Does Elsa Really Need a Girlfriend?

In the Academy Award-winning 2013 film “Frozen,” main character Elsa is a beautiful princess who cares about her family and her kingdom. The animated film was a huge hit and little girls everywhere wanted to be like the strong and gifted young woman.

In March, Disney announced — much to the delight of fans — that there will be a sequel. And now, this week, a petition has been started, pushing the filmmakers to give Elsa a girlfriend. Really? Gay Elsa?

Many stories are characterizing this as something “fans” want. Actually, the idea and petition were started by one person. Alexis Isabel Moncada, a self-described teen activist and founder of the site FeministCulture.com, is behind the campaign that began as a tweet, saying, “I hope Disney makes Elsa a lesbian princess imagine how iconic that would be.”

She wrote in a story for MTV.com, “Growing up, I was really confused about who I was … I hadn’t been aware that there could be true love between women, so when I felt that love, I felt confused and alone.”

Her follow up tweet, “Dear @Disney, #GiveElsaAGirlfriend,” began to catch on and was picked up by media everywhere.

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But many fans are outraged, calling it not only “stupid,” but “manipulative.”

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And others are wondering, if Elsa doesn’t need a man, why would she need a woman? A counter movement — #DontGiveElsaAGirlfriend — has popped up.

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At the end of first film, Elsa — who became queen of Arendelle — was single, while her sister Anna was shown falling in love with mountaineer Kristoff.

But the movie was seen by some as being LGBT-friendly from the start. Jonathan Groff, who is an openly gay actor, voiced Kristoff, and the storyline of Elsa “accepting” her powers was interpreted as a metaphor for coming out.

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In one quick scene, there’s Oaken, the owner of Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and Sauna. He waves to a “family” — a man and four children who wave back. (Note: He doesn’t say “my family.”) It happens in a flash. Co-director and screenwriter Jennifer Lee was asked if Oaken is gay; she told BigIssue.com, “We know what we made, but at the same time I feel like once we hand the film over it belongs to the world so I don’t like to say anything, and let the fans talk. I think it’s up to them.”

(You can see it around the 2:10 mark in the video below.)

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Rumors were floated months ago that “Frozen 2” was going to be made more LGBT-friendly. But there was no real source on the story. Disney has never said anything about the film featuring a gay Elsa or LGBT anything else.

Original cast members Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), Groff (Kristoff), and Josh Gad (Olaf) are confirmed to reprise their voice roles in the sequel, which will likely arrive sometime in 2018.

Fans should know it may not be out of the realm for Disney to introduce a lesbian queen on the big screen.

After all, Disney Co. recently threatened to no longer film in the state of Georgia if an anti-gay bill was signed into law there. Its ABC primetime fairytale show, “Once Upon A Time,” this season has explored the relationship between two female characters — Ruby (Little Red Riding Hood) and Dorothy, who last month kissed. And in 2014, the Disney Channel introduced a same-sex couple on the show “Good Luck Charlie.” Two moms showed up with their child for a play date.