Inside Out 2: Riley Identifies as Nonbinary?
The first teaser trailer for Inside Out 2 supports a well-known Riley theory, which sadly Disney most likely never will confirm. Though Disney will probably never confirm, the Inside Out 2 trailer seems to support a popular theory about Riley. Starting the narrative from the first film, Inside Out 2 follows Riley turning 13 and navigating fresh complicated emotions as a teenager. Designed to support a popular Inside Out theory, the sequel's Joy and the other returning characters show inside Riley's head as anxiety. Not too long later, fresh feelings show up and take over.
Nonbinary Riley: An Inside Out Theory Popular Reference
Riley is either trans-nonbinary or genderfluid depending on a theory developed following the premiere of the first Inside Out film. Previously, Pixar has verified fan hypotheses about their animated films, even including the ideas into short films and sequel projects. Sadly, there is practically little likelihood they or parent company Disney would investigate, let alone validate, the theory regarding Riley's gender identity. Still, nonbinary Riley is among the most often discussed Inside Out theories ever.
The ending hints in Inside Out at Riley's gender
Though the theory originated from Inside Out's ending, Inside Out 2 supports the popular belief Riley identifies as nonbinary or possibly genderfluid. Riley's emotions as well as her mother's dad's are shown throughout the first film. Riley's feelings clearly show themselves as both masculine and feminine, while parents' emotions all employ one gender expression. Riley's possible gender identity's clue is the first one. Still, it's unfair to base judgment just on these three people. Riley is the only child involved, thus three people are not enough to create a pattern.
This changes at the conclusion since it depicts emotions in the minds of other characters. Inside Out presents emotions that complement the gender expression and style of every character when peering inside their brains. Fascinatingly, everyone else's emotions—as shown at the end of the film—all point one way or another. This could be explained by their developmental phase if other young children also experienced masculine and feminine-presenting emotions. But other children her age, including Jordan and the goth child in her class, follow the trend of single-gender expression emotions.
The New Character in Inside Out 2 Advocates This Theory
Inside Out 2 explores fresh emotions including ennui, shame, and jealousy. The first feeling Riley's head presents is Anxiety, which differs from the other five emotions in that it is the first apparently gender-neutral one. Disney presents Anxiety, though, as "female." Still, the character's voice has androgynous pitch and cadence. The hairstyle of anxiety embraces a genderless and messy appearance instead of conventional gendered ones.
Moreover, Inside Out depends much on clothes. Every character—including emotions and people—has clothes that complement their narrative and identity. Inside Out 2's depiction of Anxiety fits typical queer and nonbinary fashion trends. She sports loafer-looking shoes, wide-leg pants, and a big sweater with strong orange stripes. These objects might be coincidental, but taken together they have more significance.
Disney Would Not Feature a Canonically Nonbinary Character
Though Riley's nonbinary gender identity is hinted at in Inside Out and Inside Out 2, Disney most certainly would not confirm this theory. The media company began showing LGBTQ+ characters only lately. They have only so far included queer sexualities, not genders. LGBTQ+ characters almost always play minor roles; the main exception is found in the Pixar short Out. Although Pixar usually leans more progressive, they still answer to their parent company. They might thus be unable to verify the theory concerning Riley's gender.
Furthermore, given the fear of reaction, Pixar most likely wouldn't even want to confirm Riley is nonbinary in Inside Out. Particularly for young transgender people, the political environment of today is hostile. Many states passed legislation barring schools from respecting LGBTQ+ identities and depriving trans children of their rights (via ACLU). This shapes how Disney and Pixar, among other production companies, handle LGBTQ+ characters. They are compelled to design queer-coded characters rather than pen true queer narratives. Riley is only 13, thus even if existing isn't political, her possible nonbinary identity would be considered as a political statement.
Nonbinary Riley could also affect their ticket sales and lead to transphobic comments about Inside Out 2. After all, The Little Mermaid received review-bombing for featuring a Black actress as Ariel and there was indignation over Lightyear merely featuring two gay minor characters. Sadly, a lot of Disney's viewership seems opposed to the notion of minority characters. The parent company most likely wouldn't let Pixar risk creating the main character from one of their best films transgender. The closest they would probably ever come to respecting Riley's trans nonbinary identity is dropping just hints akin to those in both Inside Out episodes.
Pixar Workers Claim Disney Stopped This Kind of Representation
Thanks to pressure from Disney, Pixar mostly cannot be more progressive with its narratives, even if it would want to. Claims from several Pixar employees indicate that Disney has insisted on cuts to films in order to eradicate most cases of LGBTQIA+ showings of affection. This comes in following the Florida "Don't Say Gay" legislation in 2022. "Nearly every moment of overtly gay affection is cut at Disney's behest, regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar," the report notes (via Variety). This arrived in a letter bearing signatures of a group of "LGBTQIA+ employees of Pixar & their allies." "We at Pixar have personally witnessed beautiful stories, full of diverse characters, come back from Disney corporate reviews shaved down to crumbs of what they once were," I added (via The Guardian). This followed Disney CEO Bob Chapek's declaration that the company would not oppose the "Don't Say Gay" measure since it could "be counterproductive and undermine more effective ways to achieve change."
Though many of the staff members at the company would want to do much more with it, Inside Out 2 is the closest Pixar can present right now hinting at these subjects. Though it's regrettably not likely to happen soon, there is hope that will change.
