Nimona is a science fantasy punk rock romp, and it’s also a poignant story of bigotry, acceptance, and love. And it’s exactly the kind of queer movie for kids—not to mention movie for queer kids—that we need.
Last weekend, I sat down to watch it with my kids, ages 10 and five. Early in the film, Ballister Boldheart is getting ready for the ceremony in which he’ll take his place among the other knights of the realm. In a sweet moment, he and his partner, Ambrosius Goldenloin, sit together, and Ballister lays his head on Ambrosius’s shoulder. “Are they gay?” my 10 year old asked.
“Looks like it,” I said, at the same time that my husband said, “Yep.” Then we went on watching the movie. On its own, the moment was unremarkable. There was none of the “confusion” that conservatives like to howl about. My kid saw a gay couple on screen, she saw her parents being cool with it, and we all enjoyed the love story. In my kids’ world, queer people simply exist, the same as straight people.
When I was her age, the question “Are they gay?” would have been a loaded one. It would have been said incredulously, leading up to an explosion of bullying and ridicule. It took me until I was in my 30s to figure out that I was queer, because there was absolutely no queer representation when I was growing up. As I watched Ballister and Ambrosius battle each other and then get back together at the end, I felt relieved that my kid would have what I didn’t. I know kids at her school are discussing queerness with each other. She’s asked me about gender and sexuality, and asked if she could read one of my books on asexuality (How To Be Ace by Rebecca Burgess). Being able to help show her that queer people are a normal, beautiful thread in the fabric of our culture feels like a gift.
Watching Nimona was especially satisfying because my 10-year-old never really got into some of the other queer kids’ media out there, like Steven Universe or She-Ra. And that’s okay! Not everyone loves everything. But when children’s media abounds with queer characters—when they’re not limited to, say, one subtle nod to queerness in one obscure show—then kids with all different interests and tastes get to see them. It becomes easier and easier to find characters who look like your friends, or your parents, or you yourself.
If you haven’t seen Nimona yet, sit yourself down and watch it. You’ll love Ballister and Ambrosius’s relationship. You’ll love the potent allegory of Nimona’s struggle to be accepted, and if you have kids, you’ll love being able to show them a media landscape in which queer people are normal, accepted, and loved.
(featured image: Netflix)
