the Machines has arrived to rightfully claim the throne of queer representation in animated cinema.įollowing the cold open, we’re introduced to Katie jamming out in her cluttercore bedroom adorned with mock B-movie posters and a rainbow comforter while “I Want More” by the riot grrrl band, bangs. Now, armed with an intentionally placed rainbow button, a laptop filled with absurdist comedy short films, a brain cluttered with anxiety, a desire to find “her people,” and a continued message that sometimes it takes time to figure out who you are, Katie Mitchell of The Mitchells vs. The first time a mainstream animated film acknowledged an openly gay character was less than a decade ago. Fans rejoiced when Laika’s ParaNorman in 2012 revealed the ultra-jock “Mitch” as gay in his final moment on screen, making him the first openly gay character in a mainstream animated film. Disney’s Onward released just last year was the first time the House of Mouse explicitly featured a LGBTQ+ character with most representation relegated to queer coded villains (I still love you, Ursula).
Despite the progress made in animated television series like Craig of the Creek, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Adventure Time, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, The Owl House, and most notably, Steven Universe, animated films have been moving at a snail’s pace in regard to LGBTQ+ representation.
