#GiveElsaAGirlfriend Sparks Conversation Around the Globe on Twitter
Over the past few days, the twitterverse has been lighting up with the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend, urging Disney to give Elsa, the protagonist of the hit film Frozen, a girlfriend in the movie’s sequel.
There have been thousands of tweets on the subject worldwide. Tweets from the U.S., Australia, South America, South Africa and Europe have all urged Disney to make Elsa the first LGBT Disney princess.
According to The Washington Post, 17-year-old Alexis Isabel Moncada started the conversation when she first tweeted her musings about a same-sex relationship in Frozen on Sunday. Moncada identifies as bisexual.
“There are more than just one kind of person,” Moncada told NBC 12. “To see the same story over and over about a girl and her prince charming, it’s repetitive, and it leaves so many people out and makes so many people feel alone.”
The deck is stacked against young people growing up LGBTQ in America. HRC’s report, Growing Up LGBT in America, found that nine in 10 LGBTQ youth (92 percent) say they hear negative messages about being LGBTQ. Forty-two percent of respondents reported hearing those messages on movies, TV and radio. Three-quarters (78 percent) of LGBTQ youth say they hear positive messages about being LGBTQ. Fifty-nine percent of respondents reported hearing those messages on movies, TV and radio.
Coming out stories in the media send a strong message of inclusion and acceptance and the importance of embracing your true and authentic self. For LGBTQ youth who struggle to find acceptance, openly LGBTQ characters in movies and TV shows can become role models, providing inspiration and support to those who truly need it.
