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Lauren Syverson
Kendra Parker
English 113: The Wonderful World of Disney
24 March 2015
Embracement of Homosexuality in Frozen
On October 2, 2012, independent artists Macklemore and Ryan Lewis released a
song entitled Same Love. This song was written to bring awareness to gay rights to the
American community. The song is now an anthem for the ongoing gay rights movement
that has been apparent in America over the past few decades. Almost one year later,
America has been caught in a giant blizzard for the buzz for the popular Disney movie,
Frozen. When Frozen premiered in 2013, everyone instantly fell in love with the movie
and what it represents. Unlike other Disney Princess films, Frozen teaches people to face
your fears and being true to yourself, similarly to Same Love. In the beginning of the
film, however, we can conclude the movie is a metaphor that communicates how people
ignore homosexuality and discriminate against gays and lesbians. In Frozen (2013), the
depiction of Ana and Elsa reveals the controversial nature of the issue of homosexuality
in 21st century America.
Elsas fear of not being accepted by her family because she is different is a
metaphor for being gay, and further communicates that in American society,
homosexuality is not as widely accepted because it is non-traditional. In watching
Frozen for the first time in 2013, I thought about Elsa, the main character, who struggles
with finding herself, which is very translatable to modern day America. I feel that her
deep struggles can be a symbol to the new popular gay rights movement. Elsa runs away

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when people find out her secret, lives in isolation, and sings, I am alone but I am alone
and free (Menzel) and The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside. Couldn't
keep it in, heaven knows I tried!(Menzel) in the song Let it Go. Elsa feels that being
alone is better than living in Arendelle in fear of people knowing her secret. She tries so
hard to keep it a secret and she is finally giving in and living freely. Elsas powers can
translate to people coming out to their families and loved ones as a homosexual. I feel
that she has this struggle because Elsa fears people accepting her because it is not a
traditional or normal characteristic as a soon to be Queen of Arendelle. Similarly, in the
movie, Frozen, Elsas childhood of being locked in her room in fear and embracing of her
superpowers can further communicates that in American society homosexuality is not as
widely accepted because it is non-traditional.
When Elsa is a young girl, she is able to live her life outside of her bedroom and
play with her sister freely knowing about her superpowers. Unfortunately, Ana and Elsa
have an accident late at night when playing with her snow powers in the ballroom. Elsa
creates giant snow banks for Ana to jump across and Elsa can not keep up with how fast
Ana is traveling. Elsa accidently hits Anas head with a snow beam and freezes her head.
Her family takes her to seek help from the trolls and in return, the chief troll erases all
knowledge of Elsas superpowers from her mind. When this happens, her parents decide
that Elsa should cover her hands with gloves and stay as hidden as possible to protect
others and herself. By her parents doing this, Elsa becomes isolated from the rest of the
world because of her inability to control herself. Elsa practically lives in a closet her
whole life until her coronation day when she is old enough to obtain the throne her

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parents left her behind. This can directly translate to the term people use when referring
to gays when in fear of hurting others in themselves of living in the closet.
In modern day America, many gays are afraid of showing others their true selves
in fear of rejection and hurting them and their selves, just like Elsa because it is nontraditional and different. Recent articles support this unwillingness of approval of gays
over the entire twentieth century. It states, Given that even during most of the twentieth
century gays remained closeted, it is remarkable that as of mid-2011 ten countries
(France legalized same-sex marriage in 2013), Mexico City, seven U.S, states and
Washington, DC, have legalized same sex marriage (Jurkiewicz). This issue of people,
much like Elsa, being afraid of expressing to others their true identity because it is nontraditional is a big problem that people should be aware of. Like Elsa, Ana encounters a
similar issue in the film.
Anas reaction to the gay family at the lodge suggests that Ana believes in a
traditionally structured family and supports the American idea that homosexuality goes
against tradition and normalcy. We can see this through the scene of the family in the
sauna at the mountainside lodge. In search of Elsa, Ana takes off to find her sister on the
North Mountain and at a lodge for warm clothes and directions. While there, the male
Norwegian clerk at the counter tells Ana that she can have a free trip to the sauna with his
family. As the family greets Ana, the viewers clearly see one older male and their three
young children. We can conclude from this image that the store clerk is gay with the other
older male in the sauna. We can read the image this way because of the other symbols in
the movie that increase gay action that support this idea. After Ana sees this, she quickly
is turned away and says she will pass. By this being apart of the movie, Frozen exposes

