One third of Brits uncomfortable with concept of homosexual Disney princess, survey finds

More than half would also like to see a feminist princess

(Rex Features)

While Disney was applauded for introducing its first LGBTQ character in 2017’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast via LeFou, played by Josh Gad, the world has yet to meet a gay Disney princess.

The advent of a homosexual princess might seem long overdue, however, one third of Brits would be uncomfortable with such a move, according to new research conducted by YouGov.

By contrast, almost half of Brits said they would be comfortable with a future Disney princess being homosexual and 53 per cent said they would like to see a feminist princess.

The findings uncovered some key discrepancies between ages, with 67 per cent of participants aged 18 to 24 feeling comfortable with the prospect of a gay princess and just 25 per cent of those aged 65 or older saying the same.

The homogeneity of Disney princesses has been a perennial source of criticism, with viewers condemning the plethora of slim, young and white female characters that have populated films such as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and The Little Mermaid.

The research looked at a range of other traits for future princesses and found that 32 per cent of participants would be uncomfortable with an overweight princess

In recent years, the advent of BAME characters such as Moana and Tiana, who stars in The Princess and the Frog, has addressed some of the criticisms regarding the distinct lack of racial diversity in Disney’s 56 animated feature films, but sexual diversity remains largely untouched, with heterosexual relationships and binary gender identities reigning supreme in every film.

However, this might soon be addressed too, as Jennifer Lee, writer and co-director of the Frozen sequel, is reportedly considering giving the character of Elsa a female love interest.

Though nothing has been confirmed, the rumours have caused a frenzy online, with fans expressing their excitement at the idea on social media under the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend.

Idina Menzel, who voices the role of Elsa in the film, has also advocated the idea, telling PrideSource:

“I can’t promise anybody that that’s what’s gonna happen… but deep down am I really happy that it’s causing people to talk about it and have these kinds of conversations? Yeah, I am.”

The sequel to Frozen is due to hit cinemas on November 27, 2019.