LGBTQ+ social media was aflame last night as Winifred Sanderson herself teased the long-awaited Hocus Pocus 2, and Disney announced a new documentary series – Pride – depicting the struggle for equal rights.
On Instagram, Bette Midler shared a title card for Hocus Pocus 2 with the caption: “Sistaaaahs! It’s been 300 years… But we’re back! Hocus Pocus 2 arrives Fall 2022 on DisneyPlus.” Cue heads exploding throughout LGBTQ+ land.
When you’ve calmed down sufficiently, Disney also announced details of the six-part series Pride depicting the struggle for queer rights in America, which they’ll be releasing on June 25th.
Each episode of the series takes in a different decade of queer life. Disney broke down what to expect from each of them:
Episode 1 – 1950’s: People Had Parties
A revealing look at the vibrant and full lives lived by queer people in the 1950s amidst a steep rise in governmental regulations against the LGBTQ+ community led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, who ushered in an era of government-sanctioned persecution.
Episode 2 – 1960’s: Riots & Revolutions
Even before Stonewall, Pride took root in the 1960’s when lesser-known heroes from marginalised communities, including queer girls of color and trans women, played an integral role in the advancement of the movement.
Episode 3 – 1970’s: The Vanguard of Struggle
The 1970’s helped forge a national movement, from the first Gay Pride march, to the rise of artists like filmmaker Barbara Hammer and poet Audre Lorde, to the confrontation of intersectional feminism and the backlash and opposition from the religious right.
Episode 4 – 1980’s: Underground
New York City in the 1980’s, reinvigorated by the prior era’s sexual revolution and the ascendance of the Gay Liberation Front, saw an influx of queer people to downtown Manhattan and the rise of the underground ball scene. At the same time, the AIDS epidemic devastated the gay community as Ronald Reagan and his Moral Majority refused to intervene.
Episode 5 – 1990’s: The Culture Wars
With the election of Bill Clinton, the LGBTQ+ community finally had an ally in the White House – or so they thought. The Culture Wars were in full swing, and being fought everywhere from Capitol Hill to movie theatres to churches.
Episode 6 – 2000’s: Y2Gay
The 2000’s ushered in a new age of queer visibility where gays and lesbians were gaining acceptance in the mainstream media. But even as cisgender white members of the LGBTQ+ community found a place in society, the struggle for trans rights continued.
Now, while that’s some quality queer content, people on social media have suggested that Disney should be inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community year-round and not just at Pride.
With blink-and-you’ll-miss-them gay characters appearing in their Marvel movies, Pixar movies and film blockbusters – isn’t it time we took centre stage? “Amok, amok, amok!”
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