After a warrior is harmed in battle, he is saved by a shape-shifter and the two fall in love. Together, they protect their community and fight against approaching colonizers.

First released on Them’s website, the article included an accompanying interview with directors Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, the assistant director and animator Daniel Sousa, and producer Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu. In the interview, the relationship between the two lead characters is described as either gay or queer (with a preference for using the term queer). Therefore, I shall be using both descriptors.

For those who find the setting and art style familiar, Aikāne was created by the same team responsible for the fantastic short, Kapaemahu which focused on the Waikiki legend of the same name (see Kapaemahu).

]]> Director: Dean Hamer, Daniel Sousa, Joe Wilson
Year: 2023
Country: United States
Gender and Sexuality: Gay, queer
Animation Style: Digital
Genre: Fantasy, romance
Type: Explicit, implicit, short

Can currently be watched on Them or YouTube: https://youtu.be/JWgyG6Qu9Hw


]]> On another busy Thanksgiving day for the citizens of Elwood City, Pal becomes lost, and Arthur tries to find him with the help of his family and friends.

While Mr. Ratburn was previously confirmed as gay when he married Patrick in Season 22 episode 1a "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone," and both men are in this special, their relationship is not explicitly depicted. Interestingly, the online Arthur game An Elwood City Thanksgiving does make their relationship explicit, and the player can even take a 'family photo' of the couple as they stand outside their home holding hands.]]> Director: Greg Bailey
Year: 2020
Country: Canada, United States
Gender and Sexuality: Gay
Animation Style: Digital
Genre: Adventure, comedy
Type: Feature, implicit

Can currently be watched on Amazon Prime or YouTube: https://youtu.be/_bXSCodQiv4

 ]]>
Later on, when Betty Boop is declaring how she will change the country, we see how she will handle prison reform: instead of being electrocuted, a gruff prisoner is transformed into a queer coded pansy character.]]> Director: Dave Fleischer
Year: 1932
Country: United States
Gender and Sexuality: Drag, queer coded
Animation Style: Traditional
Genre: Comedy, music(al)
Type: Implicit, short

Can currently be watched on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ClplCxUVfFw

]]> Director: Dave Fleischer
Year: 1933
Country: United States
Gender and Sexuality: Queer coded
Animation Style: Traditional
Genre: Comedy
Type: Implicit, short

Can currently be watched on YouTube: https://youtu.be/c84FDJzbqmo

]]> In a fantastical world, a man helps another gain confidence and be more open so he can let his caged bird fly free.]]> Director: Vince Cappelluti
Year: 2017
Country: United States
Gender and Sexuality: Queer coded
Animation Style: Digital
Genre: Fantasy
Type: Implicit, short

Can currently be watched on Vimeo or YouTube: https://youtu.be/BZyKM-lM0rQ

 ]]> The day before her wedding to Popeye, Olive Oyl has a dream about what it would be like to be married and a mother.

Early in the short, when Popeye and Olive Oyl are saying their goodbyes, Popeye, distracted, accidentally puts on a bonnet instead of his sailor hat. He then kisses a policeman, who blushes and is left stunned.]]> Director: Izzy Sparber
Year: 1954
Country: United States
Gender and Sexuality: Gender creative, queer coded
Animation Style: Traditional
Genre: Comedy
Type: Implicit, short 

Can currently be watched on Dailymotion, Internet Archive, YouTube: https://archive.org/details/popeyethesailor-publicdomain/Bride+And+Gloom+(1954).mp4

 ]]> When Coraline and her family move into a new home, she has a difficult time making friends and becomes lonely. Soon, she discovers a mysterious door, but the entrance is blocked. Later that night, she manages to enter and finds the Other Mother, who has been expecting her.

As discussed in greater detail on my Substack, Miss Forcible and Miss Spink, while not as explicitly depicted as Mitch from ParaNorman, are the earliest confirmed queer characters from Laika Studios (see ParaNorman).]]> Director: Henry Selick
Year: 2009
Country: United States
Gender and Sexuality: Lesbian
Animation Style: Digital, stop motion, traditional
Genre: Drama, fantasy, horror
Type: Implicit, feature 

Can currently be watched on iTunes, Max, or YouTube: https://youtu.be/koInAsdH8WA

 ]]> This amusing documentary showcases the queerness found within the animal kingdom.

As animals are incapable of human speech, we technically do not know how a particular animal would identify and must judge them based on their actions and behavior. For simplicity, I shall be classifying this short under the general queer umbrella and the pairings shown throughout the short.

I am also including how one could interpret these animals from a human perspective on gender. For instance, goby fish are able to change gender in a fluid manner which can be relatable for some who identifies as genderfluid (for umbrella term simplicity I shall classify this aspect as transgender, but a person can be genderfluid and view themself as nonbinary rather than trans). Additionally, the classification of intersex is included; because even though it is not explicitly mentioned in the short, some gobies have been found to be intersex.

For those interested in reading an opinion piece about gobies from someone within the intersex community, I would suggest, “Just-So Stories about Hermaphrodite Fish” written by Dr. Cary Gabriel Costello on his blog The Intersex Roadshow.]]> Director: Marcel Barelli
Year: 2021
Country: Switzerland
Gender and Sexuality: Androgyny, bisexual, gay, intersex, lesbian, queer, transgender
Animation Style: Digital
Genre: Comedy, documentary
Type: Explicit, implicit, short

Can currently be watched on Vimeo or YouTube: https://youtu.be/8PiSKKbxtBY

 ]]> The difficulties of trying to live life as an open cartoon character in a human world; the animated form serves as an allegory for being queer.]]> Director: Emilio Martí López
Year: 2011
Country: Spain
Gender and Sexuality: Gay, queer 
Animation Style: Digital, live-action blending
Genre: Comedy
Type: Implicit, short

Can currently be watched on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/33915153

 ]]> Note: This film contains transphobic violence.

After a transgender individual starts presenting the way they want, they experience a violent altercation when they try to use a public bathroom. ]]> Director: Charlie Ngo
Year: 2015
Country: Canada
Gender and Sexuality: Transgender
Animation Style: Digital
Genre: Drama
Type: Explicit, implicit, short

Can currently be watched on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/93691826

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