Gabrielle Union explains the importance of including positive LGBTQ representation and a supportive family in the new Disney animated adventure movie Strange World. In Disney's newest project, the pulp adventure Strange World, Ethan Clade, the son of Searcher and Meridian, is an LGBTQ teen with a loving and accepting family. Ethan’s sexuality as well as the love and support of his family are treated as a natural part of the story without fanfare.
In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Union (who portrays Meridian Clade) discusses why representation is so important in this particular movie. She explains why it is critical to show Ethan's family is loving and accepting as they raise him. Union also explains that the Clade family is an example because they "Create a loving space for everyone to exist exactly as they are."
Screen Rant: Now, I love how Ethan is presented in this film. Can you talk about the importance of not only having an LGBT main character, but supportive parents in a Disney movie for both kids and parents to see?
Gabrielle Union: Well, it's interesting. I think people keep using the word normalizing, and the reality is, it's normal. We're normalizing normal. It just is. The LGBTQ community exists. We are a part of every community in every society around the world. We just are. And creating a beautiful family-friendly action movie where everyone just gets to be, and we all move lovingly within that space, is incredibly important, because people think it has to be this super treacherous, this hand-wringing, this harmful, confusing experience to raise and love an LGBTQ child, and it's not. It really doesn't have to be at all. And this is a beautiful example of a family, though perfectly imperfect, dealing with its own generational issues. They still create a loving space for everyone to exist exactly as they are, and I think the world needs that example.
How Different Is Strange World’s Approach To Its LGBTQ Character Than Previous Disney Films?
In recent years, Disney has incorporated more LGBTQ representation into their projects, including Lightyear and Baymax! Union's understanding of the importance of showing loving parents raising an LGBTQ teen is especially poignant given her personal knowledge of the subject. While the Clades are imperfect and deal with personal conflict for the duration of Strange World, Ethan's sexuality is never a part of that conflict. Ethan is able to just exist as he is with his feelings for a boy being treated as part of being a teenager.
Positive LGBTQ representation is becoming more common in media, with many shows and movies incorporating LGBTQ characters into their stories. More and more programming for families and children has begun to include LGBTQ representation, including Disney's Strange World and The Owl House. Not only do these movies and television series invest in LGBTQ characters, but they also make them the story's heroes. This shows children and families that not only do LGBTQ people exist, but they can be complex and heroic.
Ethan is a complicated and layered character facing generational trauma, his family's complicated legacy, and a desire to carve his own path. His feelings and sexuality are never in question nor are they the focal point of his character. Strange World does an excellent job of making this one piece of who Ethan is. Equally important is the support of Ethan's family which exists without question, as Ethan's parents love him unquestioningly. While they embarrass him, it is the normal embarrassment any teenager might feel with their parents while talking to their crush. This representation of a heroic LGBTQ teenager with a loving supportive family where his sexuality is naturally incorporated into the story of Strange World without much ado is exactly the kind of example that is needed.