LGBTQ+ books from Disney publishing

A look at some of the representation of LGBTQ+ books from Disney and their publishing house:

Disney has been doing a lot to support pride month this year – there’s a ton of rainbow merchandise available, they are sharing on social media, and most importantly they are supporting their cast members and donating to charities. There is a Disney PRIDE Employee Resource Group and a list of the LGBTQ+ charities that they are donating to on their website. It’s important that they aren’t just selling merch but donating and support the community year round.

That being said, in my opinion, Disney has rather dropped the ball when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation in their films. They’ve claimed to have a “gay character” or “gay moment,” but it’s usually minor or only hinted at and not outwardly expressed. More importantly, even when it’s confirmed like in Onward, it’s a throwaway line or an extreme side character – in other words, something that they can easily edit out for conservative audiences.

I say this only because I think it’s important to address what Disney is doing well but also critique where they need to improve. We’ve yet to see representation in a major film that’s really a central character or important to the plot, but I’m hopeful Disney will do it. (The short “Out” from Pixar is great, but it only went to Disney+).

That being said, one area Disney fans might not know as much about is their publishing company. Yes, Disney publishes a lot of movie tie-in style books, but they also publish plenty of original things too (mostly for kids and young adults). For those that don’t know, I work as a children’s librarian in my day job. I have to say that the children’s publishing world is doing a great job with representation and I’m happy to be able to share these books with my kids. Disney Publishing Worldwide has a couple of different publishing units under them, but Disney Hyperion is one of the major ones.

I thought it might be fun to share some of the great books that Disney has published that include LGBTQ+ representation! And I can’t wait to see more in the future.

One quick note: Rick Riordan publishes under Disney Hyperion and he’s been great about diversity and inclusion within his books, so there are several by him here (though many of his other books have representation too, I just didn’t want this list to be all Rick Riodan!). He also started a “Rick Riordan Presents” imprint under Disney Hyperion which has some excellent books as well.

Also I’m just going to put the librarian PSA out there that even when books are written for middle schoolers or young adults that doesn’t mean adults can’t read them. These days I find many of the middle grade or YA novels are higher quality than “adult” fiction!

Summaries are adapted from GoodReads synopses.

This post contains affiliate links – that means it costs nothing extra to you when you purchase by clicking the link but I make a couple of extra cents to support the blog!

The Hammer of Thor – Rick Riordan

That’s the irony. I can ‘look’ like whatever or whoever I want. But my actual gender? No. I can’t change it. It’s truly fluid, in the sense that I don’t control it. Most of the time, I identify as female, but sometimes I have very ‘male’ days.

Alex Fierro, The Hammer of Thor

Summary: Magnus has adjusted to life at the Hotel Valhalla—as much as a once-homeless and previously alive kid can. As a son of Frey, the god of summer, fertility, and health, Magnus doesn’t exactly fit in with the rest of Odin’s chosen warriors, but he has a few good peeps among his hallmates on floor nineteen, and he’s been dutifully training for Ragnarok along with everyone else. His days have settled into a new kind of normal.

But Magnus should have known there’s no such thing as normal in the Nine Worlds. His friends Hearthstone and Blitzen have disappeared. A new hallmate is creating chaos. According to a very nervous goat, a certain object belonging to Thor is still missing, and the thunder god’s enemies will stop at nothing to gain control of it.

Winner of the 2017 Stonewall Jackson Award which is given to book with “exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience” published in the US.

The House of Hades – Rick Riordan

“I had a crush on Percy,” Nico spat. “That’s the truth. That’s the big secret.”
He glared at Cupid. “Happy now?”
For the first time, Cupid’s gaze seemed sympathetic. “Oh, I wouldn’t say love always makes you happy.” His voice sounded smaller, much more human. “Sometimes it makes you incredibly sad. But at least you’ve faced it now. That’s the only way to conquer me.”

The House of Hades

Summary: Hazel stands at a crossroads. She and the remaining crew of the Argo II could return home with the Athena Parthenos statue and try to stop Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter from going to war. Or they could continue their quest to find the House of Hades, where they might be able to open the Doors of Death, rescue their friends Percy and Annabeth from Tartarus, and prevent monsters from being reincarnated in the mortal world.

