A major milestone may have been reached in She-Hulk… but interestingly, neither Marvel nor Disney made much of a deal about it. Why were they so quiet about an LGBTQIA+ achievement?
She Hulk is a bit of a hot button issue on social media, isn’t it? There were so many things to talk about, from the focused confirmation that at least two headlining Avengers have had casual sex a la “hookup culture” (with at least one fathering a child), the breaking of the fourth wall, to the introduction of a thinly veiled caricature of Doomcock into the MCU. In all the ruckus, I noticed an item that didn’t get much traction online.
In Episode 6, Jennifer Walters is invited to be a bridesmaid at a wedding of an acquaintance named Lulu. At the wedding, Jennifer transforms into She Hulk and fights Titania, furthers her relationship with Josh, and continues to wrestle with what role her transformed persona will have in her life. Episode over, right?
Well… yes, but Marvel buried the headline a bit. The person playing Lulu is Patti Henderson, a transgender woman who was born biologically male. It raises the question of whether or not the character of Lulu is also transgender. If that is the case, She Hulk might have taken the crown from Thor: Love and Thunder as the “gayest” Marvel property ever by featuring not just a gay wedding, but a transgender wedding. That’s something that just a year ago we might have expected to be a major talking point and discussion throughout the commentariat of Hollywood. Not so much today though.
Here’s what Pride Source had to say recently about Henderson:
As for Harrison, her name rose to even greater prominence in 2021 when she voiced Chief of Tale in “Raya and the Dragon,” giving her the distinction of being the first openly trans actor to lend their voice to a Disney film. Last year, she also starred in “Together Together,” a moving comedy about a single man (Ed Helms) and his surrogate, played by Harrison, that premiered at Sundance.
Based on previous Disney/Marvel PR campaigns, it would be reasonable to assume that if there was an LGBT wedding in She Hulk, that they would be shouting it from the rooftops. However, things appeared to have changed in the shadow of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill. Corporations, not just Disney, have been unusually quiet on issues that would have never gone without comment in the past. Perhaps the Variety article about Disney limiting damage was accurate — or maybe this is just a missed opportunity by a company that would likely want to push the social needle on any other day that ends with “y”.
Is it possible that Disney and Marvel are past the stage where they need to take every superlative in their LGBT journey? Did Bob Chapek silence marketers and showrunners in an effort to appease more traditional global audiences? Or did Marvel miss an opportunity to Reimagine Tomorrow?
Here at That Park Place, we take no position as to what Disney and/or Marvel should have done. But it definitely behooves us to note when they act in a way that is contrary to their public policies… or at least muted. In that sort of methodology, it often means that no side is happy. The LGBTQIA+ community probably isn’t pleased with Disney’s silence on a transgender wedding in a Marvel series (something many unconnected fans probably missed), while likewise those in favor of traditional gender norms are probably displeased about it being in the series at all.
Sometimes it’s tough to thread the needle. That’s especially true when it’s in the hurricane of a culture war where finances and viewers really are at stake.
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“single man (Ed Helms) and his surrogate, played by Harrison”
Two men who can’t have a baby together are making a movie about making a baby. Transgenderism messes up reality.
She isn’t playing a trans character in the movie. As far as I know Harrison has never played a trans character on TV or in movies.
Otis: “He”, a transgender, is playing a surrogate woman.
Hollywood changed the rules again. Did you get the memo? Gays play gays. Trans play trans. Lesbians play lesbians. Women play women. Men play men.
Gender dysmorphia is a mental disorder and those who suffer from it need help accepting their birth sex, not to be celebrated like some kind of “we’re just as normal as you even though it’s clear we’re not” freak show. These are human beings we’re treating like political footballs; they need real love and attention, not comfortable “affirming” lies and fake TV weddings. I’m so sick of this nonsense.
It caused Az (of FNT) to play the Crying Game.