What Parents Should Know About LOKI’s LGBTQ+ Reveal
By Movieguide® Staff
Editor’s note: The following story contains minor spoilers for LOKI episode 3: “Lamentis.”
For fans of Norse mythology and/or Marvel comics, Loki’s pronouncement that he’s part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer-plus community in the latest episode of Disney+’s LOKI is old news, but sparks alarm for media-wise consumers who practice discernment in their entertainment choices.
In “Lamentis,” Loki and the Loki variant Sylvie are having a brief heart-to-heart on a train called the “Ark,” as they attempt to escape an apocalypse guaranteed to wipe out the moon on which they’re stranded.
“You’re a prince,” Sylvie says. “Must’ve been would-be-princesses, or perhaps, another prince?”
Loki pauses before he says, “A bit of both — I suspect the same as you.”
The moment feels anti-climatic in the chaos of an apocalypse and is subtle enough that LGBTQ+ advocates complain it’s a letdown after so much hype.
However, a more distressing realization comes from another Disney project, one that parents may inherently trust because of it’s supposed “kid-friendly” label, and that is the book series Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard is a fantasy series spin-off of the popular Percy Jackson franchise written by Rick Riordan and published under Disney’s Hyperion imprint. The book series is recommended for readers ages 10-14.
Riordan’s series became popular for breaking down mythology in a way that older children and preteens could learn about Greek, Roman, and later Norse, cultures. His Percy Jackson books were initially turned into two movies (PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF and PERCY JACKSON: THE SEA OF MONSTERS), and Riordan announced that the Percy Jackson series is in the works for Disney+.
While Percy Jackson examines Greek and later Roman mythology, Magnus Chase explores the Norse mythology leading to the end of the world, or Ragnarok.
While parents may have red flags about the strong pagan worldview, parents may not realize that the primary love interest for the main male character, Magnus, is a gender-fluid child of Loki named Alex, who was born as a boy but presents as both male and female at different points in the series. What makes Alex especially unique is that Loki isn’t his father — Loki is his mother.
The characters do kiss, and at one point in time, Magnus says something along the lines of, “I realized I was making out with a dude but didn’t care.”
Again, this book is for children ages 10-14. Yikes!
Through his children’s fantasy novels, Riordan is normalizing LGBTQ+ propaganda, proving the need for parents to teach their children media discernment in all aspects, not just for movies and television shows.
According to Movieguide® Founder and Publisher Dr. Ted Baehr, parents must teach their children the following:
- The visual, aural and logical grammar of the media (which differs from the grammar of the written word).
- How to ask and answer the right questions about the communications and entertainment media they use.
- Compare their answers to the biblical norm and biblical principles.
To begin to teach children how to discern the content they consume, parents can ask their children the following questions of movies, television and even books:
- What kind of role models, positive and negative, are the main characters?
- Who is the hero? And, who is the villain? And, how do their character traits agree with a biblical hero or villain?
- Do the moral statements and themes agree with a biblical worldview?
- Are real consequences to sin exposed and rebuked?
- How are relationships and love portrayed?
- How are Christians, religion, the church, the Bible, and God portrayed?
- Does the language honor God and people?
- If violence is included, how is it presented?
- If physical romantic activity is included, how is it presented?
- How appropriate is this material for my family and me?
The real devil is in the details, and due to its target audience, Magnus Chase presents a bigger problem to parents than LOKI.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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