However, when it comes to gay as a culture (a secret society of queer irreverence, overflowing with in-jokes and shared references, propagated by prophets stretching from Oscar Wilde to RuPaul), my first invitation to the party was undoubtedly extended by the gloved hand of the mouse. Human sexuality is complicated and dynamic (certainly more so than the 'Born This Way' slogan suggests), and it's ridiculous to assume that a cartoon, or even a whole universe of animated princesses in enchanted castles, could magically transform anyone into a fairy. To be clear: I am not claiming that the Walt Disney Company made me a homosexual. Now, with another rainbow-festooned LGBTQ Pride Month upon us, and with Governor Ron DeSantis treating the Magic Kingdom like his own personal Sudetenland over Disney's opposition to Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill, I'm re-examining the role Disney has played in the development of my own abundant gayness. What exactly is Elsa commanding you to let go of - your traditional values?
Be it hidden messages in animation cells or the portrayal of openly gay characters (which led the Pixar film Onward to be banned in much of the Persian Gulf), parents of a more conservative outlook wonder what effect hours of repeat viewing might be having on their kids. Disney has often been the subject of suspicion.
