It's become popular to make fun of Disney for having lots of "first" gay characters. From LeFou in the live-action Beauty and the Beast (2017) to Ethan Clade in Strange World (2022), Disney has a short and troubled history of LGBTQIA+ representation. LeFou and most of Disney's early queer characters were heavily criticized, but later characters have been better received.

Still, five years after LeFou, The Walt Disney Company announces each new LGBTQIA+ character in a Disney film or TV show as some sort of first for them. Even Ethan Clade was a "first." This has led to plenty of memes, which is fair considering the quality of much of the representation. However, despite the mockery, there is a good reason each gay Disney character is considered "first."

Each Gay Disney Character is First in Its Category

Beauty and the Beast Luke Evans Josh Gad Gaston LeFou

Each gay Disney character is first in their category. LeFou in Beauty and the Beast had Disney's "first gay moment," apparently referring to him dancing with a man at the end. Ethan Clade in Strange World was Walt Disney Animation Studios' first gay main character. While gay characters had appeared in other Disney media, including animated shows like The Owl House, Ethan was a first for Walt Disney Animation Studios. In contrast, Jack Whitehall's MacGregor in Jungle Cruise (2021) was Disney's first gay main character in general.

Other firsts include Joe Russo's cameo in Avengers: Endgame (2019). This unnamed man was the first gay character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while Phastos in Eternals (2021) was the franchise's first gay superhero. Both titles would have gone to Valkyrie, but confirmation of her being bisexual was cut from Thor: Ragnarok (2017). The first same-sex kiss in a Star Wars film was between Larma D'Acy and Wrobie Tyce in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). The quality of these characters and their queer moments vary significantly, but each one is technically a first for Disney. And each character is important in their own way, explaining why they're consistently highlighted.

Related: 20 Times Disney Featured LGBTQ+ Characters In Movies & TV Shows

Why Gay Disney Characters Are Groundbreaking

america chavez from doctor strange in the multiverse of madness

Disney's characters aren't exactly the height of LGBTQIA+ representation, but as one of the biggest media companies in the world, Disney's steps toward inclusion are groundbreaking. Characters like LeFou and Phastos paved the way for more three-dimensional characters like Ethan Clade and America Chavez. Disney tested the waters with small "gay moments" to see if they could include minor gay characters without losing tons of money. Then they moved on to major characters.

Minor characters also gave Disney more room to learn and grow. If they had jumped right to having a gay main character circa 2017, there's a chance that they may have inadvertently messed up. Other studios have had more and better representation than Disney, but a major studio including LGBTQIA+ characters is better for all media. It proves including queer characters is more profitable than excluding them. Disney has a long way to go, but even their very first gay characters were a big step forward.