May 22, 2020
Pixar's Gay-Themed Short Film 'Out' Streaming Now at Disney+
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 5 MIN.
Not only is a new Pixar short film titled "Out," but that title means exactly what you hope it does: Its main character is gay, in love with another man, and girding himself to make the announcement to his parents., reports Inisde TheMagic.com.
Pixar's parent company, Disney, has featured LGBTQ characters before, but not as the central character of a film.
Memorably, LeFou, a secondary character in the live-action remake of "Beauty and the Beast" was portrayed as being gay and more than a little attracted to a male character, the arrogant and conniving Gaston. LeFou was played by Dan Stevens and was hailed as being Disney's first gay character.
"Onward," a full-length Pixar feature film that premiered earlier this year, also featured a gay secondary character, a lesbian police officer who was voiced by Lena Waithe.
Disney posted about the short film on Instagram, noting that "Out" is one of Pixar's "Sparkshorts" and reminding viewers that "Out" will be available on streaming service Disney+ on May 22.
The main character is seen in a "First Look" trailer as anticipating how he'll make the reveal to his parents: "To look them in the eyes and say, 'Mom, Dad, I'm...!"
As he speaks, the gay main character looks at a photo of himself with his boyfriend - a photo his faithful dog attempts to hide when the parents unexpectedly arrive early. The names engraved on the picture are "Greg" and "Manuel."
Watch the trailer, embedded in the Instagram post below.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.