Lena Waithe to voice Disney’s first LGBTQ+ character

Lena Waithe has been tapped by Disney to voice the studio’s first openly LGBTQ+ character.

The star will be voicing the role of Officer Spector, a Cyclops cop, in new movie Onward, also starring Tom Holland and Chris Pratt, with producer Kori Rae telling Yahoo Entertainment the characterization “just kind of happened”.

“The scene, when we wrote it, was kind of fitting and it opens up the world a little bit, and that’s what we wanted,” she said.

Director Dan Scanlon added, “It’s a modern fantasy world and we want to represent the modern world.”

The character is the first outwardly LGBTQ+ character in the Disney/Pixar universe, and reportedly mentions that she has a girlfriend with a daughter in the flick.

Onward hits theatres March 6, 2020.