Inside Out 2 Made Me More Frustrated With Pixar’s Lacking LGBTQ+ Representation

Summary

• Eagle-eyed fans noticed potential LGBTQ+ representation in
  Inside Out 2
  ‘s trailer, making them hope for more inclusive storytelling in the sequel.
• Inside Out 2
  ‘s Riley isn’t openly queer, continuing Pixar’s trend of lackluster LGBTQ+ representation, as seen in movies like
  Onward
  and
  Lightyear
  .
• Pixar’s short film
  Out
  centers on a gay protagonist, but the studio needs to bring that representation to its feature films too.

When Pixar announced that its next film would be yet another sequel, I was skeptical. Even though 2015’s Inside Out is one of Pixar’s best movies, I wasn’t sure it needed a follow-up, especially given the studios’ hit-or-miss track record with franchises. Fortunately, the sequel to the Oscar-winning, $858.8 million box office hit is really good. Not only does Inside Out 2 boast impressively high Rotten Tomatoes scores, but the film, which expands on the first outing’s roster of personified emotions, more than justifies its existence. Honestly, I was thrilled to revisit Riley’s life.

In Inside Out‘s ending, a preteen Riley decides to run away from her new San Francisco home after being overwhelmed by sadness. Meanwhile, on the inside, Joy (Amy Poehler) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) influence Riley’s actions and feelings. Ultimately, both Joy and Riley learn that it’s okay to be sad — that having a breadth of emotions and memories is what makes a life. A beautiful narrative that makes abstract mental health concepts deeply poignant and accessible, Inside Out is a high point of Pixar. Ahead of Inside Out 2, viewers thought Pixar would make new strides in representation with Riley’s next chapter.

Inside Out 2 Had The Perfect Chance To Reveal Riley Is Queer

Pixar Movies Have Yet To Feature An Openly LGBTQ+ Protagonist

When Disney dropped the first trailer for Inside Out 2, viewers took to social media to point out the teaser’s queer undertones (via Pink News). In the sequel, Riley’s original roster of emotions — de facto leader Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale), Disgust (Liza Lapira), and Anger (Lewis Black) — expands to include new Inside Out 2 characters. Aptly, those new emotions include Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) — all feelings that align incredibly well with Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) recently-sounded “Puberty alarm.”

…Riley’s reactions to Val seem akin to a teenage crush.

While those new feelings are nearly universal touchstones in the teenage experience, the way Riley reacts to another character in the trailer was what made movie-goers wonder if Riley would realize her queerness in Inside Out 2. All-star hockey player Valentina “Val” Ortiz (Lilimar) immediately catches Riley’s eye. “These girls are so cool,” Envy exclaims, blushing and pushing Riley to introduce herself to Val rather awkwardly. Whether intended to be platonic panic or gay panic, Riley’s reactions to Val seem akin to a teenage crush. Unfortunately, those hoping for an openly queer Pixar protagonist will be disappointed.

Pixar’s Only Openly LGBTQ+ Characters Have Very Small Roles

From Onward to Lightyear, Queer Characters Barely Make A Mark

Starting with Disney’s 2017 live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, Pixar’s parent company has touted the inclusion of “exclusively gay moments” in its films (via Vulture). These blink-and-you’ll-miss-them character moments — many of which play into harmful stereotypes — are beyond frustrating. If a Disney movie’s LGBTQ+ representation can be edited out without changing the film’s tenor, it isn’t good representation. Finally, Pixar featured its first LGBTQ+ character in 2020’s Onward. Although Officer Specter is voiced by queer icon Lena Waithe, she’s a cyclops police officer who merely makes a throwaway comment about her girlfriend.

When eagle-eyed fans spotted a potential queer couple in a background shot of
Finding Dory
, filmmakers said that there was ”
no right or wrong answer
” to the speculation.

A few months after Onward‘s release, Pixar released a short film called Out as part of the animation studios’ SparkShorts series. The first Disney and Pixar movie to feature an openly gay main character, Out also boasts the companies’ first same-sex kiss. Still, Out isn’t a feature-length film with a massive reach and budget. Subsequent LGBTQ+ representation in Disney/Pixar films has reverted to blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments. In Lightyear, Buzz’s best friend, Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), shares a quick kiss with her wife, Kiko; in Elemental, Lake Ripple (Ava Kai Hauser), Wade’s sibling, is non-binary.

Pixar Denied Any LGBTQ+ Themes From Previous Movies

Luca Was Accused Of Queerbaiting Viewers

While Disney’s Pixar has featured LGBTQ+ characters in movies, the Oscar-winning animation studio has yet to center a film on a queer character. In 2021, Luca came the closest to bucking that trend. The coming-of-age fantasy film follows Luca, a young sea monster who can assume the form of a human boy while on land. While exploring the town of Portorosso, he becomes close friends with the adventurous Alberto, who’s also hiding his sea creature identity. As the boys navigate their true identities, they try to blend in with the rest of the villagers.

Even if
Luca
wasn’t intentionally made to be a movie with LGBTQ+ representation, Pixar’s graver misstep was telling queer viewers their interpretations were wrong.

For many queer and trans people, Luca‘s metaphor couldn’t be more relatable. Moreover, the story that unfolds between Luca and Alberto reads like a first crush — a summer romance that’s full of joy. Sometimes, being an apt metaphor is enough. However, the lack of mainstream LGBTQ+ representation requires movie-makers to be more direct. Unfortunately, the folks behind Luca vehemently denied any queer themes. Even if Luca‘s perceived LGBTQ+ representation wasn’t intentional, Pixar’s graver misstep was telling queer viewers their interpretations were wrong — that meaningfully seeing themselves in the film was pure coincidence (via Ask.com).

Inside Out 2 Could Have Massively Helped Pixar’s LGBTQ+ Representation

Pixar Should Learn From Its Short Film, Out

There’s no denying that Inside Out 2 paints a wonderful picture of adolescence and deftly explores teenage friendships. Seeing those stories represented in film is also incredibly important. Still, given Pixar’s track record, I’m still frustrated by the studio’s lack of openly LGBTQ+ protagonists — or even supporting characters. Even Walt Disney Animation Studios has featured its first openly gay protagonist, 16-year-old Ethan Clade (Jaboukie Young-White), in 2022’s Strange World. Ultimately, LGBTQ+ viewers will find Inside Out 2 relatable, even if we’re still waiting for Pixar’s representation to improve.

Inside Out 2 was released in theaters on June 14.

Sources: Pink News, Vulture