Onwards and upwards

Who doesn’t love feeling nostalgic when watching a childhood classic? These are the films that stick with you, perhaps for life. Which is why it is so essential that they provide healthy morals as well as a fun-loving experience.

It is no secret that the surge of need for more representation across all avenues is colossal. In this recent summer, the attention towards such matters rose substantially. Nevertheless, we must remember that they are not just trends for when you are burdened with boredom, they are ongoing and nothing short of serious.

I’m sure many of us, myself included, indulged in more TV watching than ever before during lockdown. Personally, I treated myself to Disney+ and revelled in my guilty-but-not-so-guilty pleasure that is animated movies. One that stood out to me (and not just because of Tom Holland), was Onward. The film shares with us the adventurous quest two brothers take in order to find the magic that will allow them one last day with their late father. Overall, it was lovely and being the film cry-baby that I am… well, I cried. However, I was intrigued when I googled it to find that others had some contrasting opinions.

The character I am going to be talking about in particular is Lena Waithe’s character, Officer Specter. Officer Specter was advertised as Disney’s first, openly LGBTQ+ character. While there have been many fan theories surrounding potential LGBTQ+ Disney and Pixar characters in the past, Onward exhibits the first verbal acknowledgment.

"I can’t help but feel a little disheartened to know that something so small is seen by some as revolutionary"

The scene depicts her character comforting another fellow officer about being a new parent. To quote, she says, “my girlfriend’s daughter got me pulling my hair out.” To anyone who isn’t exceedingly heteronormative, it is obvious that she is referring to her romantic partner. However, that’s it. The gayness is gone as quickly as it came, and I can’t help but feel a little disheartened to know that something so small is seen by some as revolutionary.

While this slither of growth is something we definitely needed in the whirlwind of a year that is 2020, we are still miles behind. Due to this particular scene, Pixar’s Onward was actually banned in a number of Middle Eastern countries including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Russia had supposedly censored the film by replacing the word ‘girlfriend’ with ‘partner’ and avoids hinting at Specter’s gender. So evidently, the world is still seriously lagging in the progression department.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time a Disney film has received critical backlash due to its LGBTQ+ implications. In 2017, the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast portrayed LeFou, Gaston’s comical sidekick, as an unconfirmed but highly likely gay character. We also saw a minor character, Stanley, smile and waltz down the stairs unlike the other men who panicked and ran (typical), after Madame de Garderobe, otherwise known as the wardrobe, dressed them all as a woman. Once again, it was reported at the time that this film was removed from cinemas in Kuwait and Malaysia, and a drive-in cinema in the US state of Alabama also cancelled their screenings.

These facts, along with a multitude of others, just go to show how homophobia is still carved into scores of ignorant minds and despite any positive notions of change, we still have a marathon of hurdles to face. Nevertheless, a more uplifting point about Onward’s character, Specter, is that Lena Waithe, who is a member of LGBTQ+ herself, got to have her input. When speaking to Variety at the film’s premier, Waithe reported that she’d asked in the recording sessions, “can I say the word girlfriend? It sounds weird, I even have a gay voice, I think. Like, I don’t think I sound right saying ‘husband.’” Thankfully everyone agreed as she continued, “they were like ‘Oh year, do that.’ They were so cool and chill. And it ended up being something special.” So, in hindsight, we actually have Waithe to thank.

However, something that niggles in the back of my brain with all of this is; why are all these character’s roles so small? Where are the queer main characters? If you’ve made it this far into the article then I don’t need to remind you how important representation is, you already know that. With this in mind, its aggravating to only see these LGBTQ+ characters for mere moments before the main storyline continues. Too many of the occurrences that indicate a character’s queerness are so subtle that they could very well just go right over the audience’s head. Especially in animated films where a huge portion of the viewers are children who may not yet understand or pick up on it in the first place.

We don’t want history to repeat itself where these issues are concerned and therefore, it is vital that we unmask these marginalised groups in all aspects. Giving them more spotlight in animated films could have a huge, positive impact on younger generations and the adults they will eventually grow up to be. I mean, we all grew up wanting to be our favourite fictional characters, didn’t we? As a child, the mind is highly impressionable. As a result, when it subconsciously stores information from its surroundings, the things you learn and see as a child are incredibly vital.

I think having characters to relate to is crucial for both children and adults alike. It brings a sense of comfort and it makes the story more personal. It also plays a huge part in the educational influence animated movies can have. We are allowed films that teach children about individuality, inner strength and friendship. So, why should teachings involving complete acceptance of yourself and others, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity be any different? A major problem we suffer with today is people are still unwilling to pick apart their upbringing and abolish their damaging beliefs. On top of that, plenty of people are pro LGBTQ+ but still battle with an immense amount of internalized homophobia.

These barriers can’t be broken down if we don’t start normalising things that should be seen as ‘normal’ anyway. Better attention needs to be brought to the focus of implementing LGBTQ+ personalities into our beloved creative spaces. The arts and media get belittled by many, but people deeply underestimate how abundant and significant these things are in our world. It would be pretty boring if film, books, art and all the rest didn’t exist. Also, let’s face it. It’s a commercial world but why not use that to our advantage?

There is so much extra room in the film industry to embrace diverse characters. Obviously, people want it otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this article and we wouldn’t have pride marches. The money-making sales pitch effectively writes itself!

"Philosophising the idea of Elsa being a lesbian just isn’t enough anymore"

Though, while there are steps being taken, Disney and other film franchises desperately need to kick it up a notch and give us main characters who are openly LGBTQ+. And more than one per film for that matter. Philosophising the idea of Elsa being a lesbian just isn’t enough anymore.

In regard to Onward, I personally loved the film. Except I enjoyed it for the relatable awkward kid who writes lists on ways to be more confident. I enjoyed it because it proved that families are not conventional, but they are important. I enjoyed it for the wonderful concoction of comedy and magic. But I didn’t watch it with the intention of relishing in a gay character because that lasted all of two seconds. This doesn’t make it a bad film as there are lots of other great themes to appreciate. It just means it shouldn’t be celebrated for having the first ‘openly gay character.’