‘Of course, I thought. These kids are gay! I was lying on the sofa, quite tired after my first vaccine a few hours earlier, and, in need of something that wouldn’t demand too much of me, I’d put on Pixar‘s latest release, Luca. The two boys at its centre share a physical closeness and intimacy regularly reinforced by touching and hugging. They put all their faith into one another, commented that they like how the other smells, and later when a girl is introduced into their dynamic, jealousy erupts. All this is aided by the fact the two boys share and bond over a secret; they’re both sea monsters who sneak onto shore on Italy’s Amalfi Coast and try to fit in amongst a town that despises sea monsters. If they were to be their authentic selves they would be persecuted, but the two find solace and companionship in each other. Talk about an allegory, right?’

---

You can read the full column here.