Queer coding: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Implicit representation of LGBT characters}}

{{Unreliable sources|date=July 2021}}

'''Queer coding''' involves(also attributingwritten without a space: '''queercoding''') is the attribution of stereotypically [[queer]] traits to [[Character (arts)|fictional characters]] without explicitly stating their gender and sexual identity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Piluso |first=Francesco |date=2023-11-27 |title=Above the heteronormative narrative: looking up the place of Disney’sDisney's villains |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/sem-2023-0168/html |journal=Semiotica |language=en |volume=2023 |issue=255 |pages=131–148 |doi=10.1515/sem-2023-0168 |issn=0037-1998|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Though such a character's sexual identity may not be explicitly confirmed within their respective work, a character might be coded as queer through the use of traits and stereotypes recognizable to the audience. Queer coding is a concept both in the discussion of [[media portrayal of LGBT people]] and academic research involving [[queer theory]] or [[gender studies]].

{{essay-like|date=May 2024}}

'''Queer coding''' involves attributing stereotypically [[queer]] traits without explicitly stating gender and sexual identity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Piluso |first=Francesco |date=2023-11-27 |title=Above the heteronormative narrative: looking up the place of Disney’s villains |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/sem-2023-0168/html |journal=Semiotica |language=en |volume=2023 |issue=255 |pages=131–148 |doi=10.1515/sem-2023-0168 |issn=0037-1998}}</ref> Though such a character's sexual identity may not be explicitly confirmed within their respective work, a character might be coded as queer through the use of traits and stereotypes recognizable to the audience. Queer coding is a concept both in the discussion of [[media portrayal of LGBT people]] and academic research involving [[queer theory]] or [[gender studies]].

Queer coding may have had a negative impact on perceptions of queerness in media as villains are often queer-coded.

Queer coding is a concept both in the discussion of [[media portrayal of LGBT people]] and academic research involving [[queer theory]] or [[gender studies]].

==History==

In 1930, the [[Hays Code]] was established, which regulated the content of films and prohibited the portrayal of homosexuality.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Billheimer |first1=John |title=Hitchcock and the Censors |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |year=2019 |isbn=9780813177427 |pages=9–23 |chapter=Origins of the Code |doi=10.2307/j.ctvfjcx5v.4 |jstor=j.ctvfjcx5v.4 |s2cid=214143884}}</ref>

