About "The Gays"

Set my “Hasn’t defended/criticized Disney in __ days” counter to 0!

2023 wasn’t a strong year Disney. With the exception of Elemental, which took a while, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, none of their theatrical output gained financial traction. Additionally, the writers’ and actors’ strikes shed light on their reinstalled CEO’s views on creatives. And then there’s the Secret Invasion A.I. scandal, which left a bad taste. But I’ve already covered that.

One of the consequences was a decision to steer their future content in a different direction. No more original stories, it’s remakes and sequels from now on! Even Elio, their one original IP, has gone under the radar marketing-wise, and we’ve yet to see another trailer despite releasing next year. Still, the decision’s paid off so far, with Inside Out 2 surpassing the box-office of the remake of The Lion King. This despite Pixar laying off 14% of its workforce.

It'd be bittersweet that a Pixar sequel over-performed despite this, but the story doesn’t end there. According to IGN reports from laid-off employees, the higher-ups requested to tone down Riley’s romantic persuasion:

“…Sources describe rumors that there was special care put into making the relationship between Riley and Val, a supporting character introduced in Inside Out 2, seem as platonic as possible, even requiring edits to the lighting and tone of certain scenes to remove any trace of ‘romantic chemistry.’ One source describes it as ‘just doing a lot of extra work to make sure that no one would potentially see them as not straight.’”

This saddens me. The debate around Disney characters being gay became apparent with Ron DeSantis’s now-overturned “Don’t Say Gay” bill a few years ago. When Disney’s creatives pressured them to take a public stance, DeSantis threatened to revoke Disney’s special status, forcing a court case that he lost. I’d elaborate, but I’m not a legal expert. Besides, I’ve already shared my thoughts.

Anyway, Disney was slowly warming to queer representation with Strange World, which had an openly gay character in a leading role, and Lightyear, which featured a scene involving a lesbian couple kissing. Unfortunately, since both movies were box-office disappointments, as well as getting lukewarm reception, it seems like Disney’s having second thoughts. That Riley might’ve had an interest in an older girl in Inside Out 2 was promising, and not at all surprising, but removing hints of that to be “more universal” is depressing. I mean, it’s 2024. Do execs still think being gay isn’t universal in much of the world? Are they living in the 1960’s? Does no one at Disney read current events?

I could say so much negative about this, but I won’t. However, as someone who’s experienced genuine isolation and marginalization because of his disabilities, this stings. The scrubbing of Riley’s lesbianism, and let’s not pretend otherwise, wasn’t even that well-hidden. Pixar are masters of their craft, and Riley’s true character came through anyway. It was so clear that, despite not being openly said, I could tell right away.

This is also annoying because it defeats the purpose of Riley’s age and growth. Remember, she’s 13 here, hence a teenager. Teenagers experiment with a lot, including sexuality. It’s the transitionary period where they’re finding out who they really are, and while not always appropriate, that self-discovery should be encouraged. After all, what’s growth without making mistakes?

By removing this kind of experimentation, Pixar, and Disney generally, are making a statement about queer people. They might not be saying it outright, but they’re implying these individuals don’t matter. And for a multi-billion dollar conglomerate, this is a red flag. Especially since queer people connect with and watch their output. Why brush that aside?

It doesn’t help that queer people are still persecuted in countries where being openly queer is acceptable. The US, for instance, has the ever-looming shadow of Project 2025, and the chances of its mandates becoming law aren’t zero. Among these include a nation-wide ban on gay marriage. People might’ve fought for the right to marry the same sex, sometimes dying for it, but the pendulum could always swing the other way.

By scrubbing itself of a queer-inclusive image, Disney’s caving to a minority that doesn’t view queer people as valid. They’re submitting to DeSantis’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. They’re also paving the way for Project 2025’s mandates. That might sound extreme, but it’s a reality. And that’s upsetting.

It also takes the wrong lessons from past failures. I definitely liked Lightyear and Strange World more than many, but they lacked the narrative cohesion of Pixar and Disney’s best. However, that doesn’t mean including gay characters was bad. On the contrary, they were brave and welcomed inclusions. Why would that be what needs course correcting?

Part of me now prefers, in retrospect, that Disney hadn’t even “come out as an ally”. It feels like they were never sincere, queer-baiting people to make money. And yes, Rainbow Capitalism’s always been cynical. But it’s an attempt, which this is a slap in the face of. Especially since Riley’s queerness seeped through.

I don’t know how this can be resolved. Is it the end of the world? Maybe not. Is it the only problem with Disney’s business model, this movie in particular? Definitely not, assuming the former employees are to be believed. But it hurts. It hurts enough to write about it.

So yes, Disney, if you’re reading this…shame on you. I may like your output, and I’ll definitely watch it if I feel it’s worth my time, but you’ve disappointed me. You’ve taken what could’ve been potential for growth and learned the wrong lessons, irrespective of how you try to spin this. It sucks. Do better.