Disney has announced it will be bringing back its animated sitcom The Proud Family, with the inclusion of some new characters, including two interracial gay dads who are adoptive parents of a teenage racial activist.
The upcoming series, titled The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, follows up from the original show, which ran for two seasons on the Disney Channel from 2001 to 2005.
The entire original voice cast will be reprising their roles, including Kyla Pratt as protagonist Penny Proud, Tommy Davidson as Oscar Proud, Paula Jai Parker as Trudy Proud, Jo Marie Payton as Suga Mama, Karen Malina White as Dijonay Jones, Soleil Moon Frye as Zoey Howzer, Alisa Reyes as LaCienega Boulevardez, and Cedric the Entertainer as Uncle Bobby Proud.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the upcoming series will feature actors Zachary Quinto and Billy Porter, who are both gay in real life. The two actors will play Barry Leibowitz-Jenkins and Randall Leibowitz-Jenkins, respectively. The characters are the adoptive parents to Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins, a 14-year-old black activist voiced by Keke Palmer.
In a post on Twitter, Disney Plus noted that Penny’s best guy friend Michael Collins, voiced by EJ Johnson, will also be making a return to the series.
Proud Family: Prouder and Louder is presently in production by Disney Television Animation and is expected to launch in 2022 on Disney Plus.
The inclusion of a gay interracial couple adds to the growing list of LGBTQ characters presented by Disney. Last month, Pixar Animation Studios, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, released a casting notice for its first transgender character in an upcoming project.
Last summer, as Christian Headlines previously reported, the Disney Channel debuted its first bisexual character in the animated series, The Owl House.
In honor of Pride month in June, Disney launched its Rainbow Disney Collection, featuring LGBTQ+ themed apparel and toys. The company added that it will be sending funds to LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations.
“In celebration of Pride Month 2021 and the company’s Pride collection, The Walt Disney Company is giving funds as part of our ongoing commitment to organizations around the world that support LGBTQ+ communities,” Disney said in a statement.
Related:
Pixar Casting for Its First Transgender Character
Disney Channel Reveals First Bisexual Lead Character in The Owl House
Lucasfilm Says Lando Calrissian Is LGBTQ, Includes Him Star Wars Pride Month Campaign
Disney Plus Debuts Pixar Short, Out, about a Gay Man Coming out to His Parents
Photo courtesy: Thomas Kelley/Unsplash, Pexels/Steve Johnson
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer. He is also the co-hosts of the For Your Soul podcast, which seeks to equip the church with biblical truth and sound doctrine. Visit his blog Blessed Are The Forgiven.
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