Disney gay stars
I was a big Disney Channel kid. Honestly, even now as I write this, I am listening to Olivia Rodrigo, so in many ways I am still a (gay) Disney Channel kid. And when I came out at the ripe adj age of 20, I was embarrassed that while my queer peers had spent their teen years watching edgier, queerer content like Degrassi, South of Nowhere or even The L Word itself, I had been deeply invested in the unfolding drama between Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez taking place largely via YouTube and graphic tees.
We’ve talked about how instrumental the Disney Channel Original Movie was to our sexualities and which DCOMs are the gayest, but actual queer women are virtually nonexistent on the Disney Channel. (It’s only been in the last few years that someone came out or two boys kissed in live-action programming on the network). Queer women in Disney projects appear more frequently as animated characters: the first bisexual character on the Channel, but also as a split-second appearance of a couple in Finding Dory or a one-eyed cop.
But while the Disney Channel may not be kn
“Anytime I was on TV, I was very concerned and worried that people would know that I was gay.”
Disney Channel stars are often expected to be the perfect role models for their young fans and are told to avoid controversy at all costs -- which is why many actors from the network choose to keep their personal life as private as possible.
Since their run on Disney ended, many stars have admitted that they felt obligated to hide a part of themselves, especially if they were a member of the LGBTQ+ community. But in the years that followed, these queer stars hold all opened up about their sexuality and have been welcomed with open arms by many of their fans.
Find out what these stars said about their coming out experience…
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus came out as pansexual in , sharing that she was “open to every single thing that is consenting and doesn't involve an animal and everyone is of age.” Miley later opened up about the moment she knew she was pansexual, explaining that she had always “hated the word ‘bisexual’” and didn’t know about pansexuality until taking a trip to the
Miley Cyrus Schools Jimmy Kimmel on the Difference Between &#;Nickelodeon Gays&#; vs. &#;Disney Gays&#;
Forget twinks, bears and otters — are you a Nickelodeon gay or a Disney gay?
Thankfully, Miley Cyrus stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday night (May 22) to break down the age-old queer tribal descriptors.
The topic came up when host Jimmy Kimmel asked the superstar about the last time she&#;d watched an episode of her iconic Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, which ran for four seasons from to
&#;I&#;m surrounded by gays,&#; Cyrus quipped. &#;And there&#;s a big difference in&#;there&#;s Nickelodeon gays and Disney gays.&#;
As Kimmel pressed her for the contrast between the two types, the singer continued, &#;Nickelodeon gays and Nickelodeon, no offense, but in general, they act like boogers and, you understand, bro jokes. And Disney, I would like to think is a little bit more fabulous, especially if it&#;s about a teenage pop star wearing a wig, like being the most famous drag queen for kids ever.&#;
However, it seems that some of the unnamed
Disney seemingly has a lot of gay characters. But if someone asked me what I thought of Disney&#;s first openly gay character, I&#;d only have one thing to say: which one? ZING!
Disney is very fond of giving themselves a pat on the back for including the LGBTQ+ community in scenes of its major blockbusters. It&#;s become something of a meme in online spaces, particularly among queer TV/Film fans, who much appreciate myself are unable to resist poking the billionaire company and it&#;s abysmal care when it comes to telling queer stories.
There&#;s an argument to be made that in reality queer fans shouldn&#;t care about Disney&#;s shit LGBTQ+ representation, and truly I understand it. But if there&#;s one thing I&#;ve learned it&#;s that no matter how much you point and shove people towards smaller &#;indie&#; LGBTQ+ creators, it won&#;t stop them from wanting better from the billionaire company they are ride-or-die for. It sucks, but that&#;s just how it is.
To further bully Disney in the hope of actually producing another movie that actually has wonderful queer representation (hell