The idea of non-explicit queer coding likely stems from the strict regulations of how queer characters were able to be portrayed in the early days of film-making. In 1930, the [[Hays Code]] was established as a regulation for what was allowed to be shown on the big screen.<ref>{{Cite book|jstor = j.ctvfjcx5v.4|chapter = Origins of the Code|last1 = Billheimer|first1 = John|title = Hitchcock and the Censors|year = 2019|pages = 9–23|publisher = University Press of Kentucky| doi=10.2307/j.ctvfjcx5v.4 |isbn = 9780813177427| s2cid=214143884 }}</ref> According to the code, films were not allowed to portray "perverse" subjects such as homosexuality, which inevitably led to the portrayal of non-explicit queer characters. The trend of the inclusivity of queer characters in a subtextual way likely bled into modern portrayals of queer characters. One scholar, Jo Johnson, argued that Jerry in the ''[[Tom & Jerry]]'' cartoons had an androgynous design, even if feminized, and noted a possible [[homoerotic]] subtext between Jerry and Tom, especially when there is [[cross-dressing]].<ref>{{Cite book|title = Queers in American Popular Culture Volume 1: Film and television|last = Johnson|first = Jo|publisher = Praeger|year = 2010|isbn = 9780313354571|___location = Santa Barbara, California|chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/queersinamerican0000unse/page/246/mode/2up |access-date = September 23, 2021|editor-last = Elledge|editor-first = Jim|volume = 1|chapter = "We'll Have A Gay Old Time!": Queer Representation in American Prime-Time Television from the Cartoon Short to the Family Sitcom |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/queersinamerican0000unse/mode/2up |pages=249, 251 }}</ref> Johnson pointed to the 1966 short "[[Jerry-Go-Round]]", by [[Chuck Jones]], as having a coded same-sex relationship between Jerry, who was gendered by Jones as female, and a female elephant who wears a pink tutu. She argued that the episode's ending could be read as a "prophetic depiction of [[Gay pride|Gay Pride]]".<ref>{{Cite book|title = Queers in American Popular Culture Volume 1: Film and television|last = Johnson|first = Jo|publisher = Praeger|year = 2010|isbn = 9780313354571|___location = Santa Barbara, California|chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/queersinamerican0000unse/page/246/mode/2up |access-date = September 23, 2021|editor-last = Elledge|editor-first = Jim|volume = 1|chapter = "We'll Have A Gay Old Time!": Queer Representation in American Prime-Time Television from the Cartoon Short to the Family Sitcom |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/queersinamerican0000unse/mode/2up |pages=256–257 }}</ref> Cade M. Olmstead, an interdisciplinary philosophy scholar, built upon Johnson's work. He argued that ''Tom and Jerry'' "subverts normalized gender and sexuality structures" through theatrical play and performance, transgressing the normal construction of gender.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=ugswork |title=Tom and Jerry: Performative Queerness in Action |last=Olmstead |first=Cade M. |date=2018 |website=Undergraduate Student Work |publisher=[[University of Northern Iowa]] |access-date=September 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318122855/https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=ugswork |archive-date=March 18, 2020 |pages=1–8 |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite the queer coding in "Bugs Bunny" and "Tom & Jerry" cartoons, as scholars Deborah A. Fisher, Douglas L. Hill, Joel W. Grube, and Enid L. Gruber noted, before 1970, almost no gay characters were on television, and they remained relatively absent "until the 1990s".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fisher |first1=Deborah A. |last2=Hill |first2=Douglas L. |last3=Grube |first3=Joel W. |last4=Gruber |first4=Enid L. |date=2007 |title=Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Content on Television: A Quantitative Analysis Across Two Seasons |journal=[[Journal of Homosexuality]] |volume=52 |issue=3–4 |pages=167–168 |doi=10.1300/J082v52n03_08 |pmid=17594976 |pmc=2000838 }}</ref> Continuing from the late 1980s, villains in Disney films which were queer coded appeared in this decade.<ref name="insidersnydes">{{cite web|last1=Snyder|first1=Chris|last2=Desiderio|first2=Kyle|url=https://www.insider.com/the-evolution-of-queer-characters-in-kids-animated-tv-shows-2021-6|title=The evolution of queer characters in children's animation|website=[[Insider (website)|Insider]]|date=June 29, 2021|access-date=July 1, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210701050407/https://www.insider.com/the-evolution-of-queer-characters-in-kids-animated-tv-shows-2021-6|archive-date=July 1, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Commentary on the treatment of LGBT+ characters in film is made in the 1995 documentary ''[[The Celluloid Closet (film)|The Celluloid Closet]]'', and is one of the first instances in which the idea of queer coding is presented to the public.<ref>{{Cite book|jstor = 10.3366/j.ctt1bgzbtn.12|doi = |chapter = Youth, Realism and Form|last1 = Pullen|first1 = Christopher|title = Straight Girls and Queer Guys|year = 2016|pages = 147–168|isbn = 9780748694846}}</ref>

