Should Disney have a same sex couple?

[EveOnline2016]

Just getting views.

This is something I feel like Disney movies should have.

Being in a same sex couple is nothing to hide from children.

Need a scarf: take a look at the "then and now" pictures.

The majority of money made from films is from the merchandising. Disney would not look at this from a diversity perspective but would instead consider this a risk to business

If Elsa had a female partner, that would mean another female doll to sell. Ker-ching!

Lovelydiscusfish, I met a friend of Julia Donaldson who told me that it was actually the illustrator (Axel Schaeffer?) who introduced the lesbian couple into Tabby McTatt. At first she was a bit put out and said, no that's not what I meant, they're not gay! And he said, well the words are your vision but the pictures are mine - and I see them as a lesbian couple. And then she thought, cool, and went with it.

So kudos to Julia and even more to Axel

And AfroPuffs and the others who 'don't see the need' for a gay couple - has it occurred to you not to think about what YOU need, but about what children need? Children like mine, who have lesbian parents and would love to see that reflected in the books and films they see. And all children, who deserve to learn about the world as it is. All these people who suggest that homosexuality is kind of the A level of life learning - that you do it as an optional extra after years of the basics (i.e. everything else) are clearly not getting it. Children WILL learn about homosexuality in primary school, but in the playground rather than from adults. And children who are gay or have gay parents will feel desperately marginalised by the exclusion.

Saying 'it's up to parents to teach about diversity' misses the point too. My children need to see what they learn at home affirmed by the world around them. That's every bit as true of sexual diversity as it is of racial diversity.

Yep because Elsa's character is all about her need for a partner (male or female) nothing at all about learning your own strengths how to harness them and grow into a stronger person....

Writing a romance into the story is totally missing the point of the film and character. And exactly what I wouldn't want to see in the name of promoting diversity

Fair point Toffee

I really don't like the implication that you can't be happy with yourself and independent if you have a partner.

I agree with Toffee that the most urgent need is for mass media to show that the point of women's existence is not to find a partner.

And you have to have a partner to be happy and independent?

It just wasn't about romantic relationships. They wouldn't have added anything to her story.

Isn't the point about giving her a girlfriend for Frozen 2, you know, the follow-up story (in which rumour has it she will get a male love interest)? I don't think anyone wants to rewrite the original Frozen plot to give Elsa a girlfriend, that really doesn't fit the point of it.

I think it's a shame that single women and lesbians have to vie for space, apparently. Definitely let's have strong single women, but I don't see why that has to be to the exclusion of lesbian women. We have decades of heterosexuality being shoved down our throats to make up on.

I think it's a shame that single women and lesbians have to vie for space, apparently. Definitely let's have strong single women, but I don't see why that has to be to the exclusion of lesbian women. We have decades of heterosexuality being shoved down our throats to make up on.

I agree. Why does she have to be eternally single either? Because she "saved the day" herself that means she's boxed in as the single strong woman?

Elsa having a girlfriend wouldn't take anything away from the original.

And AfroPuffs and the others who 'don't see the need' for a gay couple - has it occurred to you not to think about what YOU need, but about what children need? Children like mine, who have lesbian parents and would love to see that reflected in the books and films they see.

I started this thread thinking 'no' but your post has made me think 'yes'.

I think there should be less romance in general in kids films and I thought Frozen did a reasonable job of making it about the sisters' relationship (although they were still unrealistically thin). Brave was good too. I don't want my kids growing up thinking that finding a husband is the most important thing in life. In terms of same sex couples why not have some as parents or whatever but I wouldn't be keen on Disney going back to Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White style romance-centred films.

I haven't seen season 6 of once upon a time.

I'm excited now! I love that show!

I don't have abc or I would watch it. I do have the others on DVD though

I believe there are gay characters in Disney Channel series (I think!). For the films, unfortunately there are many nations, cultures or religions that would simply not accept a gay storyline and I would imagine the risk to revenues would be too high. It is not just merchandising either. It is box office revenues at the cinema, DVD/ digital downloads and onward sales to TV channels etc. Given the massive cost of producing animated films, I am not convinced it will happen any time soon, sadly.

The lesbian deaths on screen thing has really intrigued me/got me thinking. As someone who knows very little about modern tv and has no direct contact with any lesbian couples, I suppose it's not something I've ever considered. When I did, on my own, almost all the lesbians on tv I could think of have not died:

Carol and Susan from Friends
Emily from Pretty Little Liars (unless it happens later than I've watched)
Santana from Glee (again, unless in later seasons)
Denny, Nicki and the prison officer from Bad Girls
Kathryn (was she gay in the end, I never saw season 7?) and the ex stripper from Desperate Housewives
Felicity from The Boat that Rocked
Cynthia-Rose from Pitch Perfect

versus the only ones I can think of who did die:

Nina in Black Swan
Shaz in Bad Girls

But then I googled and was astonished at the information that came up. I guess, if there is such a thing, that's 'straight' privilege in action? (though I'm not exactly straight, I'm more asexual but whatever. Not lesbian anyway which I suppose is the point).

I think it would be a good thing for Disney to do if they could do it naturally. Unlike most of mumsnet (it seems) I work in a school and live in an area where children do not see homosexual relationships as a matter of course and many still giggle/get shocked when homosexuality is brought up and and/or think it's wrong or 'gross'. There are still huge swathes of the population being brought up to think this and, though I suspect most of that generation will grow out of it, Disney could do a lot to normalise it for the many, many children who don't see same sex relationships in their everyday lives.

No. I'd prefer no gay relationships in Disney films.