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Americans view that gay and lesbians is very different and not a traditional way of
thought. Ana quickly turns away from the sauna because of her traditional upbringing and
does not support her desire to find a husband. Much like in American culture,
traditionally, Americans have followed Christianitys view of marriage as the way it is
described in the Bible in Genesis through Adam and Eve with heterosexuality. This
struggle that people encounter is reflected in this movie and is very important for people
to understand. Like the family on the mountainside, Ana also is exposed to a similar
situation that symbolizes controversial nature of the issue of homosexuality in 21st
century America.
Anas reaction to Christophes flaws shows her blatant disapproval of his lifestyle
and personal characteristics, which reflects American ideals of ignoring gays and lesbians
as a people and suppressing them to avoid conflict. This can be seen when Christophe
and Ana go to see the trolls to receive help when Ana is in trouble. The trolls tell Ana to
accept Christophe for who he truly is and love him even though he is very different than
her. Hes a bit of a fixer-upper(Lopez), the song the trolls sing, reflect on the concept to
care for people who truly matter no matter what. The trolls understand the problem that
many people face when dealing with others who are different and will not accept people
for who they are. They propose the idea of accepting others and loving them no matter
what. The trolls recognize that Ana probably does not love Christophe because of his
different personal characteristics and challenge her to think otherwise. Despite the
conflict it might cause, Ana listens to the trolls revealing Christophes different
personality and lifestyle and she chooses to love him anyway. This can be directly
translatable to Americans issues of not accepting gays for themselves.

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In American government, we did not pass a law giving gays the opportunity to
marry because we do not accept people who are different from us. It states, In June, in
United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA), enacted into law in 1996 by veto-proof congressional majorities to prevent
same-sex marriages from being recognized by the federal government, and also
invalidated Californias ban on same-sex marriage (Prop 8), passed by popular
referendum in 2008 (Omar G. Encarnacin ). This act of prejudice towards gays sparked
American pride to start the gay rights movement to allow peace within our nation. Much
like Anas acceptance of Christophes difference in lifestyle and personality, we should as
an American culture accept gays and lesbians and let them embrace their true identity.
I think this movie is very important because it teaches kids that sisterly and family
love can warm any frozen heart. By enforcing that this type of love is more important
than romantic love, we support societies movement of supporting each other for whom
we truly are and whatever individualizing characteristics we posses. By Elsas hidden
superpowers and Christophes flaws, we clearly see the natural divide that reflects on
American cultures unwillingness to accept gays and flawed people. Elsas sister, Ana,
tries to tell Elsa that she loves her no matter what and goes out to find her on the North
Mountain to save her. By Ana risking her life to save her sister to show her that she is
accepted and loved, reflects modern day families who want to comfort people with
insecurities. I believe that this approach to this problem is very important for people to
realize and to adopt as their own. Loving people for them selves is very important and it
is not our job to judge others, it is our job to love others.

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Works Cited
Jurkiewicz, C. L. (2014). THE STATE OF GAY. Journal of Health and
Services Administration, 37(2), 152-183. Retrieved from

Human

http://0-

search.proquest.com.lib.hope.edu/docview/1562784188?account

id=11471

Lopez, Kristen Anderson-. Fixer Upper. Wonderland Music Company, 2013. CD.
Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis. Same Love. Rec. October 2012. |, 2012. CD.
Menzel, Idina. Let It Go. Walt Disney Pictures, 2013|. CD.
Omar G. Encarnacin. "Gay Rights: Why Democracy Matters." Journal of Democracy
25.3 (2014): 90-104. Project MUSE. Web. 24 Mar. 2015. <https://0muse.jhu.edu.lib.hope.edu/>.