THE QUEER LEGACY OF THE OWL HOUSE

Originally published on Animation for Adults

I want to state one thing very clearly at the outset: Dana Terrace knew what she was doing.

I’m sure of it. Though it is also undoubtable that The Owl House is a series that she has been sincerely passionate about since 2016, this dedication was not distinct from the goal of putting LGBT characters at the forefront of a story made for the next generation. Between the consistently stylish outfits of the characters, hard-hitting themes of isolation and ostracization, and the gender-nonconforming vibes of series protagonist Luz Noceda (Sarah-Nicole Robles), the queer animation junkies of the world immediately had their eyes on this series.

But the queerness of the show goes a lot deeper than surface-level choices like this, and indeed, even beyond its core romantic relationships. The politics, ideas, and plot of The Owl House portray a love for all that is queer. At its core, “queer” refers to the way one’s desires (their loves, identities, expressions, etc.) are marked as indecent and demonized by the power majority. The Owl House has a deep and protective love for those of us who want something different from our lives than what we have been told to want.

Creator Dana Terrace found her way to Disney Channel when Alex Hirsch (creator of…