Changing into LGBT characters: From Elsa to Captain America

We’ve already noted the decrease of LGBT characters in both TV and movies. But what about turning current characters into LGBT ones? Do you think that will work?

We’ve actually mentioned this in a previous article wherein fans have urged Disney Studios to give Elsa of the movie Frozen a girlfriend complete with a hashtag (#GiveElsaAGirlfriend).

Likewise, a number of Star Wars fans were hoping that a new character in the Star Wars films– Poe Dameron– would turn out to be gay. (Sadly, he’s not.)

Springing from the fertile fields of Twitter, another character more iconic than those mentioned has been cited as needing a same-sex partner: Captain America.

LGBT characters: Elsa as a lesbian?

This all started when Twitter discovered the idea– and better yet, the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend, which got even Idina Menzel to endorse it.

“I think it’s great. Disney’s just gotta contend with that. I’ll let them figure that out,” Menzel told Entertainment Tonight during the Billboard Music Awards last May 22.

The idea, as mentioned above, is to convince Disney to give Princess Elsa a girlfriend in the upcoming Frozen sequel.

LGBT characters: Captain America as gay?

A month later, fans of Captain Marvel decided to come up with a similar idea in the wake of the recent Captain America: Civil War film, i.e. why not give the Star-Spangled Avenger a boyfriend in the next movie?

Obviously, the most favored candidate is Cap’s childhood friend-turned-brainwashed assassin, Bucky Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier.

With a hashtag #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend, the idea soon spread such that even GLAAD responded favorably to it.

“It’s getting increasingly difficult to ignore that LGBT people remain almost completely shut out of Hollywood’s big budget comic films that have dominated the box office over the past couple of years,” GLAAD entertainment media strategist Megan Townsend said.

LGBT characters and corporations

Unfortunately, it’s doubtful that any of these fan-initiated movements will get any traction with the studios that handle Disney and Marvel movies.

As Helen o’Hara of The Telegraph wrote on the possibility of a major character like Dameron Poe of the Star Wars series being gay, it’s possible– but there’s going to be major obstacles along the way in having LGBT characters in movie franchises.

“Even JK Rowling’s revelation that Dumbledore is canonically gay came after the films were released and was not referred to onscreen,” o’Hara pointed out.

So in other words, fans can dream and hope of favored and iconic TV and movie characters becoming LGBT characters– but don’t bet on it in the near future.