In animation, cartoon artists were able to portray the gender of characters in androgynous, asexual, and gender-fluid ways. Paul Wells and Patrick Brion argue that Jerry from the ''[[Tom & Jerry]]'' cartoons to have an androgynous and even feminine design. The 1966 short "[[Jerry-Go-Round]]" has been interpreted by Jo Johnson as containing a coded [[lesbian]] relationship between Jerry and a female elephant, even though Jerry is male.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=Jo |url=https://archive.org/details/queersinamerican0000unse/mode/2up |title=Queers in American Popular Culture Volume 1: Film and television |publisher=Praeger |year=2010 |isbn=9780313354571 |editor-last=Elledge |editor-first=Jim |volume=1 |___location=Santa Barbara, California |pages=256–257 |chapter="We'll Have A Gay Old Time!": Queer Representation in American Prime-Time Television from the Cartoon Short to the Family Sitcom |access-date=September 23, 2021 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/queersinamerican0000unse/page/246/mode/2up |url-access=registration}}</ref> Cade M. Olmstead, a philosopher, has argued that ''Tom and Jerry'' "subverts normalized gender and sexuality structures" through theatrical play and performance, transgressing the normal construction of gender.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=ugswork |title=Tom and Jerry: Performative Queerness in Action |last=Olmstead |first=Cade M. |date=2018 |website=Undergraduate Student Work |publisher=[[University of Northern Iowa]] |access-date=September 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318122855/https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=ugswork |archive-date=March 18, 2020 |pages=1–8 |url-status=live}}</ref> "Queer coding" has also been observed in the ''[[Bugs Bunny]]'' cartoons.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal |last1=Fisher |first1=Deborah A. |last2=Hill |first2=Douglas L. |last3=Grube |first3=Joel W. |last4=Gruber |first4=Enid L. |date=2007 |title=Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Content on Television: A Quantitative Analysis Across Two Seasons |journal=[[Journal of Homosexuality]] |volume=52 |issue=3–4 |pages=167–168 |doi=10.1300/J082v52n03_08 |pmid=17594976 |pmc=2000838 }}</ref>

''[[Time Squad]]'', which aired from 2001 to 2003 on [[Cartoon Network]], had the character Larry 3000, who was interpreted as gay by many viewers. In 2012, the voice actor of Larry 3000, [[Mark Hamill]], implied that Larry could easily have been interpreted as gay,<ref>{{cite web |title=039 – Mark Hamill on Talkin Toons with Rob Paulsen – Weekly Voice Acting and Voice Over Tips |url=http://techjives.net/2012/05/04/039-mark-hamill-on-talkin-toons-with-rob-paulsen-weekly-voice-acting-and-voice-over-tips/ |website=Tech Jives Network |access-date=18 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319040214/http://techjives.net/2012/05/04/039-mark-hamill-on-talkin-toons-with-rob-paulsen-weekly-voice-acting-and-voice-over-tips/ |archive-date=2020-03-19}}</ref> due to his femininity and presentation as the "gay best friend" to Cleopatra in "Shop like an Egyptian", even though Larry has stated on multiple occasions he dislikes humans in general. However, the show never directly stated his sexuality. Even so, Hamill described Larry 3000 as fierce and flamboyant.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hamill |first=Mark |title=Love Unique Deadpan No-Nonsense #Skips but #Larry3000 of #TimeSquad was Fierce-Flamboyant & more Crazy-Fun to play! |url=https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/733579727215042560 |website=[[Twitter]] |access-date=March 18, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200319034956/https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/733579727215042560 |archive-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref>

In the late 1980s, villains in Disney films which were "queer coded" began to appear.<ref name="insidersnydes">{{cite web|last1=Snyder|first1=Chris|last2=Desiderio|first2=Kyle|url=https://www.insider.com/the-evolution-of-queer-characters-in-kids-animated-tv-shows-2021-6|title=The evolution of queer characters in children's animation|website=[[Insider (website)|Insider]]|date=June 29, 2021|access-date=July 1, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210701050407/https://www.insider.com/the-evolution-of-queer-characters-in-kids-animated-tv-shows-2021-6|archive-date=July 1, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Commentary on the treatment of LGBT+ characters in film is made in the 1995 documentary ''[[The Celluloid Closet (film)|The Celluloid Closet]]'', and is one of the first instances in which the idea of queer coding is presented to the public.<ref>{{Cite book|jstor = 10.3366/j.ctt1bgzbtn.12|doi = |chapter = Youth, Realism and Form|last1 = Pullen|first1 = Christopher|title = Straight Girls and Queer Guys|year = 2016|pages = 147–168|isbn = 9780748694846}}</ref>

