A Girl Worth Fighting For: A Rhetorical Critique of Disney Princess Mulan's Bisexuality

Abstract

Disney recently revealed that its character Mulan was bisexual on its prime time television program, Once Upon A Time. This article critiques this queering's dimensions of freedom and domination through the lens of critical rhetoric. Mulan's queering represents a progressive step forward for Disney, as the company previously had no lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) characters. However, Disney's choice of the most masculine princess as a bisexual reinforces harmful stereotypes about LGBT women, whereas its choice to permit a bisexual character solely on a program aimed at adults neglects its role as a moral educator of children.

KEYWORDS:

• sexual minority youth
• television
• critical theory
• aging
• heteronormativity
• bisexual erasure
• binegativity
• film
• identity development
• life stage

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Adam Key

Adam Key is currently an instructor of Communication Studies and assistant director of Forensics at Tennessee State University. His research addresses the construction of culture through rhetoric, particularly within media and popular culture.