Temperatures are dropping, the season’s first snows are falling, and the long-awaited sequel to Frozen has swept into theaters like an icy blast. As we settle in for winter, let’s examine the woman at the center of the storm. She’s been a heartless, mystical Queen, a loving, misunderstood sister, a beloved global sensation, and yes, a gay icon, and through it all, Elsa remains an enigma.
The titular character of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen (fittingly published on the Winter Solstice in 1844) bears little resemblance to Disney’s Elsa. A mesmerizing, manipulative figure who reigns over the “snow bees,” she lures an isolated young boy to her magical sleigh, enchants him, and imprisons him far away in her snowy palace. Later adaptations depict an even more malevolent ruler, elevating her to full villain status in some stories. This mysterious woman had long captivated the imagination of Walt Disney and other filmmakers, but no one could quite figure out what to do with her until writers/directors Jennifer Lee, and Chris Buck reimagined the fearsome Snow Queen as a lonely, tragically misunderstood sister, struggling to embrace her power, while protecting her loved ones.
We first meet Elsa as a happy, carefree kid, born with the unique and seemingly charming ability to conjure snow and ice. She is confident, kind, and devoted to her little sister Anna, but their world is shattered when Elsa accidentally hurts her sister with her powers. Anna recovers, but all knowledge of her sister’s abilities is wiped from her memory, and their parents resolve to keep Elsa’s power a secret. The girl is locked away in her room for years, to protect herself and others from any more accidents. Elsa grows up feeling guilty, ashamed, fearful – and, above all, lonely. She is locked in an internal struggle against her own nature. She is betrayed and isolated by her feelings, which she must vigilantly monitor and conceal, as strong emotions unleash her powers. Sadness could produce sleet; fear can provoke a flurry; anger might conjure a blizzard.
As might be expected from someone forced to repress all emotion, and to carry a heavy secret, Elsa emerges from adolescence as a cold, aloof, and closed off young woman. It takes a series of accidents, confrontations, and a salvific act of true love to reveal the warm, courageous, inspiring heroine adored today by fans the world over.
Elsa’s compelling story of learning to harness her powers for good and reconnecting with her beloved sister would be enough, but what if there’s more?
In 2014, a year after Frozen took the world by storm, delighted, buzzy speculation began to build in academia, in pop culture, and on social media: Is Elsa gay? San Diego State University Professor Angel Daniel Matos published a 2014 article examining the character through a queer lens. Pro and anti-LGBTQ cultural critics chimed in. #GiveElsaAGirlfriend began trending on Twitter in 2016.
At the time, I had never seen the film; I had never heard the songs. As lovely and meaningful as it would be to have an openly LGBTQ Disney character, I dismissed the rumors as wishful thinking – overreach.
Then I listened to “Let It Go” for the first time. I was in tears by the third refrain.
“…The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside.
Couldn’t keep it in, heaven knows I tried!
Don’t let them in, don’t let them see.
Be the good girl you always have to be.
Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know.
Well, now they know!
Let it go, let it go,
can’t hold it back anymore.
Let it go, let it go,
turn away and slam the door….”
(Oh my gosh, wow…)
“It’s funny how some distance
makes everything seem small,
and the fears that once controlled me
can’t get to me at all….”
(Seriously…?)
“My power flurries through the air into the ground.
My soul is spiraling, in frozen fractals all around,
and one thought crystallizes like an icy blast;
I’m never going back;
the past is in the past!
Let it go, let it go,
and I’ll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go,
that perfect girl is gone!
Here I stand
in the light of day.
Let the storm rage on,
the cold never bothered me anyway!”
(Are you kidding me??)
So, Did Disney intentionally, consciously write its first major, out, gay character? No. Did they gift the world one of the greatest coming out anthems of all time? Yep!
I grew up in Texas in the 1980s. When I was 11, I realized there was something very different, something ‘wrong’ about me. I was reading a magazine and came across a picture of the actress Amy Irving. I was struck breathless by how beautiful she was. Two thoughts overwhelmed me simultaneously; 1) she was so lovely it made my head swim, and 2) I must NEVER EVER let anyone know about this weird, scary feeling. It took seven years before I finally admitted to myself that I liked girls; it took another seven years for me to tell my loved ones.
I tried for so long to conceal it – I plastered my teenage room with magazine photos of cute actors and the hottest boy bands. I got engaged to my boyfriend of six years. I pined for my real celebrity crushes in absolute secrecy, not daring to even write about my feelings in my diary. I kept my emotions locked away – even from my own consciousness – for years.
