‘We’re not quite there yet… but we will be’: Identifying shifts in the Walt Disney Company’s LGBTQ+ representation

IF 2.1 Q2 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of International Students Pub Date : 2024-12-05 DOI:10.1386/ijds_00004_1

Matt Weaver

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引用次数: 4

Abstract

The Walt Disney Company has a long, complicated history with the LGBTQ+ community, particularly regarding film representation. There has been much external pressure on Disney to provide better LGBTQ+ depiction, further emphasized with controversies surrounding their involvement in Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill. In recent years, there have been some indications of progress in animated films such as Lightyear (2022) and Strange World (2022). In this article, I analyse these films as exemplary of how Disney can be more LGBTQ+ inclusive in both their censorship practices (the re-instatement of a same-sex kiss in Lightyear ), and their narratives, themes and character developments (the introduction of Disney’s first openly gay character – Ethan – in Strange World ). I also place these films within their wider political context, recognizing them as both reflective of Disney’s efforts to correct its past, and their significance in normalizing queer experiences during a time of growing hostility towards LGBTQ+ communities, and introduction of laws that negatively impact queer youth. I conclude with some thought on the company’s future, and whether progression will continue in film representation – when the future of democracy and visibility is increasingly uncertain, Disney can and need to ‘say gay’, now more than ever.

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“我们还没有完全做到……但我们会做到的”：确定华特迪士尼公司LGBTQ+形象的转变

华特迪士尼公司与LGBTQ+群体有着悠久而复杂的历史，尤其是在电影表现方面。外界对迪士尼施加了很大的压力，要求他们提供更好的LGBTQ+形象，而围绕他们卷入佛罗里达州“不说同性恋”法案的争议又进一步强调了这一点。近年来，动画电影有了一些进步的迹象，比如《光年》（2022）和《奇怪的世界》（2022）。在这篇文章中，我分析了这些电影，作为迪士尼如何在审查实践（《光年》中重新恢复同性之吻）、叙事、主题和角色发展（《奇异世界》中引入迪士尼第一个公开的同性恋角色——伊桑）方面更加包容LGBTQ+的典范。我也把这些电影放在更广泛的政治背景中，认识到它们既反映了迪士尼纠正过去的努力，也反映了它们在对LGBTQ+社区日益增长的敌意以及对酷儿青年产生负面影响的法律的引入期间使酷儿经历正常化的意义。最后，我对公司的未来进行了一些思考，以及在电影表现方面是否会继续进步——当民主和可见度的未来越来越不确定时，迪士尼可以也需要“说同性恋”，现在比以往任何时候都要多。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of International Students EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH-

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

25.00%

发文量

审稿时长

30 weeks

期刊介绍： The journal publishes scholarly peer-reviewed articles on international students in tertiary education, secondary education, and other educational settings that make significant contributions to research, policy, and practice in the internationalization of education worldwide. We encourage the submission of manuscripts from researchers and practitioners around the world from a myriad of academic fields and theoretical perspectives, including international education, comparative education, human geography, global studies, linguistics, psychology, sociology, communication, international business, economics, social work, cultural studies, and other related disciplines. We are especially interested in submissions which mark a new and demonstratively significant advancement in research on international students on topics such as: Cross-cultural studies of acculturation, intergroup relations, and intercultural communication Career preparation, employability, and career outcomes of short- and long-term mobility Development of international student social networks Emerging trends related to the mobility of international students and scholars English-mediated instruction (EMI) and second language acquisition (L2) Experiences of globally mobile LGBTQ+ students and other student populations Geopolitical perspectives and policies related to international students and other immigrants seeking education Global learning involving diverse people collaboratively analyzing and addressing complex problems that transcend borders International faculty, teaching assistants, and postdoctoral researchers Multicultural, intercultural, and cross-cultural engagement New educational contexts that involve the use of emerging technologies and online learning International student experiences in transnational higher education providers and programs.