Disney 'makes history' with first bisexual lead character for children's animated TV show

"The Owl House," a Disney Channel animated show for kids, has reportedly "made history" by pushing a bisexual character as the show's lead, Variety reported.

From Variety:

Luz Noceda, the show's 14-year-old protagonist, is a normal teen who goes on a journey to another world to become a witch. Luz has shown she's attracted to male characters in the show, and in the two most recent episodes, "Enchanting Grom Fright" and "Wing It Like Witches," a relationship between Luz and the recurring female character Amity is explored. It is revealed that Amity had intentions to ask Luz to Grom, their world's version of Prom, and the two share a dance together.

Dana Terrace, the show's creator who is bisexual herself, confirmed last week that Luz Noceda is, in fact, bisexual.

"In [show development] I was very open about my intention to put queer kids in the main cast. I'm a horrible liar so sneaking it in would've been hard haha," she explained.

However, according to Terrace, certain Disney executives refused to approve a queer lead character — but they eventually "greenlit" her idea.

"When we were greenlit I was told by certain Disney leadership that I could NOT represent any form of bi or gay relationship on the Channel," she explained. "I'm bi! I want to write a bi character, dammit! Luckily my stubbornness paid off and now I am VERY supported by current Disney leadership."

In response, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation praised the development, calling the lead bisexual character "an inclusive, fair, accurate, and age-appropriate world through the representation of its characters."

"The Owl House" is not the first Disney-owned program to include an LGBT character.

The Disney-Pixar feature film, "Onward," released earlier this year, includes a character who briefly indicates that she is gay. The movie was subsequently banned from several Muslim-majority countries that outlaw homosexuality.

The Disney show, "Andi Mack" was the first to have a character discover they are gay, while "Out," a Pixar short film that was released earlier this year, also included a gay character.

However, what distinguishes "The Owl House" is that it is the first Disney show or movie to feature an LGBT character as the lead character.