Nemo and Dory reunite in Andre Stanton and Angus MacLane’s “Finding Dory.” (Photo : YouTube/Disney Pixar)
The new trailer of "Finding Dory" has created quite a stir among the Disney movie's fans and critics alike. A blink-of-an-eye scene of the recently released trailer has started the speculation that the sequel to 2003's "Finding Nemo" will be the first Disney-Pixar film ever to feature a lesbian couple.
The promo originally appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," in which it is shown that a toddler drops her sippy cup after being knocked over by a baby stroller that is being pushed by two women who appears to be a couple. The brief, inconclusive depiction was enough to kick-start a trending discussion, drawing heated opinions from the netizens.
While some fans seemed to welcome the possibility of a lesbian couple in the upcoming animation, some others were quick to slam Disney for sexualisation of children's movies. Another section of fans seemed concerned that the two women shown in second-long shot were automatically stereotyped as being lesbians, apparently owing to one of the women's androgynous clothing.
This is not the first time that a Disney movie is painted with issues of sexual orientation. The call for Disney to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters has gathered momentum in recent months.
The other Disney movie that is being targeted by LGBT activists is "Frozen 2," the announcement of which triggered the speculation that the sequel will give Elsa a boyfriend. Frustrated over the rumor, LGBT activist decided to call for a different kind of Disney romance this time. Feminist Culture founder Alexis Isabel even started the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend that trended in social media a few weeks back.
"Growing up, I never saw a princess fall in love with another princess - and neither have girls growing up right now," Isabel told MTV when she was quizzed about the reason to start the hashtag.
In any case, the showcase of lesbian couple in "Finding Dory" is likely to help Disney to improve its reputation. The studio is known for shutting down LGBTQ character portrayals, according to the latest figures issued by GLAAD.
"Finding Dory is set to release on June 17. Watch its trailer below:
