Gay families in Disney movies only a matter of time, says Lion King animator

Disney insider Andreas Deja, a veteran animator who happens to be gay, said Disney is open to the idea of making a family movie featuring gay characters. Last year the studio appointed Hollywood’s first openly gay studio chief, Rich Ross. Deja has worked on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. Many of the high-profile names who have contributed to Disney classics over the years are gay, including Elton John, who wrote the music to The Lion King, and the late Howard Ashman, who won Oscars for his lyrics to Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.

“Is there ever going to be a family that has two dads or two mums? Time will tell,” said Andreas. “I think once they (Disney chiefs) find the right kind of story with that kind of concept, they will do it. It has to be the right kind of story and you have to find that first.”