LGBTQ characters in GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE? Well, it’s certainly easy to see the connection and chemistry between Phoebe Spengler and a ghost girl. Had the ghost been a boy, it would’ve been a romance, but now it’s “up for interpretation”. Read on about the queer-coded element in the Ghostbusters franchise here!
Are there LGBTQ characters in the latest Ghostbusters movie? Well, maybe you should watch it and decide for yourself. This seems to be the attitude and official reaction when the question is asked. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is out on digital video now so you can watch it at home.
BEWARE! SPOILERS FOR GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE ARE COMING…
My opinion, even when trying to be very open-minded and objective (more than most straight people can claim to be), is that Phoebe Spengler has an intense connection with the ghost girl, Melody. And if Melody had been “Melvin” then this wouldn’t even be a discussion. It would be described as a young romance akin to Romeo & Juliet.
Because it is. Only this is Romi & Juliet. Or, you know, Phoebe & Melody.
Continue reading about the possible LGBTQ representation in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire below.
Is Phoebe Spengler queer in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?
Well, that is the million-dollar question, isn’t it?! And it’s one that it appears no one is officially ready to answer.
It’s the old “Are you gay?” question asked to Ricky Martin, who wasn’t ready to come out (and should not be forced to), but usually, a non-answer is an answer.
What we do know is that Phoebe Spengler (granddaughter of original Ghostbuster, Egon Spengler) meets someone, and sparks definitely fly.
It’s classic meet cute when Phoebe Spengler sits down in an empty New York park to play chess with herself. Suddenly, the chess pieces start moving seemingly of their own accord.
Of course, the chessboard hasn’t come alive. Instead, a young ghost girl, Melody, is surprised that Phoebe isn’t scared of seeing a ghost.
“Phoebe is too young to be gay!”
If there’s one thing, you can be sure of, it’s that someone will claim Phoebe is too young to know that she’s gay. Of course, no one is ever too young to know that they’re straight. Directly out of the womb and placed next to an infant of the opposite sex, people are ready to claim that a boy and a girl will grow up to be married.
Funny how that works, isn’t it?!
Anyway, when Phoebe first meets Melody, we’ve recently learned that Phoebe is now 15 years old. Melody speaks about being 16 years old forever, so we now know that we’re dealing with two girls who are 15 and 16 years old respectively. Not many would give it a second thought if Melody was a boy and wanted to date Phoebe.
Also, her actual friend from the first movie in the Ghostbusters franchise reboot, Podcast, is back in Frozen Empire and they are still just friends. So the filmmakers even offer us a look at the obvious difference between Phoebe’s interaction with a friend versus a romantic interest.
Dying to touch you
To describe the energy and chemistry between Phoebe and Melody as platonic is based purely on the fact that they are both girls. I guarantee that if I told you the story and switched out the name Melody for Melvin or Phoebe for Philip, you would not hesitate to call this a love story.
Because it is.
I mean, the very human and alive Phoebe Spengler meets Melody, a ghost girl, and decides to turn herself into a ghost for two minutes, so she can… touch her?!
It’s never explicitly stated why Phoebe wants to try being a ghost with Melody. However, why else would she use a device created by an original Ghostbuster, to separate one’s spirit from a physical form, to be with Melody for two minutes?
Again, had the two not been girls, this would have been very romantic.
And guess what? It is extremely cute and romantic. No, we’re not talking about a steamy moment between two teenagers, but rather the desire to just touch someone you’ve discovered a powerful bond with.
As much as I love any of my friends, I would not separate my soul from my body for a couple of minutes to high-five them.
But for my wife? I would do it immediately!
Even the actor has portrayed a queer character before
Mckenna Grace is the actor who plays Phoebe Spengler. She’s 17 years old (will turn 18 on June 25, 2024) and she has had an amazing career already.
Mckenna Grace portrayed the young version of an iconic and beloved lesbian character. She was the young Theodora “Theo” Crain in The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix. Theo Crain is a brilliant character who even gets a happy ending (pun intended).
Kate Siegel, who portrayed the adult Theo, is married to the creator of The Haunting of Hill House, the wonderful Mike Flanagan. While I won’t get into it here, I cannot emphasize enough how much I adore Mike Flanagan!
The actor, Kate Siegel, is very forthcoming about being bisexual in real life, so she married very well. I say this because not only are queer characters safe with Mike Flanagan (as safe as any character can be in the hands of a horror storyteller), the couple even named their daughter after the character Theo.
Also, Mckenna Grace played a young Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel. As in the Carol who becomes Captain Marvel, who is certainly also a queer character.
For the record, I realize Loki and Valkyrie are the only main MCU characters who are canonically queer. I just don’t recognize or accept it – much like all the actors in Captain Marvel don’t either!
How obvious is the LGBTQ element?
Oh, it is very obvious if you’re watching the movie and paying attention. The longing glances and desire to become a ghost to be together for a moment.
We did a feature on the LGBTQ character in Jurassic World: Dominion which has been recognized as a queer character. However, in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the queer characters are much more obvious than in Jurassic World: Dominion.
Surely, it’s only because she is a younger character and because Ghostbusters is a family-oriented franchise, which brings us to the nitty gritty of this sordid situation: A 15-year-old is presumed straight, which is not charged with any sort of physical longing. However, if we say she’s queer or gay or LGBTQ+ in any form, then it’s no longer “safe”.
Newsflash: Love is love is love!
And what I love about Phoebe Spengler in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is that I know little queer girls will watch this movie, and see exactly what I did; A sweet love affair where she begins her path to self-discovery.
Of course, there is also the very real chance that any backlash whatsoever will result in Phoebe having a boyfriend in the next series. Or they will be brave, and love her back, so she gets a girlfriend and is 18 years old, so she is no longer a child.