Late in 2021, [[Kevin Williamson (screenwriter)|Kevin Williamson]] told The Independent he believed that "the [[Scream (franchise)|Scream]] movies are coded in gay survival."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-12-06 |title=Kevin Williamson interview: 'The Scream movies are coded in gay survival' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/kevin-williamson-scream-interview-b1968631.html |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> In the same interview, prior to him saying the previous statement, Williamson talked about how much of himself he unintentionally projected onto the main character of the first movie, [[Sidney Prescott]]. "As a gay kid, I related to the final girl and to her struggle because it’s what one has to do to survive as a young gay kid, too."<ref name=":0" />

Until the 1970s, gay characters generally did not appear on American television.<ref name=":2" />

Sidney is not the only queer coded character in the original 1996 Scream film, however. [[Neve Campbell]], who plays as main character [[Sidney Prescott]], describes Billy and Stu as "pretty confused guys" in an interview, and speculates that their desire to kill has some roots in them "not being allowed to be who they want to be."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-10 |title=A Survivor to Scream About: Neve Campbell on 'Scream' Queer Theories (Yes, Billy and Stu), and How Sidney Still Inspires the LGBTQ+ Community |url=https://pridesource.com/article/neve-campbell |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Pride Source |language=en}}</ref> Williamson has since confirmedthat the two [[Ghostface (identity)|Ghostface]] killers, Stu and Billy, were inspired by [[Leopold and Loeb]], an allegedly gay couple who were infamous for the kidnapping murder of 14-year-old Bobby Frank in May of 1924.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Murderers Leopold and Loeb gain national attention |url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/leopold-and-loeb-gain-national-attention |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=HISTORY |language=en}}</ref>

===Villains===

{{anchor|Sissy villain}}

{{further|Sissy|Disney villains}}

[[File:Divine-by-origa.jpg|thumb|[[Ursula (The Little Mermaid)|Ursula]]'s character in ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' was inspired by the [[drag queen]] [[Divine (performer)|Divine]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pdCrF4JxKDIC |title = From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture |journal = Indiana University Press |language = en |year = 1995|isbn = 0253209781 }}</ref>]]

Because of the Hays Code, positive portrayals of homosexual characters were barred, and the only characters in fiction that could be perceived as homosexuals had evil roles and were punished throughout the work.<ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://filmicmag.com/2015/08/01/from-sissies-to-secrecy-the-evolution-of-the-hays-code-queer/ |title = From Sissies to Secrecy: The Evolution of the Hays Code Queer |journal = Filmic Magazine |language = en |date = 1 August 2015}}</ref> Thus, [[villain]]s became noted in particular to have [[Effeminacy|effeminate]] characteristics, behaviors or gestures that could be perceived as [[LGBT|LGBTQ]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://www.periodicos.ulbra.br/index.php/txra/article/view/1181 |title = O vilão desviante: Uma leitura sociocultural pela perspectiva de gênero de Scar em O Rei Leão |journal = Revista de Educação e Letras |language = pt |year = 2014|volume = 16 |issue = 32 |last1 = Santos |first1 = Caynnã de Camargo }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |url = https://www.gaymer.es/es/2018/10/villano-afeminado/ |title = La problemática del villano afeminado |journal = Gaymer |language = es |date = 13 October 2018 |archive-date = 6 May 2021 |access-date = 10 November 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210506090942/https://www.gaymer.es/es/2018/10/villano-afeminado/ |url-status = dead }}</ref> Disney characters have attracted attention because their films are popular among children.<ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://thetempest.co/2020/06/04/entertainment/disney-villains-gay-queer-coding/ |title = Wait a second, are all Disney villains gay? |journal = The Tempest |language = en |date = 4 June 2020}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal|url = https://elpais.com/babelia/2021-05-28/los-villanos-de-disney-salen-del-armario.html |title = Los villanos de Disney salen del armario |journal = El País |language = es |date = 28 May 2021}}</ref> Examples include:

* [[John Ratcliffe (governor)#In popular culture|Governor Ratcliffe]] in ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]'', who is the only male character with makeup, braided hair and bows, and wears pink.