Annabeth and Percy are overwhelmed. How will the two of them make it through Tartarus? Despite the terrible odds, Hazel, Annabeth, Percy, and the other demigods of the prophecy know that there is only one choice: to attempt the impossible. Not just for themselves, but for everyone they love. Even though love can be the riskiest choice of all.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Road Trip – Melissa de la Cruz

We sing gazing into each other’s faces, me taking the Ryan lines, and Seb reprising his brilliant Sharpay. All the misconnections of the weekend are forgotten… two songs aren’t much, but they’re enough. Enough to remind me that Seb and I are perfect together.

Carlos, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Road Trip

Summary: On the heels of their wildly successful run of High School Musical, the gang learns of a can’t-miss opportunity—a High School Musical convention in the next state. Ready to hit the road, the crew immediately begins making plans. Nini can’t wait to use the weekend to show how much she cares for Ricky. Kourtney debates signing up for a singing workshop, and Gina and Ashlyn decide it’ll be the perfect trial run for living together. Carlos can’t wait to help Miss Jenn prep for the spring musical, even if Seb has to stay behind to help with the family farm. But car breakdowns, late starts, and a lost E.J. throw a wrench in their plans. Will the East Highers get the weekend getaway of their dreams? Or will the bumps on the road get the better of them?

#murderfunding – Gretchen McNeil

Summary: WELCOME TO WHO WANTS TO BE A PANIAC?, the latest reality TV show on the hunt for the next big-hit serial killer. But don’t worry—no one is actually going to murder anyone, as real as the fake gore and pretend murder may appear . . . uh, right?

Seventeen-year-old Becca Martinello is about to find out. When her perfectly normal soccer mom dies in a car crash, a strange girl named Stef appears to let Becca know that her deceased mom was none other than one of Alcatraz 2.0’s most popular serial killers—Molly Mauler. Soon, Becca ends up on Who Wants to Be a Painiac? to learn the truth about her mom’s connection to Molly Mauler, but things turn sinister when people are murdered IRL. Will Becca uncover dark secrets and make it out of the deadly reality show alive? Or will she get cut? 

Loki: Where Mischief lies – Mackenzi Lee

Summary: Before the days of going toe-to-toe with the Avengers, a younger Loki is desperate to prove himself heroic and capable, while it seems everyone around him suspects him of inevitable villainy and depravity . . . except for Amora. Asgard’s resident sorceress-in-training feels like a kindred spirit-someone who values magic and knowledge, who might even see the best in him.

But when Loki and Amora cause the destruction of one of Asgard’s most prized possessions, Amora is banished to Earth, where her powers will slowly and excruciatingly fade to nothing. When Asgardian magic is detected in relation to a string of mysterious murders on Earth, Odin sends Loki to investigate. As he descends upon nineteenth-century London, Loki embarks on a journey that leads him to more than just a murder suspect, putting him on a path to discover the source of his power-and who he’s meant to be. 

The Tyrant’s Tomb – Rick Riordan

Awkward is telling your rabbi that Daniella Bernstein is going to be your date for your bat mitzvah party. Or telling your dad that the only dancing you want to do is tap, so you’re not going to carry on the Asimov family tradition. I know all about awkward.

Lavinia, The Tyrant’s Tomb

Summary: It’s not easy being Apollo, especially when you’ve been turned into a human and banished from Olympus. On his path to restoring five ancient oracles and reclaiming his godly powers, Apollo (aka Lester Papadopoulos) has faced both triumphs and tragedies. Now his journey takes him to Camp Jupiter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the Roman demigods are preparing for a desperate last stand against the evil Triumvirate of Roman emperors. Hazel, Reyna, Frank, Tyson, Ella, and many other old friends will need Apollo’s aid to survive the onslaught. Unfortunately, the answer to their salvation lies in the forgotten tomb of a Roman ruler . . . someone even worse than the emperors Apollo has already faced.

Aru Shah and the Song of Death – Roshani Chokshi

Brynne shuddered. ‘You’re my best friend, but I would never like you. One, because you’re basically my brother. Two, I prefer boys who can beat me in a wrestling contest.’ She thought about this and added, ‘Or girls.’

Brynne, Aru Shah and the Song of Death

Summary: Aru is only just getting the hang of this whole Pandava thing when the Otherworld goes into full panic mode. The god of love’s bow and arrow have gone missing, and the thief isn’t playing Cupid. Instead, they’re turning people into heartless fighting-machine zombies. If that weren’t bad enough, somehow Aru gets framed as the thief. If she doesn’t find the arrow by the next full moon, she’ll be kicked out of the Otherworld. For good.

