Does Toy Story 5 really have an LGBTQ+ wedding?

Disney and Pixar’s latest release Toy Story 5 is out, with fans of all ages excited to see what Woody, Jessie, Buzz and friends are up to now.

But with multiple weddings and plenty of will-they-won’t-they romance, some have been left wondering if Toy Story 5 actually has an LGBTQ+ storyline.

Disney, in more recent years, has included some queer relationships, like in Zootopia 2, but for Toy Story 5, it could be a bit more open to interpretation.

Of course, spoilers for the movie follow. Well, kind of, as it’s teased in the poster for the movie.

Does Toy Story 5 have an LGBTQ+ plot?

One of the opening scenes, when viewers return to the toys we all know and love, sees a wedding between Forky and Karen Beverly.

Karen was introduced in the Toy Story 4 post-credits scene, and is a DIY toy made from a plastic knife. She has long, yellow yarn for hair, a purple flower decoration and a green dress with sequins on it.

Forky, similarly made from a plastic fork, is seen to be completely lovestruck by Bonnie’s new toy, and it seems in the time between Toy Story 4 and Toy Story 5, their romance has blossomed.

Erik Hall from The Telegraph has argued that, because they are married as “husband and knife”, rather than husband and wife, that Karen Beverly is “gender neutral”, and therefore the wedding is LGBTQ+.

The character, who most agree is designed to look female, is voiced by actress Melissa Villaseñor, of Saturday Night Live fame. She also has two names which are more feminine leaning.

Many fans have since disagreed with the read that Forky and Karen are a queer couple, saying they “did not see an LGBTQ+ wedding”.

Now, I saw the movie on Saturday as a proud, self-confessed “Disney Adult”, who is also very gay, and I did not take it as an LGBTQ+ wedding, either.

Of course, you could argue that toys are neither male nor female, and children will play with and give them the identities they choose. And if you, the viewer, wants to see it as an LGBTQ+ wedding, then absolutely go for it.

But, unfortunately or not, there is no obvious suggestion that Karen Beverly is not a female knife.

Instead, at least to me, “husband and knife” was just a fun (yet rather obvious) pun from the writers.

Toy Story 5 is in cinemas now.

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