Florida teacher investigated for showing Disney movie with gay main character

The investigation comes after fifth grade teacher Jenna Barbee showed her class Disney’s 2022 animated movie Strange World as a “brain break”, following a morning of standardised testing.

The film features Ethan, an openly gay character, and a romantic plot between Ethan and his crush, Diazo.

On TikTok, the teacher said she chose to show the film because it fit in with the class’s curriculum, as they are currently learning about ecosystems. The LGBTQ+ element was not the reason she put the movie on, but described it as “harmless”.

Barbee claims she was reported to the state by a school board member, who she says is on a “rampage” against any form of representation in schools and her daughter was in the classroom watching Strange World.