Coming out this July 21st is Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie. Starring Margot Robbie as the titular iconic doll alongside co-star Ryan Gosling to play as her male counterpart Ken, the Barbie movie is coming in pink, pink, pink!
Well, now that you think about it, could the Barbie movie also be LGBTQ+ themed? Here’s what we know!
WARNING: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the Barbie Movie, so READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Is Barbie Gay in the Movie?
Let's get something straight (no pun intended): the Barbie movie is not entirely LGBTQ+ themed, but seeing how diverse the characters and cast members are, the theme exists to some extent.
Considering the Barbie movie is a 21st Century take on the whole notion of the Mattel dolls and how they are seen by our society today, the film is highly anticipated by every Barbie kid out there, especially the queers.
Now, the question is, is Barbie gay in the movie?
Many fans had been initially claiming theories that Robbie’s Barbie barely wanting to spend time with Gosling’s Ken as well as how happier she seemed roller skating with the mother/Mattel worker Gloria (America Ferrera) implies the titular doll is probably a lesbian, here’s why Barbie could actually be a representation for the queers.
Starting off first with the trailer, the video depicts that Barbie is going through a change from being the IT girl Barbie to becoming a less-than-perfect doll.
This makes her lose her powers to float off her house to her car, experiencing some chaos in her normal everyday life, including no longer having lifted heels for feet.
The Barbie trailer could have potentially mislead readers to believe that she’s straight or heterosexual, considering that in the trailer, Ken tells her he wants to stay over tonight because they’re ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’.
But then again, the movie is all about how Barbie is ‘going out of her comfort zone’ since she has to face the real world, meaning outside Barbie Land. And the real world in the 21st century is a lot more complicated than it used to be.
Here's the thing, in the movie, Barbie has indeed preferred spending time with Gloria, but only because she is well aware that in order to become the 'perfect stereotypical Barbie' again, she has to help the woman who had been playing with her doll in the 'real world.'
Barbie has been showing signs of being queer, though.
Gosling's Ken doesn't get to spend any night with Barbie in her dreamhouse, as Barbie pointed out, "It's Barbie's dreamhouse, not Barbie and Ken's dreamhouse."
She was pretty reluctant in having him around on her journey from Barbie Land to the real world, and even when they stepped into the real world.
She would always go out of her way to find out more what the real world has been doing since the Barbies 'attempted' to make feminism real.
At one point, Barbie even called Ken 'superfluous' while spending time with Gloria and her daughter, Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt).
Not to mention, when Barbie confirmed she and Ken had no genitals, the ending of the movie had her visit a gynecologist to give her a vagina, seeing as she 'transitioned' into becoming human, which could be a trans story allegory, if you look at it.
Most of the time, it was just Barbie trying to figure out who she is and what her role is in society apart from being the 'stereotypical' model the Mattel company always wanted her to be.
Apart from the queer main Barbie story, there are other Barbies and Kens who are LGBTQ+, even in real life.
Fans Speculated Barbie Is A Lesbian in the Movie
As of writing, though Barbie's sexuality has not yet been confirmed in the movie, a new clip from Greta Gerwig's film shows a teaser of why fans believe Barbie is a lesbian which you can check out below:
If you can remember, there was a scene in the official trailer where Barbie was being chased out of the building. This new clip, however, shows America Ferrera's character, Gloria, pulling up to 'save' Barbie.
Once she pulled up, the camera zooms into her face and then Margot Robbie's before Gloria tells her, "Get in!"
And that's not any normal 'look' on a 'friendship' level with anyone. If anything, it was a longing in which Barbie looked relieved to see her, just as much as Gloria is to be there for her.
Well, as seen in the Barbie movie, Gloria and Barbie are NOT gay.
In fact, it was just presented as an attachment because Gloria wanted to present a 'realistic, down-to-earth' Barbie who thinks about death and depression, and considering she has always dreamed of making her own Barbie for the Mattel company, it was a dream come true to see the real life-sized Barbie.
The two characters spent an ample time together on their journey from the real world going to Barbie Land, where Gloria ended up becoming the key in getting rid of Ken (Ryan Gosling) taking over Barbie Land into his 'Kendom' (Ken kingdom).
Who Else Are LGBTQ+ in the Barbie Movie?
One of the Barbies, Hari Nef, is a trans model and actor who will be playing the ‘Doctor’ Barbie, according to her poster.
She may not be the star of the Barbie movie, but she is beyond grateful to movie director Greta Gerwig and co-star Margot Robbie to have been given the chance to be a part of the film.
Nef had even shared an excerpt of her thank you letter to the girls on her Instagram, which you can check below:
“This is a big movie, made by a team whose work has played no small role in cultivating my love of sitting in the dark in front of big screens for an hour or two. But that’s just a part of why I want — my heart says ‘need’ — to join in the making of this film. Identity politics and cinema aren’t my favorite combination, but the name BARBIE looms large over every American woman. Barbie’s the standard; she’s The Girl; she’s certainly THE doll.”
Additionally, queer actor Alexandra Shipp (Tick, Tick… Boom!, Dark Phoenix) and A-list comedian lesbian icon Kate McKinnon are also a part of the roster, where Shipp plays 'Celebrated Author Barbie', while McKinnon plays the ‘Barbie everyone destroyed as a kid’ where she constantly splits and has crayon markings over her face.
Not to mention, Chris Evans’ gay brother, Scott Evans is playing one of the Kens that has a cowboy hat in the poster with the caption, ‘You guessed it. He’s a Ken.’
Michael Cera’s Allan is suspected to be gay, too, although this hasn’t been confirmed yet.
See, Allan is one of the rare ‘Kens’ in which he is the only ‘Allan’ in existence of the Barbies and Kens, pretty much like how Midge is the only Midge among the Barbies.
Allan was always portrayed as Ken’s ‘buddy’ but given how overtime, the word has conjured up a different meaning for the queer community.
In the movie, though, Allan would always side with Ryan Gosling's Ken, specifically whenever he injured himself, or whenever he's standing near Ken, he just, likes being around Ken!
Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa may not be gay in real life, but has certainly portrayed a gay role in the aforementioned Netflix series and is on to snatch more iconic Hollywood roles such as becoming Doctor Who’s first Black actor in the role of Fifteenth Doctor.
ALSO READ: How Old Are Barbie and Ken in the Movie?
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