Along with her soul-sister, Mini, Aru will team up with Brynne, an ultra-strong girl who knows more than she lets on, and Aiden, the boy who lives across the street and is also hiding plenty of secrets. Together they’ll battle demons, travel through a glittering and dangerous serpent realm, and discover that their enemy isn’t at all who they expected.

Dragon Pearl – Yoon Ha Lee

The other cadet’s eyes went wide. “Jang!” The person’s name tag told me they were called Sujin and that I should address them as gender-netural.

Dragon Pearl, by Yoon Ha Lee

Summary: Thirteen-year-old Min comes from a long line of fox spirits. But you’d never know it by looking at her. To keep the family safe, Min’s mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. Min would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. She’s counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and see more of the Thousand Worlds. When word arrives that Jun is suspected of leaving his post to go in search of the Dragon Pearl, Min knows that something is wrong. Jun would never desert his battle cruiser, even for a mystical object rumored to have tremendous power. She decides to run away to find him and clear his name.

Ship It – Britta Lundin

“You can take any man and woman, put them in a TV show together and have them look at each other like this”—she gestures at the computer screen—“and it wouldn’t even be a question. But because Smokey and Heart are two men, it makes a perfectly normal reading of the show delusional, fantasy…”

Claire, Ship It

Summary: Claire is a sixteen-year-old fangirl obsessed with the show Demon Heart. Forest is an actor on Demon Heart who dreams of bigger roles. When the two meet at a local Comic-Con panel, it’s a dream come true for Claire. Until the Q&A, that is, when Forest laughs off Claire’s assertion that his character is gay. Claire is devastated. She can’t believe her hero turned out to be a closed-minded jerk. Forest is mostly confused that anyone would think his character is gay. Because he’s not. Definitely not.

Unfortunately for Demon Heart, when the video of the disastrous Q&A goes viral, the producers have a PR nightmare on their hands. In order to help bolster their image within the LGBTQ+ community-as well as with their fans-they hire Claire to join the cast for the rest of their publicity tour. What ensues is a series of colorful Comic-Con clashes between the fans and the show that lead Forest to question his assumptions about sexuality and help Claire come out of her shell. And will Claire ever get the guts to make a move on Tess, the very cute, extremely cool fanartist she keeps running into?

Summary: Nadia Van Dyne is new to this. New to being a Super Hero, new to being a real friend and stepdaughter (to one of the founding Avengers, no less), new to running her own lab, and new to being her own person, far, far away from the clutches of the Red Room-the infamous brainwashing/assassin-training facility… and Nadia’s finding that there are never quite enough hours in a day. So, when she’s gifted a virtual assistant powered by the most cutting-edge A.I. technology that the world has to offer, Nadia jumps at the opportunity to “do less, experience more.”

The device works-really works. But it’s never quite that simple, and not everything is as it seems. She’ll need the help of her genius G.I.R.L. (Genius In action Research Labs) squad and found family to save herself and (not to be too dramatic) the entire world as we know it. Along the way, Nadia discovers that when she teams up with the people who love her the most, they’re totally Unstoppable.

Queen’s Peril – E.K. Johnston

Additionally, Johnston further extends her exemplary record of character inclusion by incorporating previously established LGBTQ elements into her main squad. Seeing characters like Sabé, Yané, and Saché discover queer romantic proclivities without the stain of prejudice and fear was as refreshing as it was exciting, and hopefully that unquestioned acceptance will resonate just as deeply with all of Peril’s readers.

Eric Eilerson, review of Queen’s Peril

Summary: When fourteen-year-old Padmé Naberrie wins the election for Queen of Naboo, she adopts the name Amidala and leaves her family to the rule from the royal palace. To keep her safe and secure, she’ll need a group of skilled handmaidens who can be her assistants, confidantes, defenders, and decoys. Each girl is selected for her particular talents, but it will be up to Padmé to unite them as a group. When Naboo is invaded by forces of the Trade Federation, Queen Amidala and her handmaidens will face the greatest test—of themselves, and of each other.

So it’s a good start with these LGBTQ+ books from Disney – but I’m looking forward to seeing them do even more in the future!

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Have you read any of these books?