Internet Sees Two Women In “Finding Dory” Trailer, Wonders If They’re Pixar’s First Lesbian Couple

A new trailer for Disney-Pixar’s upcoming Finding Dory has debuted online, and it is predictably adorable.

However, most online conversation has centered on a short sequence from the teaser, in which two adjacent women are seen attending to a toddler in a pram. (Turns out the toddler has been replaced with a baby octopus. It makes sense if you watch it.) Skip to 1:07 for the scene.

Eagle-eyed Tweeters and movie bloggers were quick to make assumptions, noting that Dory herself is voiced by equality advocate Ellen DeGeneres.

/Film wondered, “Does ‘Finding Dory’ Feature Pixar’s First Lesbian Couple?”, while Hitfix, somewhat similarly, asked “Is That Disney-Pixar’s First Lesbian Couple In The New ‘Finding Dory’ Trailer?”

That new #FindingDory trailer released this morning? I think that's the first lesbian couple in a @DisneyPixar film. pic.twitter.com/S1wwJEOeWT

— Matthew Gottula (@DLthings) May 24, 2016

Of course, each article comes with one massive caveat: the two women might simply be friends, sisters, colleagues, et cetera. Also, we’ll probably never know their status, as it seems like the footage from the trailer is the extent of their presence in the movie. (In case you didn’t know, this franchise mostly takes place underwater.)

They’re also noting the potential tokenism of having two nameless gay characters appear on screen for just two seconds, especially given recent criticism of Disney by GLAAD for not featuring enough LGBTQI characters.

But then, if these two characters are indeed a couple, it would be very encouraging to see Disney and Pixar make moves to include more LGBTQI characters in their film universes, no matter how subtle. (And, in fact, there’s an argument to be made for unacknowledged inclusions like this, rather than explicit references that make a joke out of – or suggest something strange about – a lesbian couple.)

Disney subtly did this with Frozen in 2013, via innkeeper Oaken.

Fans now also want the studio to give its main character, Elsa, a girlfriend. Idina Menzel, who voices Elsa, had this to offer on the petition: “I think it’s great.”

There have also been deafening calls to pair up Poe and Finn from the new Star Wars series.

Hopefully in the future, there’ll be fewer articles hoping for and guessing at LGBTQI representation in Disney movies, and more celebrating the strides taken by the studio towards greater inclusivity across their features.

In the meantime, here’s a moving “It Gets Better” video produced by Pixar staff.

Photo: Disney.