It really shouldn’t be surprising that we in the LGBTQ+ have felt part of the Disney mythos for so long. A boy aware he likes other boys can look at a climactic kiss in a Disney movie and think ‘I want that.’ Disney movies are full of heroes longing to be accepted and celebrated instead of rejected for their differences, from Dumbo to Mirabel in Encanto. It may also surprise some people, even today, to know that the awareness of our identity can start when we are still children. How could they not? We watched the movies with everyone else they have always celebrated beauty, friendship, dreams, and the promise of love and acceptance, everything we long for as much as anyone. It may come as a surprise to some people out there, but Disney has an enormous fanbase in the LGBTQ+ community. And of course, inevitably, a lot of Disney songs - funny songs, villain songs, and romantic songs. The show included everything from TV cartoon themes to Oscar winners like Somewhere Out There. It was titled When You Wish - A Salute to Music from Animated Films, performed by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington. Seven years ago, I went to attend a show at DC’s Lincoln Theater. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website.
