Don’t worry, I promise that this article will remain spoiler-free for the hit sequel “Frozen 2.” All mentions of the plot and songs are things that are provided either on official Disney promos or the official soundtrack (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube).
So, the year is 2013. Disney has just released its new animated princess movie, “Frozen.” And something… unexpected came of it. Elsa’s song “Let it Go” became something of an anthem. And not just for the movie, but for an entire community: the LGBT+ community. We found ourselves in her song and recognized her story in our own coming out.
Now, the year is 2019. Disney has just released its new animated princess movie “Frozen 2,” the sequel coming out six years after its predecessor. And, like the one before, the queer audience can see themselves in Elsa, this time in searching for a community. As mentioned in promos, Elsa begins hearing a voice, which sparks her song, “Into the Unknown.” But more than a song about finding a mysterious voice, it’s a call for LGBT+ people to reach out and find their community. In the queer voice, Elsa’s song is about going outside of our heteronormative culture in search of people like us who have been consistently “Othered.” Our queer safe spaces are often “unknown” to those of us who have been sheltered from our identity for so long and are just now finding the LGBT+ world.
Like I said, this article is going to be spoiler-free, so I can’t say much more about the rest of Elsa’s character arc and what it means for the queer theory that’s been surrounding her character since the rumors began of Elsa’s sexuality. I can neither confirm nor deny the canonical elements of her arc, but the song alone demonstrates a continuation of the queer journey that is like “a secret siren” to audience who sees themselves in her story.