Baymax Proves Disney Doesn't Care About LGBTQ+ Criticism (original) (raw)
Disney has struggled to include explicitly LGBTQ+ characters in its feature films and TV shows, but Baymax! could prove Disney is on track to commit to representation. Baymax! features quite a few LGBTQ+ characters, both in the background and as main characters. Conservative outrage was expressed online, citing a scene featuring a transgender man buying period products at a supermarket with the ever-smiling Baymax. While Disney has had trouble with explicit LGBTQ+ visibility and representation, it seems the company may be making strides and ignoring backlash.
Debuting in Disney's animated feature Big Hero 6, the extremely huggable robot Baymax is a healthcare companion, who returns in the Disney+ animated series Baymax!, working as a nurse throughout San Fransokyo. Throughout the city, Baymax meets many people who need his help and ends up offering much more than healthcare. Baymax also meets multiple LGBTQ+ characters, who range from background characters to one of the show's primary protagonists.
After LGBTQ+ representation in Baymax! leaked, conservatives immediately began criticizing Disney, but this likely won't stop the company because it's not the first time Dinsey has received criticism. Recently Lightyear, which depicted some of Disney's strongest depictions of an LGBTQ+ relationship, had conservatives calling for a boycott of the film. While there were worries that Lightyear's box office could impact Disney's LGBTQ+ representation, Disney seems to be creating and planning more content that tells diverse and relatable stories. Topics that were once forbidden have now become a mainstay in Disney stories.From trans people and period products to gay romance, Disney seems to be tackling more diverse stories than ever.
Disney is Not Subtle With Baymax LGBTQ+ Representation
Baymax!, season 1, episode 3, "Sofia," takes Baymax to a school, where he meets a young girl, Sofia. She doesn't have access to any period products, which she refers to as a "tampad" or "padpon." A conversation occurs in a gender-neutral bathroom. Off to the supermarket, and Baymax asks for advice on which product is best. A transgender man turns to Baymax, wearing a trans flag t-shirt and a black beanie. He recommends the pads with wings, which are the ones he usually gets. The representation is anything but subtle. Not only does Baymax! follow Turning Red's destigmatization of periods and menstruation in young kids, but the trans representation normalizes trans men being involved in the conversation about periods. Though the character is only on-screen briefly, Baymax! sends an important healthcare message, which is nothing less than what should be expected from the friendly healthcare robot.
Immediately following "Sofia," Baymax! season 1, episode 4, "Mbita," follows the very flustered Mbita, who has a crush on Yukio. Baymax unknowingly acts as a wingman for Mbita, and Yukio agrees to go on a date with Mbita. The episode is an adorable portrayal of someone finding the courage to ask out their crush. With Mbita being the lead protagonist of episode 4, alongside Baymax, this Baymax! story is not a blink-and-you-miss-it moment or the sort of queerbaiting that Disney has been known for. It is unambiguous. Considering Disney's LGBTQ+ representation in Eternals and Lightyear, Baymax! is another series telling strong LGBTQ+ stories, and it will hopefully not be the end.