5 LGBT Disney+ shows to stream – from Marvel to High School Musical, and the Gaston and LeFou Beauty and the Beast reunion we’ve all been waiting for
Last year, Disney hit its highest-ever earnings, totting up a total of US$70 billion across all business segments – in no small part thanks to its powerhouse Marvel and Star Wars franchises. However, the multibillion-dollar company still faces criticism for its lack of LGBTQ+ content in films that, if featured at all, are often “curtailed or downsized”, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) which ranked the company low in its annual media monitoring last year.
However, Disney may not be a lost cause. Recently, CEO Bob Chapek announced the studio’s future commitment to “represent its audience” in more films.
While it may take time for positive gay representations to appear in major films, Disney’s efforts are becoming increasingly evident on the small screen. With this in mind, here are five shows both old and new with LGBTQ+ themes, that are available for streaming on the international Disney+ subscription service, slated to roll out across Asian countries by the end of 2020 and early 2021.
STYLE LGBTQ+ Series: Queer voices
Out
It may only be a short film, but Disney made history when it featured its first animated gay character in Out.
As part of its SparkShorts program, the nine-minute flick revolves around Greg’s moving day with his boyfriend, Manuel. The short explores closeted identity and parent-child relationships, as well as man’s best friend, as quoted from its official tagline, “With some help from his precocious pup, and a little bit of magic, Greg might learn that he has nothing to hide.”
Andi Mack
In 2017, Andi Mack broke boundaries by featuring Disney’s first gay television character, Cyrus Goodman, played by actor Joshua Rush. Known for its honest and realistic portrayal of modern teenagers, GLAAD’s CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, praised the show and emphasised the need for television to include LGBTQ+ youth “who deserve to see their lives depicted on their favourite shows”.
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Marvel’s Hero Project
This heartwarming documentary follows a group of young children who are making an impact in their communities. In episode five, we meet Rebekah, a 12-year-old trans girl who advocates for LGBTQ+ rights in New Jersey. The Disney and Marvel partnership gifts each child in the series with their own Marvel comics. Rebekah’s is titled Mighty Rebekah.
Little Town
Beauty and the Beast fans rejoice! Long-time Disney collaborator and composer Alan Menken recently revealed that he is working on a musical prequel to the beloved fable, featuring Gaston and LeFou. According to film news website Collider, the series’ title refers to the opening number in 2017’s live-action retelling of the classic tale, and will see Luke Evans and Josh Gad reprising their roles. Perhaps this time Le Fou’s feelings for Gaston won’t be such a secret …
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
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Since being called out by GLAAD for ‘curtailed or downsized’ LGBT content, Disney has pledged to represent its audience better – ahead of international streaming platform Disney+’s roll-out to Asia and beyond later this year, STYLE clocks 5 shows and shorts, old and new, telling LGBT stories