5 Queer Disney Heroes

written by Cami Miceli | graphics and illustrations by Kit, Carmen Ngo, and Nieves Winslow | layout by Saachi Kotia

ALTHOUGH the conversation about queer-coded Disney characters is not new — with fans often speculating over the identities of villains such as Ursula, sidekicks such as Timon and Pumba, and villainous sidekicks such as LeFou — there are seldom any Disney heroes that get their identities broken down in a similar way. Following is a brief list of my personal favorite theories.

REMY from Ratatouille (2007): Am I really going to die on top of a hill shouting that the rat from Disney’s Ratatouille is gay? Hopefully nothing so extreme. But I do believe his story as a rat who cooks is a cohesive analog for being queer. The story follows Remy from his rural home to Paris, where he finds an unlikely friend in the clumsy busboy Alfredo Linguini. The two strike up a partnership that allows Linguini to keep his job and Remy to finally achieve his dream of being a proper chef. From the getgo, the film portrays Remy as different from the other rats, and he never feels as though he truly belongs. In fact, one of Remy’s most criticized traits is the way he walks — on two paws, instead of all four. This is similar to how some straight people believe there is a recognizably gay walk and how some queer people feel pressured to tone down their stereotypical behaviors around straight audiences. Another commonality Remy shares with many members of the LGBTQ+ community is a close friend with whom he can be himself. In the movie, this person takes the form of his brother Emile, as Remy narrates, “[Emile] doesn’t understand me, but I can be myself around him.” Yet aside from Emile, his one ally, the only way the rest of Remy’s family accepts his culinary inclination is when he actively serves them as poison-checker. This is similar to the way some people only tolerate the queer community when they can be commodified — as with the early 2000s show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy — and it immediately casts Remy as a character with whom queer folks can identify. Next in the film, Remy leaves his intolerant family for the big city, where he can finally express the part of his identity which his family sees as deviant: his desire to be a chef. This is not unlike how real-life cities have historically given queer people both community and anonymity, allowing them more freedom than the usual small town or rural area. Finally, the ending provides our queer hero with something many LGBTQ+ folks can only dream of: a home that accepts all aspects of their identity. In the end, his family unites to help save the day, and Remy’s dream job. Thus, while many people find Ratatouille to be an especially inspiring film, thanks largely to its themes of creation and self-determinism, folks in the LGBTQ+ community can find additional hope in its narrativization of a queercoded protagonist who, ultimately, is not forced to choose between two halves of himself.

RILEY ANDERSON from Inside Out (2015): Inside Out is a unique film that tells the story of a twelveyear-old who has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco, explaining all her actions through personified emotions within her head. A popular theory that has circulated since the movie’s release suggests the protagonist, Riley Anderson, is transgender, based on the different genders of her emotions. While it can be argued these characters are genderless beings, Joy, Sadness, and Disgust have more feminine designs, while Anger and Fear both come across largely as men. Some may say they were only designed this way to make for a more diverse cast, but the fact of the matter is every other character whose emotions are shown possess a single, constant gender across the board. For instance, Riley’s mother has exclusively female emotions, and her father has exclusively male. While the variety of genders within Riley’s head did not play any significant role in the film itself, it has led fans to theorize Riley will go on to question her gender identity in the future and will possibly discover she is genderfluid. Coincidentally, the name Riley is typically presented as a unisex name, seen by heteronormative society as fit for a person of any gender.

MERIDA from Brave (2012): When Brave came out in 2012, it broke many stereotypes of Disney princess movies by telling the story of Merida’s relationship with her mother, as opposed to with a love interest. In fact, the film blatantly crushes any possibility of a royal romance when Merida declares she will compete against her suitors for her own hand in marriage. While it is wonderful to look at Merida’s refusal of all three male suitors and headcanon her as a lesbian, another wonderful theory speculates she could be both aromantic and asexual. This is evidenced when Merida expresses she doesn’t feel ready to get married, followed by the thought she might never be ready. Furthermore, Merida’s entire personality suggests romance is not a major concern in her life; she is much more interested in exploration and adventure. If she had her way, the story would likely contain no romance at all, reflecting how some aro-ace folks feel about media in general. Lastly, as an archer, the pun of Merida being aro-ace is just too good to pass up.

VOYD from The Incredibles 2 (2018): The much anticipated sequel to the 2004 Disney film, The Incredibles 2 follows the Parr family as they fight to make superheroes legal again, by teaming up with other super-powered individuals. One of these wanna-be heroes is named Voyd, and many people have headcanoned her as gay, trans, or both, with good reason. Her opening dialogue introduces her as an avid follower of Elastigirl, who is herself lauded by fans as a lesbian and/or bisexual icon. Voyd goes on to explain she used to feel like an outcast, but now she can take inspiration from Elastigirl’s publicly being herself. This powerful sentiment resonates with many queer viewers, who often look to out-and-proud figures for encouragement in their daily lives. Not to mention Voyd herself has been compared in terms of appearance to Kristen Stewart, who isn’t set on labels but has proclaimed herself to be “very gay” and has dated women as well as men. Additionally, it is commonplace to express identity through unique hairstyles, especially within the queer community. Voyd fits the bill perfectly with her asymmetrical, bright blue hair. This is another reason why so many LGBTQ+ folks feel a connection to her as soon as she appears on screen. It seems her charismatic appearance reflects a queer identity — and whether this identity is gender-related, sexuality-related, or both, remains up to audience members to decide.

LI SHANG from Mulan (1998): Mulan, a tale about a woman impersonating a man to join the Chinese army, is a fan-favorite film within the queer community, as so many aspects of it can be seen through a genderfluid lens. Although there is a lot to be said about Mulan’s gender, I would like to emphasize instead the bisexuality of her love interest, Li Shang. There are fans who shrilly defend Shang’s heterosexuality and claim he only feels attracted to Mulan once he knows she’s a girl. Yet her gender isn’t revealed until two-thirds of the way into the film, at which point a large portion of Mulan and Shang’s bond has been solidified. Indeed, I would argue Shang was falling for Mulan as early as the end of the “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” sequence, when he stares at her in open admiration for her newfound physical prowess. Then, even after Mulan’s big gender reveal, Shang is shown to remain relatively calm and composed, visibly disquieted but still dedicated to ensuring Mulan’s safety. Certainly, it would be difficult to argue Shang saw Mulan in a more positive light upon learning she wasn’t a man. Moreover, Shang’s role as a bisexual icon is more relevant than ever, as recent news has confirmed he will not be making an appearance in the upcoming live-action remake. Many fans feel they are losing positive representation this way, and I agree the movie will be hard-pressed to make up for the absence of this iconic hero.

IT IS important for queer folks to see themselves represented positively in popular media, after decades of being reduced to harmful stereotypes and cannon fodder. Although Disney has yet to design a canonically queer hero, there is constant hope the company will soon make history. Until then, I encourage fans to continue making their own representation wherever they can find it, by projecting their own experiences onto characters and making the Disney fanbase a more welcoming place.