There is no doubt that Disney has been behind when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation in children’s media—especially in comparison to Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. They have been slowly getting better, and one of their biggest accomplishments is the recent series The Owl House.
The Owl House is about Luz Noceda, a Dominican-American girl who ends up stumbling into a portal to another world where magic exists. Luz ends up being the apprentice to Eda the Owl Lady, the most powerful witch on the isle—oh, and a cute demon named King (Alex Hirsch). The show consists of an amazing voice cast and so many fun characters.
It was already great to see Dominican-American Luz leading the show, based on creator Dana Terrace’s own Dominican-American friend who is a story artist and consultant for the series, but now, the protagonist is also confirmed to be a bisexual teenager—something fans had been hopefully anticipating.
There is a lot of discussion about what good queer representation looks like, especially now that we have so much of it coming from queer creators today. What makes The Owl House so great from that perspective is that it adds a visibly brown girl for girls like her to see themselves in the media.
Dana Terrace is a bisexual woman herself and spoke about the issue on Twitter. She revealed that, initially, she was told by Disney that she couldn’t represent any bisexual or gay relationships on the show, despite making clear her intention to do so. “I’m bi!” Terrace said. “I want to write a bi character, dammit! Luckily my stubbornness paid off.” Now, because of her pushing and tenacity, she does have the support of the Disney leadership and has delivered a series that makes people feel seen.
“Representation matters! Always fight to make what YOU want to see! As OH continues I can’t wait to explore things that are important to me and my crew. Looking forward to the next chapter.”
This is also a reminder that the queer rep we have gotten in children’s media has not come easily. While some believe that media is more accepting of wlw couples than mlm, the reality is that whatever rep we get and how far we go is based on an intense battle between the powers that be and the creators fighting to give a younger generation the representation they were allowed to have. All of this takes work and effort.
Back when I made GF Disney FORBADE me from any explicit LGBTQ+ rep. Apparently “happiest place on earth” meant “straightest” But as of today, thanks to @DanaTerrace & team there are explicitly queer ANIMATED MAIN CHARACTERS on DISNEY TV. Im so proud & happy to say that #OwlHouse https://t.co/AlxUlbcy5j
— Alex Hirsch (@_AlexHirsch) August 9, 2020
(via CNN, image: Disney)
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