So I’ve been watching Disney’s Encanto literally multiple times a day every day in my house because Omicron and because preschoolers and… let’s be honest… because LUISA.
We’ve never had a muscular woman like her in a Disney movie before and I’m here for it. Luisa Madrigal isn’t queer in the movie, but she has already risen to lesbian icon status. She is going to the sexual awakening moment for generations of baby gays and I love that for them. The song “Surface Pressure” is a bop that is already charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and making big sisters feel seen.
I was innocently scrolling through my TikTok For You Page when Luisa’s voice actress, Jessica Darrow popped up. Encanto is the 26-year-old Cuban-American actress’s breakout role after studying acting at Rutgers University and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. She joined TikTok in March 2020 like the rest of us and the majority of the comments on her recent videos are queer girls simping. She chose one to reply to:
@jessdarrow_Reply to @badnands #fyp♬ original sound – Jessica Darrow
So, is that a yes?? Fans seem to think so. Jessica instantly received no less than ten marriage proposals in the comments on this video. (Note the rainbow in the background!)
It’s honestly worth going to the TikTok just to read through the comments to get a sense of LGBTQ+ unity because we are truly all united in our love for this person and people are hilariously, desperately throwing themselves at her in the comments. Jessica is even liking certain comments including “what size ring to do you wear,” “(the trans masc leaving my body) PLEASE PICK ME,” “*girly giggle but in a non-binary way*.”
We shouldn’t assume everyone is straight until proven otherwise and Jessica may have been out for years in various circles of her life and she doesn’t owe the public a single thing about her personal sexual identity or choosing to share a label… but I’m still excited she is choosing to interact with fans and show us her fun personality. In what’s shaping up to be another winter of depressing isolation, it’s a welcome moment of flirtation, smiles, song, and positive representation.
UPDATE! Since this article was published, Jessica added a rainbow flag emoji to her Instagram bio. She also said she is queer on the Oscars red carpet on March 27, 2022! Read all about it.
