The debate over what is or is not appropriate to be teaching children about LGBTQIA+ themes has gained attention in the wake of the controversy surrounding Disney’s financial contributions to the Republicans behind the passage of HB 1557, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s persistent bumbling of the situation. As a social-emotional theatre educator prior to the epidemic, I frequently write on /Film about children’s animation and how we handle actors who first appeared in children’s media. My entire career revolved around educating kids about empathy development, how emotions affect both themselves and other people, and how to utilise acting, writing, and directing as a form of artistic expression to express their emotions. In Ohio, the Midwestern equivalent of Florida, I was also an openly lesbian teacher with many of my pupils being aware of my wife’s gender identity.
Disney has a history of queer coding and gay baiting while denying canonical representation in its stories, which is unfortunate. With Disney and Pixar regularly releasing movies that can be utilised as some of the best resources for teaching young audiences about queer identity, it is ironic that a company would support lawmakers who wish to outlaw the acknowledgment of LGBTQIA+ individuals for primary age audiences. Turning Red, a recent Pixar movie, is full of teaching opportunities that, while not necessarily directly about queerness, can be utilised as a springboard for discussing the realities of queer children they will definitely encounter in their classrooms. Observe, my friends. There is class going on.
There are spoilers for “Turning Red” below.
Start with the canonical Tyler
In “Turning Red,” Tyler is initially introduced as a secondary antagonist. Mei is blackmailed into playing the Red Panda for his birthday party because he thinks she is a “dork narc,” enjoys making fun of her, and thinks she is a “dork narc.” When it is discovered that Tyler is a major fan of the band 4*Town and “loves” Aaron Z., a lot of his actions become much more understandable. It would be simple to dismiss Tyler as nothing more than a school bully. It’s said that “hurt people hurt people,” and Tyler is undoubtedly in pain. Tyler is obviously insecure of Mei, who is shamelessly herself and secure in her flaws. When you’re in eighth grade, those insecurities might sometimes spill over. For his birthday, Tyler invites Mei to dress up as a panda, saying that “if you’re there, everyone will come.” He worries that unless there is another significant pull besides himself, people won’t want to celebrate his birthday.
We get to watch Tyler in his element during the 4*Town concert. When Pandapocalypse 2002 starts, he stands by his new pals to assist in the ritual as he sings along to his favourite boy band and sobs alongside other fans. After everything is said and done, Mei, Miriam, Priya, and Abby all welcome Tyler into the group. In the last scene, Tyler is even seen wearing his own friendship bracelet. Tyler is a great way to start a discussion about the value of letting people be who they truly are and how those who aren’t the friendliest to us probably have their own problems that have nothing to do with us.
Move to the thematic embracing yourself
In “Turning Red,” one of the key topics is Meilin Lee’s coming to terms with her panda. Mei frequently struggles between two worlds—her genuine identity and her family’s traditions. For young individuals, coming out may be a very frightening time. What are my buddies going to say? What will my family’s reaction be? Will everyone still be my lover? Mei worries about all of these issues after realising she has the red panda. When queer children accept their own identities, they are obliged to ask these questions of themselves. Mei is able to experience the safety and stability of a new family when she understands that her friends still love her, panda or not.
Unfortunately, many queer children are rejected by their families because of who they are, forcing them to find new families. Despite the lack of a biological tie, those friendships and bonds are still just as important. Not the love of her own family but the love of her newfound friends is what teaches Mei how to control her panda. Even though it is highly unlikely that any of the young viewers of this film will have a classmate who must decide whether to keep their spiritual red panda or not, there is a good chance that they will have classmates who must decide whether or not to tell their families the truth about who they are. This film can be very helpful in showing kids why it’s vital to care about your friends and not criticise them for things they can’t control by using Mei and her pals as an example.
Theming queer kids often teach their parents
Children are taught to respect, listen to, and learn from their parents starting at a very young age. These are the individuals that instruct us on how to properly eat and tie our shoes. It is very understandable for a child to believe that their parents are the most knowledgeable people in the world. However, when it comes to gay youngsters, these kids frequently have to serve as parents’ educators. We don’t teach people about queer identity, and there is still a long way to go in our media until everyone is aware of the struggles and challenges gay people experience. Mei is the first woman in a long history of women to genuinely accept the gift of her ancestors, instead of locking it away, so she is forced into the teacher role for her own mother when it comes to the red panda. Mei is the one who seeks out her mother and gives her wise counsel while the women of Mei’s family are all in the panda dimension forest. Mei is the one who leads her mother back to the circle and into the outside world while holding her hand.
Mei is showing her mother that even though she is worried about her, she will be okay. Many LGBT children have to have conversations with their parents that are quite similar to these. Too frequently, parents assume that their children are not ready to make such significant life decisions and that they would face hardships due to their differences in the world. However, when it comes to things like identity, children are much more aware of who they are than their parents ever will be. It’s acceptable for parents to follow their kids’ lead, and it’s acceptable for kids to discover that their friends could know more about who they are than their parents do.
The allegorical red pandas as dysphoria
The red panda allegory in “Turning Red” is wonderful because it may be used as a metaphor for a variety of adolescent problems. Mei’s red panda turning her into a “gross, red monster,” as she says, is an easy way to affirm menstruation, puberty, and the ever-changing growing pains of life, but it can also be utilised as an allegory for body and gender dysphoria. Mei is first terrified by the sudden changes in body hair, a roaring voice, and size when she first recognises herself as the panda. While all adolescents go through these puberty changes, trans children may find them particularly challenging because these changes further distance them from their own bodies.
In an effort to keep the panda at bay, Mei attempts to conceal her changes by donning a thick woollen hat, wearing tops that are completely buttoned, and reducing the range of her emotional responses. Mei is made to suppress her truth with her panda, just as trans adolescents are frequently made to feel lesser, erased, and forced to do. She can only discover genuine and universal delight if she learns to embrace the truth that comes from within her. This allegory is a great approach to get young viewers thinking about how to talk to their gender non-conforming classmates about how they might be feeling. It can also inspire them to be like Miriam, Priya, and Abby and support their friends through whatever changes they may be going through.
The coded Miriam
When we learn that Ming’s love of Jin (Mei’s dad) was the main point of contention with her own mother, an immediate comparison can be made to Ming’s disdain of Miriam. Miriam is shown as Mei’s closest and truest BFF despite the fact that she obviously has a strong support system of friends. The most straightforward interpretation of this circumstance is to give equal weight to Mei and Miriam’s friendship and their sexual relationship, but there may be a hidden message suggesting that Miriam has feelings for Mei that go a little deeper. The way Miriam is dressed is described as “tomboy,” and Ming frequently makes comments to her opinion that Miriam is a harmful influence. Does Ming have knowledge of Miriam that we do not? Because Miriam is a strong, dependable friend in every scene we encounter her in.
This is an excellent opportunity to explain to kids that hearing a narrative can often lead to diverse meanings and perceptions. We can choose to consider their friendship as entirely platonic or as two teenagers attempting to understand whether the dynamics of their friendship genuinely signify something more. Did Miriam care for the Tamagotchi because she loved her closest friend, or are her feelings for Miriam more intense than her friendship? Although Miriam is depicted as being interested in guys, we know that forced heterosexuality exists, thus this coding enables kids to view her character in a different light. Children’s media literacy is aided by teaching them about coded characters, but they also learn that sometimes it’s a good idea to wonder whether there’s more going on than what first appears.
It’s time to end class!
