Celebrating Pride month! 9 best animated LGBTQ+ movies you should watch next
Queer representation in animation has been growing over for the past few years, but it’s not nearly as accepted as it was hoped to be. Social media, movies, independent animators, and Japanese movies based especially on Manga, for instance, have mostly been the ones acknowledging space for queer voices to be heard and stories to be told.
In recent years, Disney and Pixar have been taking a step forward by including more queer characters and allowing them to show intimacy in the same way straight characters do despite facing a lot of backlash. Let’s take a look at 9 LGBTQ+ animated movies that you should check out next.
Queer Duck: The Movie, 2006
Queer Duck: The movie is based on the web series Queer Duck. It was the first film to air on a gay-themed channel Logo. It is an adult animated film which is set in the 1960s, back when queerness was still a crime. It revolves around a Queer Duck, who wakes up one day realising that being gay is not worth it because everyone is so against it.
He falls in love with a Broadway actress to experiment. During his journey, he meets different characters who are part of the gay rights movement: drag queen Rex, his lover Openly Gator, a homophobic bigoted priest, Conan O'Brien, Bi-Polar Bear. In the end, Queer Duck realises he's gay to stay. You can watch the movie on Amazon Video, Apple TV as well as on Youtube download.
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Out, 2020
Out is both Disney and Pixar's first short to feature a gay main character. It is a nine-minute-long short. It talks about a man who has not yet come out to his parents. However, once he accidentally swaps mind with a dog, things get a little bit easier for him much like Kafka. It was also shortlisted for the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. You can watch it on Diney+Hotstar.
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Strange World, 2022
As time flies, we can see more apparent queer representation in animation. In that sense, Strange World introduces Walt Disney Animation Studios' first openly Queer lead character, Ethan Clade. Strange world is Disney's seventh sci-fi movie. The Queer lead movie follows three generations of a family who have to overcome their differences in order to save a miracle planet. Strange World offers an intersection of different cultures in an exotic environment. You can watch it on Disney+.
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Lightyear, 2022
Lightyear aka Buzz Lightyear is introduced as a movie that the Toy Story characters themselves have seen instead of taking place in Toy Story's fictional universe. It revolves around Buzz Lightyear as a human as he tries finding his way back home from an abandoned plane with his crew. The character of Alisha Hawthorne, Buzz's friend kisses her female partner at the end of the movie, because of which the movie was banned in many countries. What an uproar a simple queer kiss can cause...
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The Breadwinner, 2017
The Breadwinner is an adult-animated drama movie. It is based on the best-selling novel by Deborah Ellis. It revolves around the interesting story of an 11-year-old girl who lives under the rule of Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan. After her father is arrested and the family is left with no means to support themselves, Parvana cuts her hair and dresses like a boy to help her family making her the Breadwinner. It explores the idea of gender-bending and fluidity. You can watch it on Netflix.
(Photograph:WION Web Team)
Flee, 2021
Flee is an adult-animated documentary film. It follows the story of a man under the alias Amin Nawabi. He shares his secret of 20 years that could possibly ruin his and his husband's life. It's the secret of his hidden past about fleeing from Afghanistan to Denmark. You can watch it on Hulu, Disney+.
(Photograph:WION Web Team)
Wendell & Wild, 2022
Wendell & Wild, directed by Henry Selick, with screenplay by Selick and Jordan Peele. It is a stop-motion horror comedy. It tells the story of two demon brothers, who have to fight their arch-enemy. When a girl named Kat accidentally summons the brothers, chaos follows. Kat's best friend is the first ever Trans character in a stop-motion: Raúl, an artistic Latino Trans boy. You can watch it on Disney+.
(Photograph:WION Web Team)
Stars Align, 2019
Stars Align revolves around the story of a middle school tennis club, which is struggling to gain recognition and support from its school and community. The club is led by Toma (Josh Grelle). Toma is a new transfer student who is determined to help the team succeed.
Stars Align offers a realistic depiction of the challenges faced by young people in modern society. LGBTQ+ topics are presented sensitively and with care, especially in the connection between two of the male protagonists. Moreover, in the same episode, one character explicitly comes out as non-binary while another talks about their transgender experiences.
(Photograph:WION Web Team)
Sasaki and Miyano, 2021
Sasaki and Miyano follows the story of two high school boys, voiced by Kellen Goff and Joshua Waters, respectively, who become friends but later develop romantic feelings for each other. Sasaki is extroverted and popular, while Miyano is shy and introverted. Along the way, they also encounter other queer issues and deal with aspects related to acceptance and identity.
Sasaki and Miyano offer a heartwarming and realistic depiction of a same-sex relationship. Even by hetero standards, it can be regarded as a flawlessly handled love story. The characters are well-developed and relatable. You can watch it on Hulu.
(Photograph:WION Web Team)