When I did finally come out to myself, I was still too frightened to tell anyone else and too isolated to ever have any hope of going on a date, having a first kiss, falling in love. As far as I knew at the time, I didn’t know a single other gay person. So, at 18, I resigned myself to keeping my secret for the rest of my life and to getting through each day as best as I could.
Obviously, miraculously, joyously… I eventually found the courage to come out and live openly. Luckily, I was met with almost universal acceptance from my friends and family. Coming out lifts such a heavy burden of secrecy, shame, and fear. It frees you from physical and emotional stress. It allows you to truly connect with your loved ones because you are no longer hiding a core element of yourself from them.
One friend gently prodded me to open up to her because she could tell that I was holding something in; she said that when I said the words and came out to her, it felt like an opaque wall which had existed between us came tumbling down, and she could truly see me for the first time.
Every LGBTQ person can tell this same story. Every. Single. One.
Though unintentional, “Let It Go” expresses the fear, joy, and release of coming out in a way that queer people cannot help but immediately recognize. In an April 10, 2014 NPR interview, one of the songwriters, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, distills the message as: “don’t allow fear or shame to keep you from being the person you should be.”
The song was the hook for me, but it was just the beginning.
I read more analysis of Elsa’s character and, most importantly, I finally watched the film. I understand that the way that Elsa reads as potentially gay goes far beyond a wildly popular, imminently relatable song.
First off, Elsa has no (male) love interest. That alone is extraordinarily unusual. Revolutionary even. She is a Queen without a King. Nor is she dreaming of a handsome man to sweep her off her feet, as Anna does. I am thrilled that “Frozen” centers on the familial love between the sisters, and departs from form in eschewing an ending that 50 years ago would have surely featured a double (straight) wedding. I love the message that Elsa doesn’t need a romantic relationship at this moment to have a full, engaged life. It’s just very unusual. Does being single make her gay? Of course not, but it doesn’t make her straight either.
The film provides a deeper, richer examination of the issues referenced in the song “Let It Go.” As Disney described Elsa’s struggle back in 2013, “She lives in fear as she wrestles with a mighty secret.” As a child, Elsa is happy and secure, but eventually she must start hiding her deepest self. Her parents love her but shut her away, not only to protect others but to protect Elsa, herself, from the cruelty and judgment of the outside world. Fearful, ashamed, guilt-ridden about who she is, she learns that her emotions are different and dangerous. She must literally repress her feelings. While Anna dreams of dancing with a dashing prince, Elsa must resign herself to a life devoid of love and affection; after all, falling in love might conjure a blizzard; touching her beloved’s hand could freeze their flesh solid.
Elsa’s secret keeps her isolated not only from herself but from everyone in her life – her subjects, her parents, even her adored little sister. Anna’s confusion is palpable; her loneliness is heart-breaking. She has no idea why her big sister is shutting her out, and Elsa cannot explain. This feels very familiar to LGBTQ people who may be met with general acceptance when they come out to parents, but are told to keep it a secret from a beloved grandfather, favorite nieces or even younger siblings. It divides families, creating guilt-ridden secret keepers and a vague sense of frustrated confusion for everyone else.
In the end, it is the truth that frees Elsa from her fear; and learning to love herself and accept the love of her sister lets her finally control her powers, live happily among her loved ones, and be a good Queen to her people.
Elsa’s story has warmed many a queer heart, but it must be noted that the speculation on her sexuality, at this point, is driven more by fan hopes rather than any intention or hints from her creators. Addressing the issue, Jennifer Lee and Idina Menzel have each expressed how happy they are that people are connecting with Elsa on different levels, and finding meaning in her message of self-acceptance. The rest of the Disney team merely suggests that in any continuation of Elsa’s story, they will follow wherever she leads them. In other words, they will serve the character, not popular opinion (neither the calls to “make” her gay nor the horrified backlash demanding she “be” straight). Fair enough.
So, where are we now? As of this writing, Elsa’s canonical orientation is still as perfectly blank as a field of freshly fallen snow. Without spoiling anything, it can be said that she remains decidedly single, with no love interest (and seemingly no interest in one) throughout “Frozen II.” Hmmmm.
Just as Anderson’s mysterious Snow Queen captured readers’ imaginations 175 years ago, so her fictional descendant continues to fascinate audiences today. Elsa’s story will continue in viewers’ imaginations, in fanfiction, and perhaps even in another Disney offering. People will continue to see themselves in her vulnerability and in her strength. Wherever her path may lead, and with whomever she may walk it, Elsa will remain endearing, inspiring, and yes, enigmatic.
For more fantastic articles from our latest magazine issue ‘Disney’, please click on the below link:
F&F Winter 2019: Disney