Strong Female Characters. They either have to be masculine, wield a gun, or show no affection. When a character eschews traditional femininity, you better believe she’s a strong female character. But that isn’t why Merida’s strong. She’s strong because she refuses to be the person her mother wants. She’s strong because she’s perfected a skill that isn’t ladylike, through practice. But that means she’s an “honorary boy.” Why a down to earth, quirky, headstrong young princess can’t simply defy gender roles, still be a girl, and be her own person without having her sexuality questioned is really beyond me. We have no idea. What we know about Merida is that she doesn’t want to be forced into a marriage without her own say in it. “I’ll be shooting for my own hand!” What does that mean? I’m going to make the decision regarding my agency. I think Fergus put it best when he impersonated Merida and said she’d rather remain single and let her hair flow in the wind as she rode through the glen, firing arrows into the sunset. Does that mean she’s gay? Who knows? All I know is that this wonderfully flawed girl would rather fall in love in her own time, on her own terms. Using that, as well as her gender performance as proof of her being gay, is not enough nor is it valid.

If girls and boys regardless of their sexual orientation relate to Merida, that is fantastic! Guess what, human beings are not defined by their sexualities. Claiming that Merida is gay because she wants independence and is a tomboy brings you onto shaky ground.