* [[Ursula (The Little Mermaid)|Ursula]] in ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' was inspired by the [[drag queen]] [[Divine (performer)|Divine]].

* [[Captain Hook]] in ''[[Peter Pan (1953 film)|Peter Pan]]''

* [[Scar (The Lion King)|Scar]] in ''[[The Lion King]]'', who has mannered{{what?|date=August 2023}} gestures.

* [[CaptainKing HookCandy]] in ''[[PeterWreck-It Pan (1953 film)|Peter PanRalph]]''.

* [[List of Disney's Hercules characters#Hades|Hades]] in ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]''

* [[Hector Barbossa]] in the [[Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean franchise]].

* [[Shere Khan#The Jungle Book|Shere Khan]] and [[Kaa#1967 animated film and sequels|Kaa]] in ''[[The Jungle Book (1967 film)|The Jungle Book]]''

* The [[Cheshire Cat]] in [[Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)|Alice in Wonderland]], as an [[anti-hero]].

* [[Scar (The Lion King)|Scar]] in ''[[The Lion King]]'', who has mannered{{what?|date=August 2023}} gestures.

* [[Dr. Facilier]] in ''[[The Princess and the Frog]]''

* [[Jafar (Aladdin)|Jafar]] in ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]''

* [[Hector Barbossa]] in the [[Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|''Pirates of the Caribbean'' franchise]].

* The [[Cheshire Cat]] in ''[[Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]'', as an [[anti-hero]].

While many examples can be pulled from Disney, the trend of queer coding villains in prominent media and film extends beyond the corporation. Some examples include:

* The character '[[List_of_The_Powerpuff_Girls_characters#HIM'|HIM]] in ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'', who dresses in a [[Tutu (clothing)|tutu]] and heels.

* The Red Guy, a personification of [[the Devil]] from ''[[Cow and Chicken]]'' and ''[[I Am Weasel]]''. Being openly effeminate and naked most of the time, he uses a lot of costumes to assume numerous roles, most prominently female ones while crossdressing.

* The primary antagonist [[Rumpelstiltskin]] in ''[[Shrek Forever After]]''.

* The lethal duo of Billy Loomis and Stu Macher in ''[[Scream (1996 film)|Scream]]'', who are based on murderers [[Leopold and Loeb|Nathan Freudenthal Leopold Jr. and Richard Albert Loeb]] according to the screenwriter of Scream, [[Kevin Williamson (screenwriter)|Kevin Williamson]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-12 |title='Scream' Screenwriter Kevin Williamson Confirms Billy and Stu's Queer-Coded Relationship Was Based on Real Gay Killers |url=https://pridesource.com/article/billyandstu |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Pride Source |language=en}}</ref>

* The androgynous ''[[Overwatch 2|Overwatch]]'' hero [[Moira (Overwatch)|Moira]], who is an agent of the terrorist organisation Talon.

''[[Time Squad]]'', which aired from 2001 to 2003 on [[Cartoon Network]], had the character* Larry 3000, who was interpreted as gay by many viewers. In 2012,in the voiceCartoon actorNetwork of Larry 3000,program ''[[MarkTime HamillSquad]]'', impliedwho that Larry could easily havehas been interpreted asto be gay,.<ref>{{cite web |title=039 – Mark Hamill on Talkin Toons with Rob Paulsen – Weekly Voice Acting and Voice Over Tips |url=http://techjives.net/2012/05/04/039-mark-hamill-on-talkin-toons-with-rob-paulsen-weekly-voice-acting-and-voice-over-tips/ |website=Tech Jives Network |access-date=18 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319040214/http://techjives.net/2012/05/04/039-mark-hamill-on-talkin-toons-with-rob-paulsen-weekly-voice-acting-and-voice-over-tips/ |archive-date=2020-03-19}}</ref> due|access-date=18 toMarch his2020 femininity|website=Tech andJives presentation as the "gay best friend" to Cleopatra in "Shop like an Egyptian", even though Larry has stated on multiple occasions he dislikes humans in general. However, the show never directly stated his sexuality. Even so, Hamill described Larry 3000 as fierce and flamboyant.Network}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hamill |first=Mark |title=Love Unique Deadpan No-Nonsense #Skips but #Larry3000 of #TimeSquad was Fierce-Flamboyant & more Crazy-Fun to play! |url=https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/733579727215042560 |website=[[Twitter]] |access-date=March 18, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200319034956/https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/733579727215042560 |archive-date=March 19, 2020 |access-date=March 18, 2020 |website=[[Twitter]]}}</ref>

