Disney-Pixar’s Onward is going to be the first animated film from Disney to feature the first self-identified LGBTQ character.
While Onward isn’t the first time Disney has featured its first LGBTQ character in its cinematic universe, it is the first animated film from The House of Mouse to have a character explicitly identify as apart of the community.
The character, Officer Specter, a cyclops police officer , who will appear briefly in the film, discussing her girlfriend with other characters in a scene, which is a clear alignment with the LGBTQ community as a whole. Officer Specter is being voiced by actress Lena Waithe, who also belongs to the community, expressed the excitement playing the character.
Onward producer Kori Rae described the inclusion as a way to “open up the world a little bit” and to “represent the modern world.” Added Rae, “While Specter in not a main character, I would love to see an ‘Officer Specter spin-off’.”
Fans have wished to see more LGBTQ representation in Disney films and will surely be excited for this news. Late last year, Disney-owned Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker featured a kiss between Amanda Lawrence’s character Commander D’Acy and a female resistance fighter. And many viewers have speculated that certain characters in Disney movies, such as Elsa from Frozen and Li Shang from Mulan, are secretly gay or bisexual.
However, it’s good to see Disney choosing to integrate more LGBTQ characters into its films.
