D23 Shines Spotlight on Actors for Pride Month

In honor of Pride Month, D23 (the Official Disney Fan Club) is “shining a spotlight” on Disney actors who have said that they belong to the LGBTQIA community.

“This month we’re celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community,” D23 said on its blog. “Disney recognizes this community’s significant impact on the entertainment industry and, in honor of Pride month, we are highlighting some of the most promising Disney stars that identify as queer.”

For #Pridemonth, we're shining a spotlight on some of your favorite Disney stars who are also members of the LGBTQIA+ community: https://t.co/YNxXJMmSYO pic.twitter.com/fFTkwFhaW7

— Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) June 23, 2022

Liv and Maddie star Dove Cameron, who starred in the Descendants films as Mal and has since shifted away from Disney to work on projects like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., was one Disney star who was featured by D23 for Pride Month.

“In August 2020, Cameron took to social media to announce that she identifies as queer,” D23 said. “She doesn’t label her sexuality, but finds herself somewhere within the spectrum. At only 26, she has already made an impression at Disney and is sure to only continue to do so in the years to come!”

Hawaiian actress and singer Auli’i Cravalho, who became famous for her role as the Disney princess Moana in the 2016 film Moana, was also highlighted in D23’s Pride Month feature. Cravalho apparently “took the opportunity [in 2020] to come out to her fans through the social media platform. The 21-year-old native Hawaiian identifies as bisexual and remains open about her sexuality to her fans,” D23 added in the blog post meant to celebrate Pride Month.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series actor Frankie Rodriguez (who plays fan-favorite Carlos and is shown below) was highlighted as well. Rodriguez’s character Carlos is part of a popular same-sex couple on the Disney+ series, and the actor is reportedly dating co-star Joe Serafini (who plays his love interest Seb!) in real life.

Carlos Rodriguez actually received a nomination for The Queerties (“an annual award honoring the LGBTQIA+ community’s brightest stars and innovators”) for his performance on the show!

Joshua Bassett, another actor from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, has also been mentioned by D23 in its efforts to celebrate Pride Month and its efforts to encourage everyone to share their pride.

According to the blog post, “Rodriguez isn’t the only Wildcat to positively affirm his identity.” Bassett is active on social media, and the young actor reportedly “doesn’t feel a need to label his sexuality, but rather finds himself within the spectrum of sexualities.”

Jack Dylan Grazer, who voiced Alberto Scorfano in the 2021 animated Pixar film Luca, was also featured since the actor “came out as bisexual to a fan on Instagram Live”. Jack Dylan Grazer was nominated for the Best Voice Acting Annie Award for his voiceover performance.

Are you familiar with all of these Disney or Pixar actors? Are you doing anything to celebrate Pride Month and share your pride, such as browsing the Pride Collection from the Walt Disney Company and boosting Disney Pride Collection sales (or visiting Walt Disney World Resort and celebrating National Pride Month in the Magic Kingdom theme park, Animal Kingdom theme park, EPCOT, or Hollywood Studios)?