A Few Thoughts on Lesbian Princesses

​Written by Shae

Lately there is a petition of sorts going around on Twitter to make Elsa a lesbian in the second Frozen Film....except isn't she already? I mean the whole first movie is kind of an allegory for homosexuality. Conceal don't feel, don't let it show? Her parents spend a lot of time keeping Elsa locked up and away from others. They separate her from Anna because of how different she is. And while there are potential love interests they're both men and they're both for Anna. Elsa's cold personality extends to both men in Anna's disaster of a love life. She doesn't remotely seem interested in anyone, really. Even the iconic song "Let It Go" changes Elsa from this shy, conservative, closed off girl, to a sexy vixen in a matter of minutes. The song is so open and freeing for Elsa, she throws away her old self and embraces her powers, or who she really is. Of course there are moments of reversion into anxiety, but still Elsa goes from a scared girl to a badass queen in one song. She nearly kills two guards sent to capture her.

But maybe this isn't Disney's first lesbian princess. If you go by a Once Upon a Time, Mulan  has a thing for Aurora. In fact, she goes to tell Aurora she's in love with her when she discovers the Sleeping Beauty is pregnant with Prince Philip's baby. In the movie she does end up with Shang, so you know, whatever. Mulan still cross dresses as a man. At the end of the film she even admits to Mushu that she did this all for herself. Earlier in the film a bunch of naked men go running by into a river, and she even states she never wants to see a naked man again. Is Mulan gay? Was she just put with Shang at the very end of the film so we wouldn't question it? Better yet, isn't Shang a bit gay himself? I mean, the army general does flirt a bit with Ping, Mulan's alter ego. He was legitimately upset at finding out she was a woman, to the point where he refused to even acknowledge her existence at a parade in his army's honor. Maybe they were both gay and throwing them together just happened to be the perfect cover up.

What about Merida? The whole film centers around Merida's not wanting to get married or have her life dictated out for her. Merida literally has no desire to marry any guy. She doesn't even show any romantic interest in the idea. Of course that doesn't automatically make Merida gay. Maybe she's just not ready for marriage. Hear me out here for a minute though. Merida is a strong character, she doesn't need a man, and she's not going to follow any plan to be with someone. What's wrong with her being a lesbian? Nothing. Merida's strong will to stay single is a fantastic message. Her not wanting to marry a guy because she doesn't have a sexual attraction to the opposite sex is also a strong message. Whether that was intended or not doesn't really matter. If you look at the film from the stand point of this girl not wanting to marry period, okay! That's fantastic too. Her wanting to not marry a guy because she likes girls is just as fantastic.

How empowering is it to have a lesbian princess. A lot of folks questioning their sexual orientation need that kind of a role model. Actually, kids of all ages could benefit from seeing a same sex couple on the big screen. Love comes in all forms, why not show all forms of love? If you ask me, Elsa and Merida are also good stand alone heroines. Neither end up with men or a prince, which is a wonderful change of pace. Neither need a man or Prince. Merida literally fought to not be with someone she didn't pick herself. Elsa never entertained the idea of a romantic interest due to her powers. What if Elsa is a lesbian? What's the worst that's going to happen? Elsa finding a girl in the next film would be a twist unlike what we are expecting. Or are we expecting anything? Is it more powerful to have Elsa a still be alone? Perhaps the ice queen finding someone to melt her heart would be a great step forward in the movement for equality among LGBTQ.

---