The Owl House creator confirms show features Disney's first bisexual lead character
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Disney's slow but steady march toward greater LGBTQ representation continues. This week, the creator of Disney Channel's animated series The Owl House confirmed that the show features the first bisexual lead character in Disney's history. (Officially, anyway; we can continue to speculate about Mulan's Li Shang.)
The Owl House follows Luz Noceda, a 14-year-old Dominican-American girl who stumbles upon a magical world and attempts to become a witch. On Aug. 8, the show aired a prom-themed episode in which Luz dances with another female character, Amity, who is shown to have a crush on Luz. After the episode's debut, creator Dana Terrace tweeted, "In [development] I was very open about my intention to put queer kids in the main cast....When we were greenlit I was told by certain Disney leadership that I could NOT represent any form of bi or gay relationship on the Channel."
Disney Channel
"I'm bi! I want to write a bi character, dammit!" she continued. "Luckily my stubbornness paid off and now I am VERY supported by current Disney leadership."
I'm bi! I want to write a bi character, dammit! Luckily my stubbornness paid off and now I am VERY supported by current Disney leadership. (Thank you @NashRiskin and team!) Not to mention the amazingness of this crew.
— Dana Terrace (@DanaTerrace) August 9, 2020
Viewers and other observers, including activist organizations GLAAD and PFLAG, applauded Terrace for her efforts, as did Alex Hirsch, creator of Disney Channel's Gravity Falls. Hirsch recalled his own negative experiences with Disney, writing, "Back when I made GF Disney FORBADE me from any explicit LGBTQ+ rep. Apparently 'happiest place on earth' meant 'straightest.'" However, he praised the company for its strides in representation, adding, "Props where props are due! This time, Disney- you did good."
In 2012 the Disney censor note on this image would have been:
“inappropriate for channel, please revise, call to discuss” (to avoid a paper trail)
Now in 2020- there’s no note at all.
Props where props are due! This time, Disney- you did good. pic.twitter.com/HLDux1jNUk— Alex Hirsch (@_AlexHirsch) August 9, 2020
Animated shows have been pushing LGBTQ representation on kids' TV forward in recent years, with such series as Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and even Arthur presenting same-sex relationships between characters. The animated series Star vs. the Forces of Evil also featured Disney's first gay kiss in 2017, and in May, Pixar released a short film on Disney+ featuring the studio's first gay main character.
The Owl House is currently airing new episodes Saturdays at 8:45 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel. You can watch a trailer for the series below.
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