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So I’m really excited you brought this up.”
“I think if you’re a person watching this movie and you see representation in a way that feels really real and authentic to you, then it is real and authentic,” Tran shared. If you have been following That Park Place, then you might already know the answer.
Patti Harrison, a biological male appeared in the 2022 She-Hulk series in episode 6 as Lulu, the bride-to-be in a wedding that Jennifer Walters (aka She-Hulk) attends.
The statements from NBC News and Talisa Garcia would seem to confirm that.
But that was not Patti Harrison’s first role for Disney. The lack of clarity on Disney's part shows they didn't learn from Frozen's Elsa, nor the obvious lack of LGBTQ+ representation.
Raya and the Last Dragon follows the fictional world of Kumandra, a kingdom comprised of five distinct regions based on Southeast Asian cultures.
Your opinion of whether that is good or bad is dependent on your own thoughts and positions. Aside from Elsa's ambiguous sexual orientation, Disney recently drew criticism for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's blink-and-you'll-miss-it gay kiss and playing it too safe with Valkyrie's alleged bisexuality in the MCU. Both Star Wars and Marvel, of course, are under the umbrella of Disney.
Interestingly, Tran stated, "it might get me in trouble for saying that, but whatever" when discussing her thoughts on Raya's sexual orientation.
This insinuates Disney chose not to clarify the matter and failed to acknowledge how simply implying something isn't a powerful enough message. Frozen II brought back the debate when Disney failed to address if Elsa is gay despite an outcry from fans regarding clarification. In order to produce that statement, someone in Disney had to acknowledge that there were internally talks about transgender actors playing transgender roles in Disney productions.
On her journey to collect all pieces of the Dragon Gem, an orb possessing the power to revive the population, Raya encounters Namaari (Gemma Chan), a rival warrior princess from Fang.
Therefore, Raya and the Last Dragon is the first Walt Disney Animation Feature to have a transgender character. If the protocol at Disney remains in the way it has been presented, it may not be the last time. However, the duo’s romantic vibes are getting some love on social media. Going on, this is the first time a trans person “…will play a cisgender role” for the Disney company.
That’s a blink-an-you’ll-miss-it statement right there.
Taken altogether, Talisa Garcia and NBC News have seemingly confirmed that if there were a trans performer in a Disney production, that their character is also trans.
Which begs the question: have trans performers appeared in previous Disney productions?
Though Raya and the Last Dragon contains many positive attributes, the film is emerging as another missed opportunity for Disney as the House of Mouse again shies away from impactful LGBTQ+ representation.
More: What To Expect From Raya & The Last Dragon 2
There’s undeniable chemistry between the two characters that goes beyond a frenemy-ship. Raya, the princess of Heart, makes it her mission to find the last surviving dragon, Sisu (Awkwafina), after the evil Druun monsters return and decimate the land. I think it might get me in trouble for saying that, but whatever.”
In other words, while it's not made explicit in the film, Raya is essentially Disney's first queer princess.
The company’s biggest moments have been pretty fleeting like Joe Russo’s cameo in Avengers: Endgame, a background kiss between women in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, a mention of a woman character’s girlfriend in Onward, and a brief hint in the live-actionBeauty and the Beast.
In a perfect world, we would get a Raya and the Last Dragon sequel that would feature a romantic relationship between Raya and Namaari, but we won’t hold our breath.
We’re not here to tell you what to think, only to present the information in an unbiased manner.
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