Disney+’s LGBTQ+ inclusive animated series ‘The Owl House’ has come to an end after only three seasons. Despite being canceled prematurely, the show managed to leave a lasting impression with its authentic representation of queer characters.
From the very beginning, ‘The Owl House’ embraced and celebrated outsiders. The show follows the story of Luz, a human girl who is transported to the Demon Realm and finds acceptance in a group of witches and demons. Luz became Disney’s first bisexual protagonist, and her love interest, Amity, was a one-time rival. The show delivered the first same-sex kiss and later introduced the first nonbinary character in a Disney series. In addition, there were many more major and minor queer characters, including genderqueer witches and demons and an asexual/aromantic character.
The show’s groundbreaking representation occurred at a time when Florida was implementing its “Don’t Say Gay” law, which posed a challenge for Disney as the series tackled queer subject matter. Despite winning the GLAAD Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming in 2021, the show was canceled, reducing the third season to only three 44-minute specials.
Series creator Dana Terrace shared on Reddit that the show did not fit the Disney brand, primarily due to its serialized nature and older audience. Although the cancellation is a blow to LGBTQ+ representation in kid’s animation, fans praised the series finale for delivering a satisfying conclusion.
The support from fans of ‘The Owl House’ may pave the way for other LGBTQ+ inclusive animated series in the future. As Terrace stated, “Not only does it support the crew but it encourages studios to take bigger risks on shows coming down the pipeline.”
Despite the cancellation, all three seasons of ‘The Owl House’ are still available to stream on Disney+.
