Nominations and see how female directors have yet again been completely disregarded.

Disney is a widely popular franchise with people of all ages – this is when some people would argue with me that “Disney is for kids” and we “shouldn’t be forcing LGBTQ+ topics onto kids” as though Disney is going to show explicit content or things that wouldn’t be appropriate for those of all ages. In all seriousness, Disney has been showing romances within their films since their very first Princess in Snow White. Showing a romance between characters of the same gender in a Disney film isn’t “forcing beliefs onto children” but instead its teaching them to be open-minded and accepting. Disney films always tend to have a message or moral to learn of some sort so teaching acceptance of everyone shouldn’t be an exception.

The release of ‘Frozen’ brought along a lot of questions and debate about Elsa’s sexuality. The film itself and Elsa’s journey served as quite important to many LGBTQ+ people as it was reflective of the journey of coming out and discovering and accepting one’s true self. As well as this, to many people, Elsa was also representative of Disney first gay Princess and with the sequel in the works; there is speculation about whether or not Elsa will meet and fall in love with someone of the same gender as her, or whether Elsa even needs a romantic storyline. Whilst I agree that Princesses don’t need a romantic storyline, I also think that romances don’t take away from a Princesses’ character and that there’s nothing wrong with films (Disney or not) showing romances. If the sequel to ‘Frozen’ came out and Elsa had a female romantic interest, this would not only be a big deal for people in the LGBT community but also for kids who will be shown that love is love no matter the gender. I know a lot of people think that Disney should introduce a completely new Princess that happens to be gay, and whilst this would also be amazing, I also think that it would be huge for a character that is so loved by so many to be LGBT. After all, in real life, people come out at different ages and at different points in life so it would be completely normal for Elsa to express interest in people of the same gender as her – especially as it has never been explicitly stated that she is straight.

If, when I was growing up, there was a Disney Princess that was LGBT, I think that this would have made me feel a lot better about who I am. It’s something I’ve always struggled with and I know I’m not the only one. If Disney were to turn around and normalise something such as being LGBT – something that is completely normal – this would mean a lot to so many people who are perhaps struggling with self-acceptance. So yes, I do think that Disney needs an LGBT Princess. Not just for me, but for every single person that has watched a Disney film and wondered “when will I be represented?”