Late* inThe 2021''Scream'' movies, which screenwriter [[Kevin Williamson (screenwriter)|Kevin Williamson]] toldhas Thedescribed Independentas he believed thatbeing "the [[Scream (franchise)|Scream]] movies are coded in gay survival"."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-12-06 |title=Kevin Williamson interview: 'The Scream movies are coded in gay survival' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/kevin-williamson-scream-interview-b1968631.html |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Inweb the|date=2022-01-10 same|title=A interview, priorSurvivor to himScream sayingAbout: theNeve previousCampbell statement,on Williamson'Scream' talkedQueer aboutTheories how much of himself he unintentionally projected onto the main character of the first movie(Yes, [[SidneyBilly Prescott]].and "As a gay kidStu), I related to the final girl and toHow herSidney struggleStill becauseInspires it’sthe whatLGBTQ+ oneCommunity has|url=https://pridesource.com/article/neve-campbell to|access-date=2023-12-05 do to|website=Pride surviveSource as a young gay kid, too."<ref name|language=":0" en}}</ref>

* [[Xerxes I|King Xerxes]] of [[Achaemenid Empire|Persia]] in ''[[300 (film)|300]]'' was intentionally depicted as effeminate to "scare" young heterosexual men in the audience.

==Impact==

Queer coding is similar to [[queerbaiting]], but the queer coding of a character is neutral and intrinsic to the work, unlike queerbaiting, which often invokes queerness in order to draw viewership.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}} However, queer coding may have a negative impact on perceptions of queerness in media; villains are often queer-coded, leading to the [[pejorative]] perception of queer traits. Critics have noted the [[Walt Disney Company|Walt Disney Company's]] attribution of queer characteristics and behaviors to villainous or antagonistic characters.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Martinez |first1=Ren |title=Fabulously Fiendish: Disney Villains and Queer-Coding |url=http://www.marginsmagazine.com/2015/12/18/fabulously-fiendish-disney-villains-and-queer-coding/ |website=Margins Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312175257/http://www.marginsmagazine.com/2015/12/18/fabulously-fiendish-disney-villains-and-queer-coding/ |archive-date=March 12, 2017 |date=December 18, 2015}}</ref>

[[Gaston (Disney)|Gaston]] and LeFou in the 1991 film ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' and [[List of Disney's Aladdin characters|Jafar]] from the 1992 film ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'' were created by an openly gay animator named [[Andreas Deja]],<ref name="craig2000">{{cite magazine | first=Craig | last=Seymour | title=Yep, They're Gay | url=httphttps://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,277857_2,00.html2000/10/06/yep-theyre-gay/ | date=6 October 2000 | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]| url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110135751/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,277857_2,00.html|archive-date=November 10, 2011}}</ref> and sang music by [[Howard Ashman]], who was also openly gay. The fact that Deja had also worked on [[Scar (The Lion King)|Scar]] in ''[[The Lion King]]'' and the titular character in ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]'', for example, has been discussed as an influence on the development of some Disney characters.<ref>{{cite book | first1=Gail | last1=Dines | first2=Jean | last2=McMahon Humez | title=Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-reader | page=[https://archive.org/details/genderraceclassi0000unse/page/209 209] | date=August 2002 | publisher=Sage Publications | isbn=978-0-7619-2261-2 | url=https://archive.org/details/genderraceclassi0000unse/page/209 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | first=Peter | last=Schweizer | title=The Mouse Betrayed | page=[https://archive.org/details/disneymousebetra00schw/page/148 148] | publisher=Regnery Publishing | date=September 1998 | isbn=0-89526-387-4 | url=https://archive.org/details/disneymousebetra00schw/page/148 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | first=Tom | last=Provenzano | title=The Lion in Summer | journal=The Advocate | page=66 | date=28 June 1994}}</ref>

