Luisa Madrigal is a supporting character in the Disney 2021 animated film “Encanto”. She is the middle child of her family, the older sister of Mirabel — the main protagonist of the film. The Madrigals (also known as La Familia Madrigal) are famous for their magic and power. Each descendant of the family will be granted “gifts” at the age of five, which will be used to help the villagers. And in the case of Luisa, it’s super strength. She is a strapping bodybuilder who is deemed the “rock” of the family.
Luisa had become a fan favorite despite the fact that she was just a secondary character. This is probably because of her non-traditional female portrayal. Luisa was far from the usual Disney princesses who were typically slender, petite, and weak. She’s tall and strong; she definitely doesn’t need a knight in shining armor to sweep her off her feet. Luisa had become a symbol of strength for women from all over the world.
Because of her unusual build and strength, Luisa has been deemed by some as a lesbian. So, is she? Is Luisa from Encanto gay?
VOTE: What is Luisa’s Sexuality?
Why Does the Queer Community Love Luisa?
Luisa was representing something that people rarely see in a cartoon, especially in a Disney movie. She was butch and strong, which is unusual in Disney women. Unfortunately, her strength was taken advantage of not just by her family but the whole town, as well. What’s even sadder is everyone only sees her as someone who possesses super strength, no one really sees the vulnerability behind the strong facade. Everyone must’ve forgotten that she’s emotionally valuable, as well, because at the end of the day, she was only human.
The whole package — her build, strong facade, and emotional vulnerability — made the whole queer community fall in love with her character. They felt like they could relate to her. They said that she’s going to be the “sexual awakening moment for generations of baby gays”.
We DO talk about Luisa. Her deep butch voice! Her big body that is animated like a big body DOES, and is still beautiful and strong and good. Her complex vulnerability that isn’t rendered as a joke character. WE LOVE HER.”
said one Twitter user
Luisa’s not just winning hearts because she’s big and strong. She’s more than just her size and strength. She’s beautiful inside and out. She’s proof that even strong women, or people in general, have emotional vulnerabilities, as well. Behind that tough persona is someone who is carrying heavy emotional weight.
Luisa from Encanto’s Sexuality
A muscular woman with super strength — we get it why the whole queer community is in love and can relate to Luisa. Because she’s a breath of fresh air.
But to set the record straight, she isn’t queer in the movie. Or not specified, at least. Her sexuality was never discussed in the film. There was nothing in the movie, either, that seemed to suggest that she was queer. However, Luisa had already risen to lesbian icon status.
Luisa’s impact was undeniable. Her catchy solo, “Surface Pressure,” has been charting in the Billboard charts ever since it came out. A lot of people can obviously relate to the message she had tried to convey behind the bop song.
Is Luisa from Encanto Gay?
No, as far as we know, Luisa is not queer in the film. However, her sexuality was never discussed in the movie. She showed no hints about her sexual preference, either. But since we assume someone to be straight by default, Luisa is probably one. But we could really blame the queer community for making her a lesbian icon.