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A Straight Guy Is Playing Disney's First Explicitly Gay Character

A Straight Guy Is Playing Disney's First Explicitly Gay Character

A Straight Guy Is Playing Disney's First Explicitly Gay Character

We're not surprised, but we're still disappointed.

byraffy

A live-action movie adaptation of Disneyland's popular Jungle Cruise ride is currently in the works at Walt Disney Pictures. The film—which already has stars like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Emily Blunt attached to it—is set to feature the media giant's first explicitly gay character, but before you go jumping for joy, know this: the character is being played by a straight man. 

According to UK newspaper The Sun, 30-year-old British comedian Jack Whitehall (a name most people in the States probably won't know and will probably have to Google) is joining the cast of Jungle Cruise playing a "fun, effete young man." 

Fans were quick to point out that while having an explicitly gay character appear in a Disney title will be groundbreaking, the fact that a straight man is occupying the role undercuts the message Disney is trying to send about LGBT representation on screen.

So what are your thoughts on Disney's Jungle Cruise? Should they have cast an openly queer actor to play an explicitly gay role? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!

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Raffy Ermac

Digital Director, Out.com

Raffy is a Los Angeles-based writer, editor, video creator, critic, and digital director of Out Magazine. The former editor-in-chief of PRIDE, he is also a die-hard Rihanna and Sailor Moon stan who loves to write about all things pop culture, entertainment, and identities. Follow him on Instagram (@raffyermac) and Twitter (@byraffy), and subscribe to his YouTube channel

Raffy is a Los Angeles-based writer, editor, video creator, critic, and digital director of Out Magazine. The former editor-in-chief of PRIDE, he is also a die-hard Rihanna and Sailor Moon stan who loves to write about all things pop culture, entertainment, and identities. Follow him on Instagram (@raffyermac) and Twitter (@byraffy), and subscribe to his YouTube channel