This queerQueer coding hadhas itsled disadvantages,to withsome networks not wanting to show overt representation. Animator [[Rebecca Sugar]] argued that it is "really heavy" for a kid to only exist "as a villain or a joke" in an animated series.<ref name="insidersnydes" /> In 2011, Deja told [[news.com.au]] that Disney would have a "family that has two dads or two mums" if they find the "right kind of story with that kind of concept."<ref>{{cite journal | first=Daniela | last=Elser | title=Gay families in Disney movies only a matter of time, says Lion King animator Andreas Deja | url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/mickey-has-two-dads/story-e6frfmvr-1226015944009 | date=March 4, 2011 | journal=[[news.com.au]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807101046/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/mickey-has-two-dads/story-e6frfmvr-1226015944009|archive-date=August 7, 2011|url-status=live|access-date=September 27, 2011}}</ref> However, other critics criticizedregarded such queer-coded villains as contributing to "homophobic discourse" and equating queerness with evil itself.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gates |first1=Meggie |title=Once Again, Disney Attempts to Co-opt Pride Month |url=https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/disney-rebrands-pride-no-lgbtq-support |website=[[Bitch (magazine)|Bitch]] |access-date=September 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712054914/https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/disney-rebrands-pride-no-lgbtq-support |archive-date=July 12, 2021 |date=July 18, 2021 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Weir |first1=John |title=FILM; Gay-Bashing, Villainy and the Oscars |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/29/movies/film-gay-bashing-villainy-and-the-oscars.html |website=[[New York Times]] |access-date=September 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122220051/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/29/movies/film-gay-bashing-villainy-and-the-oscars.html |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |date=March 29, 1992 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Other critics have claimed that this attribution can lead to a negative association between queerness and immoral, licentious behavior.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Inés|last= Mendoza-Pérez|url=https://controlforever.com/read/queercoding-and-horror-films/|title=Queer-Coding and Horror Films|website=Control Forever|date=October 26, 2018|access-date=July 17, 2021|archive-date=August 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801231507/https://controlforever.com/read/queercoding-and-horror-films/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pride.com/geek/2020/2/05/10-queer-coded-gay-villains-our-childhood|title=10 Queer-Coded, Gay Villains from Our Childhood|date=February 5, 2020|website=www.pride.com}}</ref>

In February 2021, producer [[Ralph Farquhar]] said that in ''[[The Proud Family]]'', which aired on the [[Disney Channel]] from 2001 to 2005, they had to use "code to talk about if Michael was gay, to talk about sexuality" and to be "sort of underhanded about it." He said this changed with ''[[The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder]]'' with the biggest changes to the show are "gender identity, obviously racial identity and quote-unquote [[woke]]ness," and said that sexuality can be "sort of in your face with it a lot more," manifesting itself in the storytelling.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wolfe|first=Jennifer|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/the-proud-family-returns-to-screens-louder-prouder-even-more-authentic/|title='The Proud Family' Returns to Screens Louder, Prouder & Even More Authentic!|website=[[Animation Magazine]]|date=February 4, 2022|access-date=February 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204183522/https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/the-proud-family-returns-to-screens-louder-prouder-even-more-authentic/|archive-date=February 4, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

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*[[He never married]]

*[[Medieval singlewomen]]

* [[LGBTQ themes in Western animation]]

* [[LGBTQ themes in anime and manga]]

== References ==