Ever since it’s premiere LGBTQI fans have speculated that the film’s protagonist may part of our community
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGES BY DISNEY AND VIA INSTAGRAM
Ever since its release, the magical movie Encanto became a fan favourite. With songs like We Don’t Talk About Bruno going viral on TikTok. The story follows Mirabel Madrigal, a Columbian teen feeling lost as to why she is the only member of her family not to be blessed with a magical gift. The film carries themes that resonated with many demographics from intergenerational trauma and the sense of otherness. But since its premiere many LGBTQI viewers have theorised that Mirabel might also be part of our community, with many speculating that she is bisexual. This is not the first time a Disney character has struck a chord with queer viewers. After the first Frozen film came out, many fans campaigned for Elsa to have a girlfriend in the sequel.
So why do LGBTQI fans think Mirabel is queer? There’s a lot of reasons. The theme of otherness that carries throughout the plot. The fact that she is voiced by bisexual icon Stephanie Beatriz. The colourful aesthetic and the colours within Mirabels skirts (purple, pink and blue). In a recent interview with Vulture, Stephanie Beatriz was asked whether she views Mirabel as queer-coded as many fans do.
“For Mirabel’s journey, I was much more focused on how she felt like an outsider in her family,” she said. “But I think for Mirabel, the main thing happening is this feeling and desire to be accepted by her family and to be loved for who she is. That is the kind of feeling that can definitely be something that queer kids have, but for Mirabel it was for something different.”
With films like Encanto, Turning Red and Coco, more young viewers are seeing themselves reflected back. I love seeing TikTok videos of parents filming their children standing awe struck in front of the TV looking at a character who has hair like them, dresses like them or lives in a way similarly to how they do. It would be amazing to see LGBTQI youth having the same experiences in the future.
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