As LGBTQ Pride Month draws to a close, we wanted to spotlight an enlightening video on queer representation in animation.
Posted on the Tongal Youtube channel, The History of Queer Animation is an expansive, if not exhaustive, look at queer representation in the medium over the last century. The video was written by Morgan Swank, narrated by Aidan Laliberte, and edited by Bourdon Creative.
After a brief introduction to some early 20th century queer and queer-coded animation, the video shifts its focus to the 1934 Hays Code, a sinister bit of intentionally vague legislation that allowed for extreme censorship of film content. According to the video, all positive portrayals of queer characters disappeared entirely after the code was established, and any characters possessing characteristics that might have been perceived as queer at that time were relegated to villain roles. A notable exception is made for Bugs Bunny.
